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The men were working all night, bringing in wood from lighter. They were given congee, and Margery Fortescue's band worked supplying tea until 3.00 am., but Mrs C. infuriated us all by growling at Margery this morning for the movement and noise - a noise outside the chlorinated water tap in the courtyard - because of Weir baby & Mrs. W had a temp.! Margery tired and very upset.
Rose / Ponting
workers cigs
Meat
pm roll call trouble – all called bk
told no more sugar until deficiency made up
Heavy showers 6am.
Somewhat stiff & tired on rising.
The women’s tea effort for the wood squads was very much appreciated. Bath on roof at 3am after congee. Jack gave me a little wong tong (to G & V).
Repaired Jack’s pipe & ring for V.
Finished off the wood-carrying 3.00pm-4.30pm.
On roof with G but incorrect roll-call spoilt ∴
Workers cigs for last period June issued (22)
Mr Albert Victor Frain died this afternoon. ((Poor man, he'd gone ga-ga and had to be accommodated in a tiny room on the ground floor of the hospital, with a minder.))
Worked in morning.
Olive's beri-beri is coming back again, and her legs are septic.
Pacifist meeting in Rosaleen's room in evening, Q. MacFadyen, Gregory; and S. Carr came too.
Death of Albert Victor Frain, aged 48. Mr. Frain was a marine engineer from Aberdeen, who left £1,230 (net) in his will -presumably to his wife Marguerite who lived in Aberdeen.
According to George Wright-Nooth, he had once been a seaman. He lost his mind - it is not known if before or after the start of the war - and was looked after in a small room of Tweed Bay Hospital by attendants, usually police, who were given two biscuits a day for the mental strain.
Sources:
Last Wednesday the Camp Labour Officer (Paterson) was told to standby on the following day with his labour squads (all men engaged on heavy work such as gardening, woodcutting etc.) to take delivery of the first consignment of our next issue of firewood. The Japs had stated that 400,000 catties (about 230 tons) were coming in by lighter and had to be shifted by us from the Prep School pier to the camp. This was not quite so far as the last time, when we had to bring it practically from Stanley Village, but the road from the pier is very steep and badly rutted.
Fine, hot.
Window in Sewing shop. Shoes for G.
Cigs 48Y per pkt.
Guards moving up to H.Qs from Prep School.
Canteen staff joined up with Ration Party.
Frain died today (48)
(landing made in Japan 14th. New British ‘plane in action in Far East. 3 landings made on Sumatra)
Tea issued.
Lard Y1200 per lb. £60. ∴
To Mr Frain's funeral, taking by Rev. MacKenzie Dow. Father Hessler there too
The Formosan (guards) now living up the hill.
Thunderstorm 5-8am. Humid. Showery.
Didn’t work today, cold developing.
Learned netting stitch.
Full Moon. ∴
No one came for shorthand – feel like throwing them both over.
Bombs fall on the camp again. There are injuries but no deaths.
Many decades later May (aka Mavis) Hamson, 8 years old in 1945, described the scene in Bungalow A:
Strange “bomb” incident Bung. A.B. & other S.S. are hit by seaplane (jettison)
Hurt – Myhill, Leida Wood, Harrison, etc, (J. visited T.B. Hospital)
Bright, hot.
Window panes in Ward 7.
Saw Dr. Smalley & he put me on Digitalis & strychnine with orders to ease up on heavy labour. B.P.125.
St Stephen's etc. still evacuated, the 200 ex inhabitants are sleeping wherever they can in Blocks 9, 10 and 11. Not supposed to return to their billets, but some have risked it to get essentials.
Leilah (in hospital) looking so much better.
German lesson off (Crutwell's) because air raid alarm between 11.45 and 12.10, but we had it at 4pm.
The Formosans are reputed to have stopped Tony Sandberg's wedding till Saturday because it's 'a better day' !
Noel Croucher is defiant in the aftermath of yesterday's bombing:
The next day, Colonel Nomura ((see note)) ordered a few of us to parade, and he called me out, told me he wanted me to answer some questions, and warned me to speak the truth. He asked, 'Was that an American plane which dropped the bomb on your roof?' I answered 'No,' and he asked me why. I told him that it must have been a Japanese plane because the Japanese had vowed that no American bomber would ever reach Hong Kong.
Source:
7am Mass in Grants' room (Block 2, Married Q), then outside utside roll call, followed by a general address outside Block 2, where Married Q. people and Blocks A1, A2 and A3 assembled. (A4 and Dutch Block went to Indian Quarters for their address.)
Noel Croucher's still not playing ball. He's brought in for questioning again, this time with Franklin Gimson. Croucher's asked once more about the bomb's origin, and claims he can't read the markings; he asks Nomura ((see note)) to lend him his. When he does, he inspects the markings and declares that 'it must have been captured from the Americans'.
At this point, Gimson interrupts and says, 'Of course it's an American bomb, Croucher.'