Fine & dry.
Dentists window.
4 Raids afternoon (Tolo harbour).
Down to Steve’s at 4pm for Chow & port wine. Chicken, corned beef, Chinese pork sausage & tinned meat, rice & veg.
Bread issued.
Allowed out till 8pm.
Pages tagged:
The raid was reported in the Hongkong News:
Stayed to 2 Masses. Visited Leprosarium ((now our TB wards)). They had a 'Christmas tree'.
Japs had sent flat duck in rations - hospital kitchen put out a terrific meal of beans, pumpkin, 'ragout of duck', greens, and a pudding with wong tong syrup. Married Quarters had pasties and rissoles.
Thomas Edgar and the other bakers make a Christmas loaf from a four year old reserve of flour. The Camp has not tasted wheat bread since January 29, 1944 - all bread has been made out of rice since the flour issue stopped.
From its last remaining stocks the camp also gave each of us a small loaf of real bread. The flour was pre-war and decidely musty. Even the weevils in it had died of malnutrition, yet it tasted as good as rich plum-pudding. We realized again that the true Christmas is not a matter of commercial enterprise.
Dow / Martin
((This is a new page, and at the top is written:)) Cable from ??? ((unclear)) read. ((It's not clear which date this applies to.))
I hope you are having a happy time Marj dearest & Baby Rae & am convinced that our next Xmas will be together.
Fine, dry. Water on.
Excellent meal pm. Rice, baked sweet potato, stew & savoury pasty.
Mrs Willcocks gave me some tobacco. I made them a lamp.
Roll call 5pm & allowed out till 8pm.
Air-raid alarm 8.15-8.40pm.
Spent morning with Sheila, Peggy, Audrey etc. at St Stephens arranging the toys we'd made for RC social and labelling them. Social went off very well, with tableaux, a choir in which Mabel sang; and the great cake, baked by Father Meyer and to which all RCs had contributed tiny amounts of ingredients.
Social (R.C.) at S S Hall.
Fine, dry, hazy, overcast.
Dentists window.
Sweet congee 1pm.
Filling in J.P’s chatty & had cup of tea with him. ((Possibly J P Penefather-Evans?))
17 Jap old type dive bombers over 4.20pm E-W. Air-raid alarm 6.30pm
(Xmas bill 59-40)
All clear 7.15pm.
Lorry with veg 7.45pm, wood 1pm.
Dry, hazy, SW wind.
With J.C. on windows. ((Probably J C Chalmers, as on 3rd of January, Jones writes: "With Chalmers on windows."))
Air-raid alarm 11.45-12.30pm.
Colder, Wind E.
Lorry 5pm with veg.
Paper tells of bombing of “Reinan [Reman?] Maru” last Sunday.
Repatriation still in the air.
Germans advance into Belgium but one side of their wedge is being attacked already.
Pork Y150 per catty in town (17/- per oz)
Overcast. E wind. Drizzle.
Lorry with wood 2pm & veg 6pm.
2nd window frame in Dentist’s shop.
Air-raid alarm 8.50pm. Planes over 10.30pm but no bombs dropped.
Overcast, West wind, warmer & brighter pm.
Dentists window.
F.H. spoke for first time since July ’41.
6 oz Syrup(8-75) & Suk yin 1oz(7-50) issued.
Lorry with wood 4.30pm.
The papers, which go to H.Qs. every day, are still up there. Japs will not allow distribution for some reason.
((Who was the "F.H." who spoke for the first time since July '41? That was long before the fighting, so their silence wasn't connected with any wartime traumas.
Possible candidates:
Mr Anderson died.
Marie married to Vincent Morrison who is now a RC. They had a very lovely Nuptial Mass. Reception couldn't be in afternoon because of an inspection was planned (which however didn't come off.)
Wrote 'The Last Meeting'.
Vincent Morrison one of the failed police escapers, marries Marie Francoise Theresa Barton, formerly a stenographer, but in camp one of the people who'd nursed him after his release from prison weighing 80 pounds and suffering from malnutrition.
It was the first wedding Edith Hamson and her family had attended in camp:
Death – Capt. Joseph Stewart Andersen (56)
Wedding – Vincent Morrison + Marie Barton. (Hesler – best man B C Fox ((sp?)), bridesmaid ??? Barton ??? ((several words unclear)), was given away by Father)
General inspection of Camp by Jap. authorities (2 - 4 ((unclear)) rooms)
Warmer. brighter.
Dentists window.
Hara inspected some of the Rms.
Orders to remain in our rooms 2 to 4pm cancelled even though “the Slug” came in for the purpose of Rm inspection. ((Who was "the Slug"?))
Yesterdays paper released.
Tokyo raided 27th. Russians gain in Budapest.
Todays paper kept at H.Qs.
Lorry in 2.30pm & 6.30pm with veg.
To Marie & Vincent's reception.
SUMMARY OF 1944
Mabel's accident in January, and 'Peter Pan' were the dominating features of my year.
Other notable events included:
Vincent Morrison and Marie Barton hold their delayed reception.
Note:
See Comment below.