| ((Original text)) | ((Jill Fell's translation)) |
| Pendant le repas de midi des soldats prennent position en toute hâte sur la véranda du 1er étage, face à Aberdeen. Le bruit court que les Japonais arriveraient de ce côté mais la soirée passe et on ne voit rien venir. Nombreux vols d’avions japonais qui lancent des bombes à plusieurs reprises. |
All the furies broke loose. The battle at Wongneichong Gap has reached decision point. We have now to expect shelling from two directions, from Kowloon in the north and Quarry Bay in the east. Above our flat, high but not too far away laterally, the road through the Gap is an obvious target. A burnt-out truck stands gaunt at the corner to remind us of that.
Busy morning - lousy breakfast - this holding back on food is ridiculous. Heavy bombing and shelling by the enemy — he is now shelling the Aberdeen area — from the direction of Wong Nei Cheong. I hear he has advanced to the heights flanking both sides of Wong Nei Cheong - also he has got into the Repulse Bay area - if that is the case, Stanley will be cut off.
Shelling continued over and around the hospital . By this time it had been noted that the enemy shelling usually commenced at about 1000 hours daily , after which time it was necessary to cover the patients up for protection . As a routine , therefore , all wound dressings were started very early in the morning , and were completed each day before 1000 hours . Needless to say , it was necessary to keep a large number of patients morphinised almost the whole time .
From daylight to darkness I have been driving a lorry carting cases of tea, milk, jams, veg, sacks of sugar and flour and many other tinned commodities from the food store at Chung-Am-Kok to Stanley Fort. The married quarters and barrack block verandahs are stacked up with tons of supplies. We have several air raids but the AA guns have kept them up high and very little damage has been done.
9a.m. No more news yet but we had a very quiet night. So we hope things are going well.
Orders T 10.00AM & attached to the Middlx. Regt. Catchwater overlooking Rep. Bay. Knocked some Japs over during the afternoon.
Retired to Stanley View for the night.
Around midnight (21st-22nd) I was summoned to the No.1 house which was our HQ. Here I found Col. McPherson, Ordnance, Lt.Col. Fredericks RASC and many other officers. I was informed that we were leaving “The Ridge” One party was to make its way (nobody quite knew how) up to the catchwater leading from Repulse Bay to Wongneichong Gap, another party in which I was included were to proceed down the Repulse Bay Road and occupy “Overbays” a large house at the junction of Island and Repulse Bay Roads.
On the 22nd an artillery attack on the Ridge was commenced and our sandbag defences and walls of the houses began to crumble.
No 6 Platoon of the Scottish Company were assigned to hold the area of the bridge over the Lido Road on the night of 22nd December to protect the evacuation of troops in the Repulse Bay Hotel area from enemy troops who were penetrating down the valley to the east of Violet Hill.
On 22nd December, after heavy fighting, the Japanese advanced past Ty Tam Gap and occupied Stanley Mound and The Twins, hills which overlooked the Stanley peninsular. This gave them excellent observation for heavy shelling of Stanley Fort.
The night of the 22nd. December was wet and troops robbed us of all coats, sweaters and woollen clothing.
The ordeal of those captured in Kowloon continues.
Arthur Hamson and most of his fellow prisoners at the Hing Wah/Ying Wah College are up at 6 a.m. - they've been told they are to be moved today. They are taken by lorry to the Kowloon Hotel, arriving at about 2 p.m.. At 5.30 p.m. he writes to his wife Edith - 'life seems blacker now than it has ever been. We're 4 of us in a small room'.
I was awakened by the growl of the engines and coming on deck, found we were in Aberdeen harbour tying up alongside one of the HK Yaumati ferries. It was a lovely clear morning, as indeed all of our Naval days were and, on Mike and Tai setting off for town, I settled down to a pleasant morning. My hopes were dashed though by the constant interruption of shelling and bombing, and here at last my first impressions of the Navy acquired during our first visit to the Aberdeen H.Q. were completely dispelled.
The day opened mildly for us. An air raid alarm for breakfast; but they have been sounding so frequently and are so mixed with the all-clears that they have become meaningless. We fed as we could. Plates have become impractical; we eat with spoons from rice bowls. With these we are mobile, can duck quickly when the crashes surge near. The lull did not last for long. Another terrific bombardment around us and away up in the hills. Another shell on our roof destroyed some of my tomatoes. There were again great fires on the mainland - big smoke near Tsun Wan.
Aberdeen is a warm spot these days – the enemy has increased his shelling - it is out of the question to move about the harbour our boats lie on the South side of Applichau and in Waterfall Bay during daylight.
Returned late in the morning - feel much happier after having seen my family - Evelyn was in good spirits and doing a fine job of work. The little one thank God is too young to know anything of what is happening. Relieved to see all the babies at Matilda in good spirits and in a safe place.
Shelling continued as usual .
In spite of the efforts of the staff , dirty linen had now accumulated , and there was a shortage of bed linen and clothing . Candles were also in great demand for lighting . The Naval Chaplain , who made many visits to the hospital , procured a large number of new sheets from the local Fleet Club which proved invaluable .
Today the emptying of the Chung-Am-Kok food store continues with additional lorries and more help. It looks as if very soon the Japs will overrun the road to the Fort. So it is essential to get as many stores in as possible.
8.45am. News not so good yet we can just carry on. I'll write later B.
