Cloudy but fine, warm, cool NE wind.
Hosp.Ckhse path.
4oz oil issued.
Water on.
Canteen for W.T. & salt only. Y15.55 & Y4.90.
Pages tagged:
Speech Day at the camp school, and Franklin Gimson is the speaker. The internees know that Germany is close to defeat, and there's a feeling of exultation at the prospect of victory and release.
Source:
Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, Kindle Edition, Location 3121
Wrote talk on films for Wed. club. Worked in afternoon.
To Benediction, there was the Crowning of Mary. Lesley Eager and other children, Antony Witham and Cyril Eager renewed their pledge to Children's Eucharistic Crusade.
Dow / Martin
Overcast, squally E wind.
H.Qs. tell us they lost yesterday’s papers.
Buckles for Vs havesack.
Rumours, “General armistice in force” “26 Countries send joint Ultimatum to Japan”. “Landing made in Saigon”
“(Jubilation) The war in Europe may now be definitely said to be over.”
Well, April 23rd went by without (as far as I know) anything spectacular happening: so much for my forcasts! But, thank God! It looks as though Germany has at last given up the struggle.
Overcast. squally wet E wind.
Odd jobs.
Sat & Sun papers arrived.
General surrender of German troops in Denmark, Norway, Holland, Germany & Italy 4th. 1,000,000 to Montgomery. Hitler shot by Reds 3rd on his way to kill Himmler’s family. Kyushu bombed. Europe finished except for clearing up odd spots. Now for the Far East we hope.
More A/r tunnels commenced & the sand bagging of certain rooms projected.
Paper says that Northern Germany, Norway, Denmark etc. have surrendered as from 8.30am on Friday 4th May. Hitler apparently 'was deprived of his life'; by a 'Red Army bullet' when coming down a staircase in his residence with a weapon in his hand - on May 1st.
Cloudy, warm. Lovely day.
Odd jobs & cleared Hosp. kitch.chimney 6pm.
Excellent news bulletin. Japan to change her attitude towards Germany now that she has surrendered. The Tri-Partite Pact no longer holds. (What next Japan?)
Lorry with parcels 6pm.
Paper has old news in it. Goebbels & Keitel killed in Chancellery. Ex French generals & Premiers released.
((writing too faint to read))
The Instrument of Germany's unconditional surrender, signed in the early hours of May 7, comes into effect.
The Hong Kong News reports Germany's unconditional surrender. It cites a Domei (Tokyo) report of May 8.
Source:
Summary in the Macnider Papers, unheaded sheet
Peace in Europe at long last. I always remember the German broadcast say 'England always stood for the Was but Germany will finish it once and for all' Well it is finished and we hope once and for all but in a vastly different manner from what he had intended and we trust and longingly hope that all war will soon be finished out here as well. The might of the world is against Japan so she had better pack in while the going is good and at least save something (that is her country) from the wreck which is inevitable if she continues.
Fine, cloudy, warm.
Odd jobs.
A/r alarm 11.15-11.50am. Large force of large planes 300 passed N above clouds.
Rangoon besieged & R.N. on its way up the Irriwaddy [sic]. German 2 Battleships, 2 H.cruisers, 1A/C & 20 destroyers surrendered to British. Large army 650,000 on the move in Yunnan. Kyushu bombed 7th. Official date & time of German unconditional Surrender. 7th at 2.41pm French time at Rheims. Japs still determined to go on to a “Victorious conclusion”.
Fish brooch. ∴G.
((writing too faint to read))
Armistice signed 2.41pm on 7th May; the German people asked by Hitler's successor to keep calm and try to help dispel the feeling of hate - so ideal.
We all seem to take the peace so much for granted here, because it has never seemed real to us, but I try to imagine how it is - no blackouts, children coming back from overseas, no more the dread of something happening - and the prospect of being able to settle down to proper family life again.
Overcast, drizzly. NE wind.
Planes around early am.
Water on.
Ran out of smokes, wong tong etc, lousy. Workers oil & sugar 4oz & 2.7oz. Steve gave me some tobacco.
Have made bets between ourselves re date of Jap capitulation. Myself 31st May, Steve 27th May, Monty 10th June, Mary 30th June. The one furthest away from date to provide curry chicken dinner.
Most of camp super optimistic.
Planes around noon.
Rained all night.
Lorry with veg. 7.00pm.
Paper says Allies have retreated from Okinawa; also that prisoners of war returning from Germany were mobbed in England - sounds wonderful, yet still unreal to us here.
I think I'll have to be a Pacifist really because it's the only way I can see, yet still want to be intensely nationalistic and patriotic, therefore go to meeting to try to learn how to reconcile the two.