There's a big send off to thank Major-General Edward Felix Norton for the seven and half months he's spent as Acting-Governor. Taking the lead is Governor Geoffry Northcote, who's now returned to the Colony, and also present are Colonial Secretary N. L.
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Japan and the Soviet Union sign a neutrality pact. Japan has already signed the Tripartite Pact that created the Axis (Seotember 27, 1940) and now the diplomatic system which will enable it to launch the December attacks is in place.
John Alexander Fraser is appointed Defence Secretary with effect from today.
Source:
Hong Kong Government Gazette, June 20, 1941, 929
There's a meeting of the leaders of the British and Japanese communities to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. The Governor and the Japanese Consul-General Yano refer to their past alliance (in WW1) and express hopes for a peaceful future.
Source:
Hong Kong Telegraph, April 30, 1941, page 4
Walter, a member of the Hong Kong police force, goes shooting with Ernest Hemingway:
John Fraser becomes a full member of the Executive Council for as long as he holds the position of Defence Secretary.
University Vice Chancellor Duncan Sloss becomes an additional Official Member of the Executive Council for as long as he holds the position of Censor.
Source:
Fraser, Sloss: Hong Kong Government Gazette, June 13, 1941, 905
With effect from today George Stacey Kennedy-Skipton becomes Chief Assistant to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
Source:
Hong Kong Government Gazette, June 13, 1941, 905
With more prescience than some Soviet officials (who refuse to believe it even after it's started) The Hong Kong Sunday Herald headlines a likely German attack on the Soviet Union in the next 48 hours.
In fact Operation Barborossa, the biggest military campaign in history, begins at about 4 a.m. this morning. Roughly 4 million Axis soldiers, 3 million of them German, attack the Soviet Union along a 750 mile front from Finland to the Black Sea.
For once Adolf Hitler is right:
The world will hold its breath.
It's the first anniversary of the evacuation of women and children, and the 'bachelor husbands' hold a lively protest meeting at the Peninsula Hotel.
There are five hundred of them there, and speeches are constantly brought to a halt by prolonged applause, or by bouts of booing (whenever the Government is mentioned). Nevertheless, the Telegraph reporter assures its readers, the meeting is 'orderly and good natured'.
Henry R. Luce, the owner of Life magazine, publishes a story (page 82) about his flight with CNAC from Hong Kong to Chungking - 'the most dangerous passenger airline in the world':
Ever since the Fall of France in June 1940 the Japanese have been forcing the French to make concessions in Indo-China. Today they decide that the military permissions and economic privileges they've been granted are not enough and the Imperial Conference decides to extend its military operations further into French territory so as to 'strengthen arrangements for advance to the south.'
A report in today's Hong Kong Telegraph states that fifteen Americans, twelve of them children, have left Hong Kong this week on the President Pierce.
They're from the Alliance Children's Hostel in Belfran Road, which is transferring to the USA. It was founded in 1932 to give American missionaries a place to leave their children to be educated in Hong Kong while they evangelised in China.
The Straits Times (Malaya) reports on page 10 that John Pennefather-Evans, Hong Kong's Police Chief, has visited Chungking (Chongqing), capital of Free China, to study the methods used in coping with Japanese air raids. He found the morale there excellent and was deeply impressed by the 'cheerfulness' of the population. The article concludes by referring to his previous police experience in Malaya and Singapore.
With effect from today Alexander Charles Meredith, M.C., a banker, becomes Controller of Food, replacing David Locke Newbigging, who's resigned. He'd been acting Food Controller since June 28 during Newbigging's absence from the Colony.
Sources:
Hong Kong Government Gazette, August 15, 1941, 1243
Hong Kong Government Gazette, June 27, 1941, 984
With effect from today Walter Richardson Scott becomes Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Source:
Hong Kong Government Gazette, August 29, 1941, page 1293 (dated August 25)
The Hong Kong Telegraph (page 5) announces that Sir Arthur Blackburn, Counsellor at the British Embassy in Chungking, is recuperating in the Queen Mary Hospital from injuries received during an air raid.
At 3 p.m. Captain C. C. A. Hobbs is found by his wife dead at their home in May Road with a bullet wound in his head and a revolver clutched in his right hand.
Captain Hobbs was an architect seconded to the Government Air Raid Precaution Department and earlier today he'd given evidence to the Commission appointed by the Governor to look into allegations of corruption in the Architectural Branch of the ARP.
He'd given evidence for one hour in the morning and been instructed to re-appear at 3 p.m. with 'certain documents'.
There's a coup at the Evacuation Representation Committee: a 'mass meeting' at the Peninsula Hotel passes a vote of no confidence in the committee, which resigns as a body. A new committee is elected.
Governor Sir Geoffrey Northcote and Dr. G. A. C. Herklots broadcast over Radio ZBW on the 'Colony's new project' - a Fisheries Research Station.
Source:
Hong Kong Telegraph, September 8, 1941, page 3
There's a meeting of the 'bachelor-husbands' at the Rose Room of the Peninsula Hotel, sparsely attended at the start but swelling to about 350.
The mood varies from indignation to good humour as the husbands discuss how to further their case. The most militant speaker is J. Thompson, who recommends they 'down tools' for a limited period to catch the attention of the British press. At the other extreme is R. J. Clark, who recommends soft-pedalling for a month - by that time the situation in the Far East will be clarified, one way or the other.