My kitbag arrived by sea.
Pages tagged:
The 400 or so people being held at the Kowloon Hotel are sent to Stanley Camp. They are kept waiting in the street outside for hours and then joined by people held at other hotels before going by ferry to Stanley.
George Wright-Nooth and other police internees at the Luk Hoi Tung Hotel are also sent to the Camp.
K. Hotel internees arrived by launch from ferry wharf
((We were transferred from the Kowloon Hotel)) to Stanley on the 23rd January 1942.
On January 23, the Japanese put us into the hold of a ferry to take us (one hour trip.) to the internment camp they had prepared for us.
After we left the wharf the children and some of the mothers were permitted on deck. We could see a lot of destruction on shore and every fishing boat or ferry boat was sunk. We saw lots of masts above water or half sunk boats.
Today moved to St Stevens College Stanley.
Majority of servants (Chineses) sent out today so the big noises must fend for themselves a little.
The Salmon family arrived, and Baby Jean whom Mum is taking over for the time being while her guardian Mrs Irene Braude was organising a room with other mums with babies.
After a couple of days of chaos, an open-air meeting is called, and elections are held for the Camp Temporary Committee, which will be tasked with creating order and setting up the basic systems necessary for daily life in Stanley.
((Original text undated, but other diaries report the people from the Peak arriving on the 24th.))
Shifted from Prison to E Block Indian Qtrs. 4 per room. Everyone searched pretty well when we left gaol. It is nice to be able to walk round anyway.
Olive arrived a couple of days ago with Food Control staff - now 5 in the room, plus for a few days Baby Jean.
Fish today - smell put me off. Kellogs is stale. Diet devastating - rice and fish, or stew. When Kellogs and Oxo run out I shall just have to eat rice ((had always hated it!)) Stew dreadful too. Luckily Mum has some tea.
More of the people living on the Peak are sent into Stanley.
The Protestant denominations in Camp agree it would be 'ridiculous' to hold separate church services:
On the very first Sunday there was a United Communion or Eucharist at 9.00 a.m. with worship services at 11.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.
Source:
Peak: Phyllis Harrop, Hong Kong Incident, 1944, 125
Services: Bill Ream, Too Hot For Comfort, 1988, 52
Note:
Sandbach/Wittenbach.
End of first month since surrender. Japanese ordered display of flags, which hawkers selling at $5 and $3.
Nothing to do but wander around & see fresh faces. Looked at G2 all seems to be clean & tidy. Food poor & scanty. Had we known that we were to be interned here we could have buried & hidden quite a lot of useful stuff from the Prison.
American missionaries Robert and Helen Hammond and their family (their baby Edith, Mrs. Hammond's parents, Albert and Rose Reiton and their younger daughter Esther) have been hiding in a Kowloon flat. Eventually they write a letter asking the authorities to arrange for their internment. After 46 days they see the first Japanese enter their home: a general and his interpreter.
Tired tonight! - I went to Stanley this morning - but we were very late in getting away - we had to wait at the Jap C.G. for a guide. I saw Greaves but no one else I know - or rather that you know. Conditions are a bit better but rations very low. So I was very late back and had no tiffin. I had bread and cheese and tea at 3.30. Now I've had a good dinner so o.k. Things are being tightened up everywhere however - there are no Europeans to be seen on the streets now. So I'll be off too someday soon.
Fish soup high & pork soup fatty & no bread so I’m hungry tonight. Wandered around the hillsides where Marj, Blackie and I used to go.