Plane over 4am & dropped bombs in N.Ts. Yesterday accounted for targets in Kowloon.
Fine & warm.
Heavy raids causing fires Kowloon & N.Ts 11.45-2pm.
3 papers in but no E. news therein.
Lorry with veg. 6.30pm.
Pages tagged:
Bombers came again at noon, all clear went just before 3pm so no show possible.
(It's said) two big fires were started - one big explosion South Bay way, and another Taikoo-way - oil fire it's thought. Saw the planes - large and glinting and silver.
Fritters tonight - nice.
Went to see June (Cheape) re german, and did half an hour for Olive at work while she had hair cut. Went to see Burgess in afternoon, and Pat C.
There are almost no 'Europeans' left in town now, and it's the Chinese who are the unintended victims of the American bombing that's necessary to destroy the military and economic capacity of Japanese Hong Kong.
The raid was reported in the Hongkong News later in the week:
More heavy raids
Today the weather has broken again; it is windy, with low clouds and poor visibility. We wondered if the US planes would visit HK again or whether, because of the bad flying conditions, would give it a miss. We felt that, if they did come in this bad weather they might be working at some schedule for an invasion here or nearby and not just taking advantage of the fine weather to damage Japanese installations and military objectives.
Overcast, NE wind, colder.
Wood barrow.
A/rds 1pm – 2.20pm. More heavy stuff dropped despite low cloud & mist.
No papers.
The daily air raid began at about 1 o'clock, it was clear by 2.30 so we were able to go to the Easter Entertainment in St Stephens (during which there was another air raid alarm.)
Here's how it was reported in the next day's issue of Hongkong News:
Y 2,000 robbery from Canteen at night
My weight 132 lbs.
Koiso Cabinet resigned
The weather is even worse today and there has been no raid that we are aware of, though a big American plane came cruising round this morning, probably on reconnaissance and checking up on results. The paper states that the French Hospital received a direct hit which resulted in killing 4 of the Revd Sisters at their devotions in the Chapel, while three more are buried and have not yet been recovered; the orphanage was also hit, killing and wounding, so says the report, 100 children. The patients’ wing also collapsed, burying many of the patients.
Overcast & colder. NE wind.
Wood barrow.
No raids today but planes heard at noon. Targets affected since Monday, Big fire A.P.C. N.Point, Star Ferry, Peninsula Hotel, Kowloon Railway Stn., Nathan Rd., Sikh Temple, French Convent, Wanchai & numerous gun positions, Lyemun & Chung Hom Kok & several vessels in harbour.
Cut up wardrobe.
Matches Y4.90 per box.
Ash tray for G.
To Mass then to work, pretty busy.
Newspaper is full of landings on Lu Chius made on Sunday morning, and the bombing of the French Hospital in town on 4th April, resulting in death of 'at least 4 Sisters and 100 children and babies in creche'. How much of it is near to military objectives is under much discussion here; some say godowns are near, others say that Japs are living there, etc.
((The modern name for the Lu Chius is the Ryukyu Islands - this diary entry refers to the allied landings on Okinawa))
adm. Baron Kantaro Suzuki (77) new Premier of Japan
Wedding – W. Keith MacKie & Jacqueline Anderson
“Housemaster” ((for details see 9th))
Cold, drizzly, overcast. NE wind.
Finished wood truck.
No E. news in any papers lately. Luchu Isles seem to be ours & Japan Tokyo & Yokohama being heavily bombed daily. British Fleet coming out East. Singapore & Kaula Lumphur [sic] bombed. Jap Cabinet resigned en bloc 5th. Baron Sukuki [could he mean Baron Suzuki?] (ex Navy, 78 yrs old) ordered to form another.
Jacquie Anderson & Keith Mackie's wedding day. They were married before Mass. Jacquie looked very nice in powder blue dress and white hat. I took Fleur.
Cold, wet and windy. Worked in afternoon.
Had eyelid scrubbed again in evening, most painful.
Rumour that Germany has capitulated, and that the Japanese cabinet has resigned en masse.
Hospital ship came in bay and out.
Had very bad night, eye sore and discharging a lot.
Worked in am but couldn't do much because of sight.
Benediction, then visited the de Vleeschouwers, Doreen, and Aileen Thirlwell.
Spoke to Rev Sandbach re clubs.
Pasty.
Wittenbach / Ponting
Overcast, NE wind.
Quiet day, nothing doing.
Workers’ cigs issued.
Black-market about at an end, no stuff coming in.
Lorry with veg. 6pm.
Planes over & some explosions heard 11pm.
Worked in am. Eye bad.
To C.A. Meeting.
Lecture on Banks, I didn't go.