Death of Harry William Page.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists him as 70 at time of death, Barbara Anslow's diary as 71. His wife, Lilian, had pre-deceased him.
Before being sent to Stanley he was held at the Kowloon Hotel.
Sources:
http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/searchgarrison/nonuniformedcivilians.ht…
Death #91 - Harry Wm. Page (71) (formerly Dairy Farm)
Since I last made an entry the old year has fled and 1945 has arrived. I don’t think anyone shed even a tiny tear over 1944. Apart from the arrival of the Canadian parcels it has been a year of disappointments (the chief one being that the war is not yet concluded!) and restrictions of one kind and another. I think the most optimistic person has, by now, given up all hope of any measure of repatriation by the Japanese.
Overcast, cold. NE wind.
Outside roll-call 8.30am.
Made 2 saucepans.
Lorry with wood 4pm.
Japs deal with US landing on Luzon “as usual”.
¼ lb W.T. & 2oz Soy sauce issued. ((W.T. = "Wong Tong" or brown sugar. Barbara Anslow reported the same issue of sugar and soy sauce in her diary entry for yesterday.))
Vessel with R.C. supplies (Hoshi Maru) left Moji 8th.
Block Med. Insp. I now weigh 160 lbs approx.
Mum's 50th birthday. Mabel gave her a brooch from somewhere. Margery Fortescue gave her some potatoes and carrots, and lard to fry them in.
Eleven or twelve destroyers came in and out of bay.
Rumour that electric current will come on again - tomorrow the day.
To Confession standing by the railings opposite Block A3.
Cold, brightened up am.
Convoy of 4 tankers 9 destrs & 1 cruiser off Tweed Bay.
(Salt pork Y400 per catty in Camp, eggs 40Y each.)
Wind veered to SW.
Landing made at Akyab 9th. US advance into Jap positions at St.Fabian 9th. 2 divs infantry & 1 div of tanks. Singapore raided 11th.
Yesterday's paper says that another Maru (ship) left Moji on 8th for Shanghai with U.S. parcels, not yet guaranteed safe passage. No one in camp knows what's happened to the Nissei Maru.
Benediction in afternoon, then Catholic Action Section Meeting; Brother Bonnici (Louis) gave a talk on Malta. ((He was one of two Catholic Brothers in camp))
Wittenbach / Ream
Morning roll call late, and had hardly finished when air raid happened. The longest and noisiest we've had yet. Much ack-ack fire. Some say there were 12-14 planes, I only saw 3, flying very low. They came back again for a short time just after lovely tiffin of potato and beans.
Worked in afternoon, visited Fleur still in hospital, rather listless.
Mum had 2 letters from Auntie Lil, Dec. 1943.
American planes begin two days of intense bombing of Japanese shipping in Hong Kong. Lieutenant Commander Noriteru Yatsui, in a post-war debriefing, assesses today's raids from a Japanese perspective:
Heavy a.m. raid
Lively raid a.m. Another in arvo. Saw plane down in flames. One bailed out.
The raid was reported in the next day's Hongkong News:
Heard planes coming over just when I went to get congee, and arrived back in room just before kyushu (air raid alarm) went. A long time after, planes came round our area, and dive-bombed Waglan.
Bright and sunny.
A day of prolonged aerial bombardment, ending in tragedy.
The bombing begins at 8.30 a.m. and goes on for about 4 hours. Then it moves closer to Stanley. Mutal Fielder is walking back from a lecture with her Russian teacher 39 year old Government cadet, Stephen Balfour; they are continuing the discussion of Pushkin:
Fire over Hong Kong. Yesterday and today. We have been subjected to a real blitz by the American Air Force. We had a real taste of their might, unfortunately with tragedy to themselves and to ourselves.
Yesterday the raid was heavy and we were in high spirits at the strafing both Hong Kong and what we presumed was the New Territory and also shipping. However today the first relay of bombers came over at 8.45 am and kept up a continuous bombing of Hong Kong and even near to us.
Very heavy 4-hr raid a.m. 5pm Bungalow "C" hit - 14 killed + pm 2 US planes crashed overhead, burst into flames - one man bailed out parachute
((Deaths #)) 92-105
Alert at dawn and then lively raids all day. Several fires Taikoo, Kowloon and Repulse Bay. People in street hurt. Thrilling dive bombing. Paper says 300 raiders. Claimed 14 down, one probable and 10 damaged. Didn't seem like it. Macao said to have been bombed thrice on 16th. Portuguese and Third Nationals killed.