((On)) the 25th December, we were removed by launch to Kowloon and placed in the Kowloon Hotel where we remained until our transfer to Stanley on the 23rd January 1942.
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| ((Original text)) | ((Jill Fell's translation)) |
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Voici une date que nous n’oublierons pas de sitôt. |
Heavy boots down Village Road, past our front door, early in the morning. Some rifle and machine-gun fire. Then horses galloped past - race ponies from the Jockey Club stables at the top of Shan Kwong Road. We sneaked to the roof to reconnoitre, to find that a shell had hit the building next door and strewn its penthouse all over my garden. At about noon the noises swelled again, and later we had our first close view of Japanese troops. A score or more of them in close formation up King Kwong Street towards our back door, their steel helmets festooned with leaves.
((The following text is undated:))
Before dawn on Christmas morning, I heard little Elaine Buuck say, “Mother, Santa Claus is out by the tree.” Her brother, Leonard, told her to be quiet lest she frighten him away. My young children had heard him too, making it very trying to have to remain in bed for an hour or more before it was light enough to see anything. It never took us long to dress during the war because we only took off our shoes at night.
Christmas Day - and what a day - no rejoicing for us.
Received a nice present from Santa Claus in the form of a stick of bombs. 3 boats, 11, 27 and 10 - we were lying close in shore off the South side of Applichau eating a good breakfast, when suddenly, without warning, we heard the familiar swish of falling bombs - followed by heavy crumps as they struck the hill side and beach.
((Monro was writing on the 26th, referring to the events of the 25th:))
The Last Day : Christmas Day 1941, Until the capitulation , fighting was severe on the Bowen Road , and all round the hospital in Wanchai , and up to the very end the hospital itself continued to be badly damaged .
( 1 ) A mortar shell lodged behind the staircase of one of the hospital residences and failed to explode .
This must be the most extraordinary Xmas Day. The bombing and explosions could be heard all night. We have a quick breakfast at dawn and I set out with the bakers in the van just as the air raid siren commences. We can hear the bomb explosions but cannot tell where they are falling. Leung Choy finds some more of my former Chinese bakers, so we decide to open up two more Chinese bakeries in the Central area of the City. On one of my trips I stop and talk to a police Sgt.
CHRISTMAS 1941 10.30am Loved One, many many more may we see together.
((Diary doesn't say anything about my working part of this day.. an anxious time as we knew Jap troops were advancing towards Central where we were, and heard that our a.a. guns were to be set up outside the tunnel we were working in.))
Got 300 rounds from a lousy piece of work named Templar & so returned & took up position on a hill W. of Prison. Japs took Prison Rd & H.Q. Retired to Fort at 6.30AM where we scrounged breakfast & was billeted behind No1 Block (Some Xmas). Odd units trickled in all day. Fort bombed & shelled. Last night Murphy & Crossan were shot by our own men. McLeod, Carr, Gowland killed. Cottrell*, Foster*, Pearce, Stevens* missing. Winterton lost right hand. 7PM Posted as B.H.Q.
About midday on the 26th, the Japanese Commander with a large escort entered the Fort, and conferences took place with Brigadier Wallis, for the signing of the capitulation terms. One of the conditions was that all guns, munitions, and stores must be handed over intact or else the whole of the garrison would suffer death.
In the Kowloon Hotel they don't need to be told about the surrender; Arthur Hansom writes to Edith:
Beloved all is quiet. There has been no guns firing since yesterday evening and we are all of the opinion that it must be because HK has surrendered. We had about 100 people brought over here from HK last night most of them were from Stanley way and they had very depressing news with them. {This was presumably the group from the Repulse Bay Hotel.}
We landed on a lovely beach and soon moved off up a valley – each man now with his own pack – stores to follow later – and in the ever-growing light by padi and hill tracks – covered 2-3 miles to our stopping place, Wong Mi Chi – a small village set among heavy trees in perfect cover. By now it was broad daylight and we could look around and see just who was who and where we were. Here were our guerrilla allies with their inevitable Mausers and in addition to our M.T.B.
Boxing Day dawned fair and quiet. I peeped through a back window shutter to discover a machine-gun post at the Shan Kwong Road corner, fifty yards away, with a young Japanese soldier keeping silent guard. To avoid seeming furtive, I banged open the shutter noisily. The wrong thing to do; he sprang into action and swiftly brought his rifle round to cover me. I grinned; he turned to his pals and laughed, and I breathed again.
When we awoke the next morning ((the 26th.)) it was light in the basement because everything had been blown out of the windows the night before. It was 8:30 in the morning and we had heard or seen no one all night. The sun was shining brightly and we could go upstairs and eat our breakfast, which was a nice change from eating in the dark basement.
This morning as we were unable to get any messages through by phone I again went up the Peak with orders for the Hong Kong Regiment. I found all the officers asleep in Landale’s drawing room. They offered me breakfast though they must have been on short rations for a long time. The Chinese are looting the N.A.A.F.I. stores near the Peak Tram station. The place is littered with burnt out lorries and trucks.
7.30am: Sat on street for about one hour. Marched to Jarolen Road.
Found house robbed by firemen on return.