False alarm 1AM (Japs landed at Stanley.) Canadians turned out & manned roads. All OK. returned to H.Q. 8.30AM for much needed food & clean up.
1.30PM manned position N of Village commanding shortcut paths from Stanley View. Sandbagged our position & stayed the night, nothing happened.
The next day (23rd) I rang up both HKVDC and RASC Adjutants reporting my whereabouts and condition. They had already heard about it from Larry’s report and were quite complimentary. Capt. Crewe the RASC Adjutant told me to remain at “Alberose” till my feet were quite healed and said he would send some uniform for me to the University, where I could pick it up when ready to report for duty. I was unable to put on a shoe till 28th, so had no chance of reporting again for duty before the show was over.
On the 23rd, at Leighton Hill, the withdrawal of the Rajputs had exposed the flank of the garrison holding the Hill ...
((Source - a dramatization of the history of the Hong Kong Volunteers, which was broadcast over Radio Hong Kong on 31st May 1954 as part of the HKVDC Centenary Celebrations))
It is estimated that over 1,500 shells of all calibres were fired on the morning of the 23rd; the firing was extremely accurate although there was a high percentage of 'Duds'. On the morning of 23rd, Brig. Wallis ordered a counterattack which successfully recaptured Stanley Mound, but due to the lack of supplies and few troops to act as reinforcements to replace casualties, we had to fall back to our old positions. The total number of our troops trapped in and around Stanley was about 1,800, consisting mainly of Royal Artillery, Middlesex, Canadian, HKVDC, and a sprinkling of other units.
Sid phoned me at Dina House, now on first floor of Hong Kong Hotel (now a convalescent hospital); he had lost the tips of two fingers on left hand. I already knew that, as had had a note from Mabel telling me. I careered down to hotel and found Sid lying on a 'biscuit' on the floor ((with dozens of others)). He looked a bit wild and woolly. He had seen Mabel that morning at the Military Hospital where he had been first taken. They had become engaged!
The suffering of the soldiers wounded or trapped in Kowloon is even greater than that of the civilians: four doctors (Newton, Uttley, Hargreaves and Gosano) are taken by the Japanese from the Kowloon Hotel to the internment camp in Argyle Street where there are about 150 wounded troops (out of roughly 950 in total).
There was a general feeling of disappointment abroad this morning that nothing had happened. Their value in HK was now practically nil, fuelling was a chancy business, repairs and slipping (matters of primary importance to these delicate craft) were impossible owing to a bombed slipway, and, in addition, no new torpedoes could be loaded into the tubes.
((The Japanese forces entered the Hotel at dawn on the 23rd December.))
The Commander of the Japanese forces who took possession of the Hotel confined us to the interior of the premises and during the morning the Japanese conducted a search of everyone except children.
| ((Original text)) | ((Jill Fell's translation)) |
A dud shell which had hit a house in King Kwong Street behind us, lay yesterday in the gutter there. This morning it had been moved to the gutter at our own back door. We took an indignant view. A coolie wandered along and looked at it. We asked him to take it away, and he demanded forty cents which we paid. Later in the day the shell was back at the door of our next neighbour. The same coolie wandered along and looked at it. We decided to ignore it and him.
The war is reaching a climax - there is no doubt the enemy are closing in, the situation looks bad. Some talk of the Flotilla doing a flip. Nice thought for the rest of our chaps - but a very difficult decision for me to make. Somehow can't bring myself to go away and leave my wife and child behind. Wish I could make up my mind - however, have decided I shall leave it till the very last moment anything may happen.
Shelling continued , and by now , troops were in action on each side of the hospital , and machine - gun fire was very close outside the walls . Sniping also became a danger inside the hospital boundaries.
On this day casualties included two Admiralty civilian employees .
Before dawn this morning we find some of the monks (Italian Order) are still in some part of the building. One of them brings round mugs of teas which are very welcome. There is no sign of any chance of breakfast. In one of the corridors I meet my friend PO Flynn of the Naval Medical staff, he looked all in and had been up all night tending the wounded. I enquired about the wounded from the White House. He said all had been brought in by ambulance and were as well as could be expected.
8.30am Darling - I wouldn't have forgotten this year but Happy Valley is cut off and I can't go there. I may be able to go later. It's the 21st Anniversary. ((This refers to visiting the grave of their firstborn son, Tony. He was born on 23/12/1920 and died on 24/12/1920. He is buried in Happy Valley cemetery.))
Ordered to move 9AM & found new position on top floor Stanley Dance Hall commanding same outlook. 11.30AM shelled out & our poor old stewpot was shattered & the contents lost. Returned pm & occupied the dance floor itself. (Lyle & McGrath ((probably John Lyle & G. W. McGrath)) wounded during a.m. shelling)
All quiet during the night.
Four R.E.s swam from Repulse Bay to Stanley Village 9PM.
On the 24th, heavy enemy artillery fire was directed on the Central District, the Naval Yard and Victoria Barracks, and there were many fires in the town. Leighton Hill was in enemy hands, and the defence line ran from Canal Road in Wanchai, to the Lee Theatre, thence to Morrison Hill, Mount Parrish, Wanchai Gap to Bennett’s Hill. The Stanley force was concentrated on to the Peninsula and awaited the final assault. Two platoons of No 3 Company HKVDC were holding Chung Am Kok peninsula. The first line of defence at Stanley ran from the village to Tytam Beach, an
By the 24th the Japanese with overwhelming strength had launched an all-out attack on Stanley. They attempted to advance along Beach Road, led by three light tanks. Our 2-pdr. gun located at the side of the old Police Station managed to put out of action the two leading tanks, the third one beat a hasty retreat. Fierce fighting took place all day, with our troops gradually giving way and retreating to a final line of defence at the rear of the Preparatory School and St. Stephen's College, which was being used as an emergency hospital.
On the 24th. December, each carrying ones own baggage, we were marched to North Point Camp. The conditions there were very bad. Washing was done with sea water. Sanitation, nil, open air latrines only, water supply, 8 buckets daily for all purposes for 150 civilians and soldiers arriving. Food, rice and later soya beans. Medical supplies, nil. Wounded were constantly arriving.
