News suddenly received that British fleet is, at long last, about to enter the Harbour. Ignored Japanese still occupying office, Morning Post staff present produced leaflet in a limited edition which distributed in streets free of charge.
((Thanks to Brian Edgar for this copy of the leaflet:
Fine, E wind.
Many people in Block have tummy trouble.
Rigged enclosure for flag hoisting ceremony.
Staff meeting re booze?
Sunbath on roof.
Admrl Harcourt & Gimson etc arrived by 5pm & flag hoisting ceremony performed. Introduced to Ad. by Willcocks. Speech by Capt. of ‘Maidstone’.
Brandy with Steve.
The BAAG publish a "NEWSLETTER for RELEASED PRISONERS OF WAR AND CIVILIAN INTERNEES IN HONGKONG.
Extracts:
After your long internment without accurate news you will want to learn a thousand things about happenings and conditions in the world at large and particularly about Britain. ...
The following also are some points of interest about Britain:—
Slept fitfully, heard the bugle call from Naval Dockyard.
Glorious day, planes about, and 3 Chinese are doing shadow boxing in Cathedral porch. The trams are making their old creaking noises.
Have upset tummy, praying it won't continue lest I get sent back to camp again.
Sent my sugar ration to Mum in camp last night by Joan Walkden who with Lorraine Money had been over to Shamshuipo camp (I don't need it here!)
Lovely breakfast!
The Yorkshire Post finds a county angle to the great events currently unfolding on the other side of the world:
A Welcome Broadcast
No sleep, up at 5am.
G so f & s [?] 7am.
Took down wire from enclosure as my last Camp job. Prison Staff now standing by to take over the Prison.
Segt. Jones came out to see me.
Sent Radio message to Marj.
Went on duty at 2.30-6pm. had several photographs taken. Muster 281. Ind. C.W. & 9 others arrested.
Lt.Comdr. Bailey I/c Camp.
Sloop arrived in Stanley Bay.
Fine, hot.
Jap. food supply ended, thank heaven for that. Capt. Bailey, Liaison Officer made other arrangements yesterday. All is going well.
The loafing women here will soon have to do a job of work as most of the men, fit men, have Dept. jobs to do.
Oatmeal, milk, sugar, toast, marmalade, butter & coffee for breakfast.
More odds & ends of stores arrived & it seems to have the B.C.C. beat as to its distribution.
T.B. cases etc went aboard the “Oxfordshire” today.
Majority of police back to town.
Worked busily in morning. ((The large room on the ground floor of the French Mission became the general office, where we girls typed among telephones and noisy comings and goings of various Govt. people who were working there too. Some of the rooms on the first floor were offices for our bosses. The top floor rooms served as billets for us staff)).
James O'Toole in Shamshuipo goes to see Joan Whiteley at Kowloon's Central British School, where the staff and patients of Bowen Road Hospital were transferred between April 9 and April 12, 1945. Ms. Whiteley was presumably one of the Queen Alexandra nurses who moved from Stanley to the hospital at the CBS following Matron Dyson's letter to Colonel Bowie - see entry for August 18, 1945
A photo from George Cautherley showing "my father with myself and my mother taken in Stanley Internment Camp on 2nd September 1945, my third birthday.":
Fine, hot.
Airmail letter to Marj.
Poor issue of M & V, chocolate etc ex US. Had to draw for odds & ends of it. 11 oz meat ration – 3, 3 cigs – 2, mixed supper ration – 2.
Navy man had accident with Jap. pistol & is in T.B. Hosp in serious condition. G & V N.Duty on him. [I wonder if G & V are nurses?]
R.N. took over Camp Guard & hoisted White Ensign.
(Sunday) Got up early and went to St Joseph's Church (Garden Road) but it appeared to be closed, not even any handles on the doors. Went round back to Grotto, Our Lady's statue still there and OK.
Knelt on the marble prie-dieu but there were mosquitoes and ants so couldn't concentrate. There met a man in military uniform, Mr. Sherry (I didn't know him), he said Mass would be at 8.30am but I coudn't stay as due in office.
The formal surrender of Japan takes place aboard the USS Missouri (thanks to Laura Ziegler Darnell for the link):
Started work on first floor of HK. Bank Building, and this morning scrounged this book (a thin black notebook with headings in Chinese characters; it became my diary).
Olive arrived on the morning bus from Stanley, sleeping and eating at Gloucester Hotel. She says Stanley meals very poor.
The Oxfordshire left Kowloon Wharf but hasn't departed for good yet.
Things much easier in office as we typists have a room to ourselves, and only one telephone.
The first air mail leaves today, and tomorrow the internees will be told there's one going every day. Thomas Edgar dashes off a note to his family:
H. K. Hotel
Room 321
Dear Mum and all
Great to be free again Lena & I are fit sorry no time to write any more have only just heard we can send this
Love
Lena & Ooke
((Letter written by Hugh Blackwell Layard Dowbiggin to his son Richard from Camp Stanley.))
Room 11. Block 15, Internment Camp Stanley, Hong Kong
Monday afternoon 3rd September 1945
My dearest son,
Hazy, hot.
Duty 9-12 noon on Gate. 39 discharged.
Nice tiffin by G & V. Pork, lard & flour from Gaol. 6oz corned beef from Camp.
E. of Aust. arrived. Some return passages to Manila booked. 3,000 RAF personnel landed.
Filled form re £100 I.O.U.
Posted letter A/m to Marj.
Willcocks app’td. to work out plans to clear the Camp.
8oz White bread issued.
Supper & walk with G & V. On roof ⨳
'Empress of Australia' arrived in, with 3,000 RAF toops, also another hospital ship.
Cloudy, showery, S wind.
2 Pkts Jap cigs. 1 Irish potato. ½ tin milk, ½ tin marmalade, (oatmeal, cocoa, ½ milk & ½ catsup) White bread.
Duty 12-3pm.
G & V to “Swiftsure” among their own once more. Makes me feel somewhat inferior.
Quite refreshing to read the daily paper again, all British & mostly sensibly written.
G & V back 9.15pm made porridge, had supper & peg with them. We all registered for repatriation on board Emp. of Aus. ∴