Peggy (Barton) arrived today and is to work for Medical Department pro tem.
Eileen Grant's American boyfriend ((F.N. Merritt Jr.)) who was repatriated in 1942 has re-appeared.. swept into camp in the middle of her engagement party to Lewin Benn ((who'd been in Shamshuipo Camp)). Now Eileen and Merritt are engaged.
((Mycock had arrived in Stanley Camp on 21st Jan, 1942, and)) remained there until transferred to the SS. Maunganui on 5th. September 1945.
Franklin Gimson writes his first letter to his wife Dorothy and tells her the most debilitating thing about internment;
(It was) not the boredom, not the uncertainty but the nervous inter-play of personality on personality, the selfishness, the malicious trend given to any scandal, the deliberate misinterpretation of any statement and many signs of extreme nervous tension & lack of mental balance.
Showery, E wind, a little cooler.
Posted A/m to mother.
Franks took photograph as I hoisted colours this am.
G to town. Not going E of A.
Duty 3-6pm. All pris’s dis.
G to Concert.
Apple & orange, ¼ lb butter, 3 tins milk, ½ tin tongue, 1 tin jam. 8oz bread issued.
Saw Daisy for 5 mins. 12 years ago.
Name on list for E of A.
Arranged roof but fell asleep, rained so turned in.
Went to Stanley on lorry. Olive came for a quick visit. I stayed overnight. Camp seemed very changed. Empty hooch bottles stacked up in yard. Many people have changed billets ((due to vacances caused by internees going into town to work)). There were even some camp additions.
Mum & Mabel had issues of bread, 3 tins milk, tin lambs' tongues, fresh butter, oats etc. - wallowing in food.
Mrs Large (Clifton's mother) gave me a dress - nice of her.
Russell Clark writes:
By September 6 things {in town} were settling down... {back on the Prince Robert} They were hotly debating the Stanley internees.
It seems that the internees have made a bad impression on some of those who came in with Harcourt's fleet:
'(I)t strikes me they're squandering too much of their own sympathy on themselves.'..
Got bus from Stanley, at 8.30am, came round Shaukiwan way, much damage, a lot due to looting, the structure of the buildings seeming intact but insides were bare. I was dumped outside HK & Shanghai Bank where I left most of my luggage.
Very busy at work, didn't leave till 6. Went to Olive's room and acquired knitting wool, scent and books.
We girl have now acquired a wash amah, Ah Kit, who met me coming up Battery Path steps and insisted on carrying my case.
What is perhaps the longest period spent under Japanese control of any 'European' civilians comes to an end today.
Missionaries Mildred Dibden and Ruth Little (an Australian with some nursing skills) were amongst the first civilians to encounter Japanese troops as their Fanling Babies Home is close to the border (see December 8, 1941). Through hard work, courage, dedicaton and good luck, they managed to keep the Home going throughout the occupation.
The British Fleet is in!! We have been living in such a whirl of excitement of late that I haven’t had time to write up my diary.
According to the Daily Mirror, British seamen from the battleship Anson are fired on by Japanese.
The Times (page 4) reports today that Franklin Gimson and Dr. Selwyn-Clarke have been appointed Companions of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.
Source:
Daily Mirror, September 10, 1945, page 8
Fine. SE wind.
Little sit with G. till 10.30am. North of boundary wire.
Photograph.
6oz corned beef, 2 tins milk, 2oz egg yolk, ½ lb sugar, 8oz white bread, 5 Pkts Jap. cigs & some pepper & mustard issued.
G & V to town.
Five of us who had been selected to remain for Prison duty asked to make decision whether to stay or go as listed on Tues 11th. Decided to stay at first but altered my decision after.
Sat with G Dutch Garden 8-8.30pm.
Still no mail.
Mum came in from Stanley, up to my office. She looked very nice in blue and white dress (from some unknown source, and hollows in her face seem to have filled in already.)
Pears for breakfast, and lovely cold meat for tiffin, and pasty for dinner.
The new administration arrived (Brigadier MacDougall.)
No sleep, waiting.
Fine, hot, light E wind.
Felt lousy this morning, tired & washed out.
x G before going to church. G to town with Mrs Ballean, back at 3.30pm.
Dried pears, peaches, 8oz bread & 2oz Navy cocoa issued.
Started packing.
Supper with G & V. On roof till midnt ⨳
To St Joseph's, plus Mum and Olive. Very few people there. Revolver shots nearby while in church.
To work, busy; Megarry said I could have afternoon off, so collected Mum and Olive, we had tiffin at Olive's hotel.
T. J. J. Fenwick, who escaped from Hong Kong in October 1942 with the help of the British Army Aid Group, arrives back in the colony. He's been sent by the Chief Manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Arthur Morse, to report on the situation there.
The battle of ideas going on during the re-occupation is reflected on the front page of this morning's South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Telegraph. An editorial headed 'The New Hong Kong' begins:
After work, got air-line bus to Stanley. ((The air line bus was obviously a cut above the old Vulcan orange buses but can't recall anything more about it.))
Arrived in camp about 6.30pm, saw Clifton who was also visiting, he said Mum and Mabel had embarked about 3pm. No sign of E. of Australia, apparently anchored very far out - could only see corvettes and launches.
An important moment in the return to normal life: Aaron Landau announces that the popular Jimmy's Kitchen is re-opening today. He also gives notice that he had no connection with Wong Po Tin who ran the Sai Mun Cafe on the same premises between May 1 and September 9, 1945.
The Landau family acted courageously in providing both legal and ilegal relief to Stanley during the war and were punished for it by the Kempeitai.
Source:
South China Morning Post, September 10, 1945, p. 2
Annette Williams, née Brown, was one of the internees who sailed away from Stanley Camp and Hong Kong on the Empress of Australia. Here is a copy of an email from Annette where she summarises her research into the events of that day, posted here with her kind permission:
Fine & hot.
Took in odd gear to Prison store.
Gave G torch for her birthday. 36. G to clinic. Packed up. Helped G with their other room.
Left them at 3.30pm & boarded “Geraldton” for “E of A”. On board 9pm. Proper troopship accommodation. E6.Mess 139. Nice supper at 10.20pm.
Goodbye Gwen dearest, for a little while only I hope.