The canteen goods have come in at last and the canteen was opened last Wednesday. But what a change in prices! Salt now costs Y22 per 1 lb (pdv £200) and we can buy only ¼ lb at a time. Wong tong is Y19 per ½ lb (pdv £170)! No egg yolk powder has come in and this, the doctors say, is the best buy in the canteen. It is, apart from a few beans, practically our only protein supply. I hope more will come in though the cost may be inhibitive.
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Overcast, cold.
Workshops.
Bishop Valtorta visited Camp & he told his bunch of R.C.s not to listen or to spread rumours & to pray for Peace.
Offensive being prepared on Western Front, ½ million US troops left for unknown destination . Manila obviously in US hands although Japs will not admit it in so many words. Anti-Axis conference reached complete agreement re final overthrow of Germany, occupation thereof etc. Burma Road opened.
Paper says Manila internees rescued by the US entering forces.
Miss Mavis Lush married Mr. C. Littler.
Walked round with Beryl in evening.
Charles Littler, a marine engineer, marries Mavis Lilian Lush, a missionary teacher at St. Stephen's College. E. W. L. Martin, the Warden and Chaplain of St. Stephen's College, officiates and J. E. Montgomery and H. de V. Booten are witnesses.
Source:
Greg Leck, Captives of Empire, 2006, 635; Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 2008, Additional Appendix 1
Azalea presents "Fountain of Youth" (see 8th for details)
Wedding - Charles Littler & Mavis Lillian Lush (Martin)
Issue of Y15
I think it is high time I had a moan about the weather! I have been suffering in silence (as far as the weather is concerned) the last two months and now I must register a protest. The weather, during the spring of last year, was exceptionally fine and old HK hands shook their heads and predicted a wet summer: and by Jove, they were right! The wet weather continued through the autumn and we had comparatively few of the bright, sunny days, for which HK autumns and winters are renowned.
Cold, overcast, damp.
Canteen buyer 152.
Workers oil & sugar issued.
Sat with Steve till 2pm talking of the future so didn’t go to work.
Lorry with veg & Canteen gear 2.30pm.
Some Jap plane activity today.
Russian guns can be heard in Berlin, 37 mls. 7th. Montgomery broke through on 6 klmtre front 7th. Americans rescued 200 internees from St. Tomas University & got them away.
Y15 allowance issued.
Lovely stew for tiffin.
Catholic Action meeting in afternoon.
Rehearsal in our room at 2, Doreen (Leonard) didn't come. Visited her after meeting, she has malaria.
In evening to Grants' room for talk 'Towards a Better World' but found it completely over my head. ((The Grant family - Mrs. K, daughters Kathleen, Eileen, and Rosaleen (married) lived in Block 2 of Married Q.))
Short / Alton
Overcast, cold.
Repaired wash-basin for V.
Germans ask Allies to reconsider terms re unconditional surrender? Nothing doing so they have layed down arms. Jap Diet to meet tomorrow?
Black-out ordered.
Chinese New Year.
To lecture on 'Insurances' in evening by Dr. Lanchester.
Bombing on D'Aguilar.
Rumour that Hitler is asking Pope for 'no condition' surrender.
2 post cards from Auntie Lily.
Captain S. H. Batty-Smith died (A.D.C. to Governor pre-war)
Death of Sydney Harry Batty-Smith.
Death – Capt. S.H. Batty-Smith, A.D.C. (54) (The Loyal Reg’t (Ret’d) )
Eight days ago Y and I spent our fourth wedding anniversary in camp. Last year we were quite convinced that we should be free again by this anniversary, but here we still are! We had a cold and soaking wet day to greet us and on our way to a soya bean coffee and scone party in Maudie’s room in the morning we met Alec Potts who cheerily greeted us with, “Quite like a summer day at home, isn’t it?”!
Overcast, cold, drizzly.
Workshops.
Traders at St Stephens chased last night. 4, to H.Qs 6pm. Dr EH [?], Parker, Reid & Channing. ((Dr EH could be Dr E W R Hackett. Several possibilities for Parker, not sure who Reid was, and Channing could be F E Channing or J F Channing.))
Lorry with veg & Canteen stuff 4pm.
A/r alarm 3.30pm to 4.15.
Received Dec 43 & Feb 44 with snaps of Rae (3 yrs old)
Chinese New Years Day.
Overcast, not quite so cold.
Workshops.
Some alterations to workers rations to take place.
Hungry as hell.
Chopped more wood for Rita.
Lorry with private parcels 5pm.
Liegnitz 20mls W of Breslau captured. Some changes in Jap Cabinet.
4 Traders released after a few smackings.
Ash Wednesday.
Sore-ish throat. Worked in afternoon.
Mr. A. J. Collins Taylor gave talk on 'Lourdes'.
Planes around.
Had 2 eggs tonight.
Convoy went out, and a camouflaged launch is lying off Tweed Bay.
Thanks for your wonderful reply of 9th August '43 on the back of the Red Cross letter I sent to you on 16th July '42 which I received on 2nd February '45 so that it is a well and long travelled form isn't it astounding how a message to you and back to me should take such a time as 31 months to go and come back.
There was a spot of excitement this afternoon. Mr Lammert came bustling into the room saying: “There’s a battleship inside the Lemas ((Jiapeng Liedao and Dan’gan Liedao islands)) going east”.