((Following text not dated:))
Comic buses. Two-wheeled old hand trucks with rubber tyres. Two skinny coolies pulling and one behind to hold on even keel and steer. Two rows of narrow seats facing each other. Canopy of canvas or rag. You are told riding is worthwhile because you would walking use up Y5 worth of shoe leather and health, especially in rain. Mostly we still walk with our little cart to carry purchases.
Fine day, cloudy & hazy.
Sharpened Steve’s saw & helped him to grind rice.
Made a key to fit our store lock.
Canteen held.
Chopped wood & gave Dutch their 53lbs.
Japs to take over private gardens.
Lorry arrived late, 7pm, veg & partridge.
With Steve pm.
Mary lent me another Y20.
Air raid alarm 10pm much shouting of “Kuchu” ended the day.
OBJECTIVE: Fly nocturnal sea sweep mission to detect and sink Japanese ships in the South China Sea.
RESULTS: No enemy ships are detected during the sea sweep. The aircraft commander, Lt. Wind, opts to bomb the HK & Whampoa dockyard (the designated secondary target) on the return flight. At least nine bombs fall in vicinity of the dockyard, but damage is unknown.
TIME OVER TARGET: Unknown, but likely around 1:00 a.m. on August 26
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-24 from the 375th Bomb Squadron (308th Heavy Bomb Group)
Classical concert ((see 24th for details))
Arrival of parcels ex Teia Maru notified
Ian Heath ((Betty Twydale's name is there but crossed out and replaced by Heath's))
What a day! King Michael of Romania has ordered his forces to cease fighting against the Russians; the Anglo-American forces have pushed right up the Rhone to within the vicinity of Grenoble (what a stupendous advance!); an American torpedo factory has ceased producing torpedoes as ‘the change in the war situation’ no longer renders their production necessary, and the Russians on the Eastern Front have brought up enormous reserves preparatory to a big offensive against the Germans. The war on the Eastern Front has ‘reached its climax’.
Plane around at 3pm [sic – am?] but nothing developed beyond a bit of searchlight work.
Good news around am. Parcels expected in Camp immediately. Much speculation re size, contents & number. 4 cigs & 2 matches issued. Foodstuffs ex “Teia Maru”. Cream 14 cases. Medicines 10 cases. Shoe repair material 4 cases. Children’s Special food 10 cases. Nurses uniforms 3 cases. Orange Juice 4 cases. Special Infants food 7 cases. parcel 4936.
Well, Well, Boy oh Boy this has been a week and no mistake, Not ‘arf. The news is great all over and the Allies appear to be on a Cooks tour in France and just going where and as they like. Romania has packed in and from Germany's position generally east and west she is on the 'spot' and it would appear that the end is in sight and the last chapter about to be written. Well we are ready and full of hope.
Fine day, Alto com. Wind E.
Some Jap plane activity am practice mostly it seems.
Census taken in connection with new Communal gardening scheme re fitness to work. Camp Nos. given to all internees. Mine 985.
Cup of tea with Webber am while he was room cooking. Chatties make everything very dirty.
Churchill in speech says end of war in Europe imminent & that war in Pacific will end before expected. Russians to force a climax through their offensive just launched. We all sincerely hope you are right Winston.
Canteen quota increased from Y88,000 to Y120,000
Roll call at 7p.m. nightly
The only snag about sudden, stupendous days of news is that life has to return again to its narrow little rut, and the rut is apt to look rather smaller than usual by comparison with the gala day. However, news is still good and our troops are doing splendidly in France. If only I could be there doing something instead of just sitting and waiting and waiting for news and worrying about stupid, petty little troubles!
Fine day. Wind E.
Collected grass for drying & to help out the wood for water boiling which is now twice daily.
Battle for Paris began 25th Anglo-US forces about 140 mls from German border & German forces let down very badly in Rumania due to collapse of Rumanian resistance.
A few more words with Stevens re quiet hour. ((Is this the same person he usually calls "Steve"? Or is he referring to the family as a whole?))
We are allowed two Canteen purchases per month Y20 each as from 1st Sept.
D.C. Edmonston died. A bank official, he was imprisoned in the gaol; his wife and daughter Mary (in camp) were notified that he was dying and were allowed to go and see him, but he didn't know them, and died. ((Mrs. Edmonston had in January bought Olive's gold manicure set for Mary's birthday. The Japanese allowed Mr Edmonston's body to be buried in the camp cemetry.))
David Charles Edmondston, Hong Kong manager of the HKSBC, dies in Stanley Prison of malnutrition, sepsis and medical neglect. He was 54.
He was arrested on May 24 (or May 3), 1943 and interrogated under torture, most probably either about his role in raising money for the British community and smuggling it into Stanley or about his contacts with the resistance or with Consul John Reeves in Macao. He was tried on October 19, 1943 and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Death D C Edmondston ( ) ((ie MacNider didn't know Edmonston's age and left it blank)) in Prison
20 men sent to town to unload rice
Congee and condensed milk
Fine. Showers forenoon. Wind E.
Chopped wood.
Lorry went in am with some of our fellows & armed guard for rations. They were fed on congee & condensed milk in town.
Germans retire to their own borders on Eastern Front. Sweden stopped shipping to Germany. Street fighting in Paris. Churchill had 45 mins talk on important questions with Pope in Vatican.
With Steve pm.
OBJECTIVE: Staggered single-aircraft night raids to harass Canton airfields and prevent JAAF from flying night bombing missions
RESULTS: Six B-25s bomb aircraft revetments at White Cloud and Tien Ho airbases, but damage is unknown.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~8:10 to 10:25 p.m.
AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Six B-25s from 491st Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group)
AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Lt. Sussdorf
ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 72 x 100-pound fragmentation bomb clusters
JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None
OBJECTIVE: Block channels in Victoria Harbor with anti-ship mines
RESULTS: Six B-24s drop their mines, but only four release their mines accurately, and at least two mines are destroyed upon impact with the water when their parachutes malfunction. Two B-24s fail to locate the target and return their mines to base. The mission is judged less than 50 percent effective by the U.S. Navy.
TIME OVER TARGET: ~8:24 p.m. on August 29 to 12:41 a.m. on August 30
Mabel's 21st birthday. She and I locked the door and ate a plateful each of fried sweet potatoes and rice bread with some paste I'd saved. We were real gluttons.
Showery. Wind SE.
Rice arrived. 4,000 bags.
Chief topic today is parcels.
Turkey & Spain Portugal & Switzerland sever Dip. relations with Vichy 27th. Advances made in France & Russian Front. Focsani in Rumania captured 26th. Increased raids on Japs northern islands. Troyes captured 27th. De Gaulle to church service in Notre Dame in Paris 26th. Hungarians having trouble with Rumanians. They captured German General Staff in Bucharest. Russia makes demands on Bulgaria.
Steve on rice carrying party pm.
7pm roll-call is an order from Tokyo.