((Note: “X” before 17)) Exchange of 12 nurses between St. Teresa’s, Bowen Road & Stanley Camp.
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Heavy bombing raids on Germany, Japan, Manila & Burma. German estimate of killed etc 60,000. Russians OK. Japs lost many vessels & about 75 warships.
Finer.
I'm beginning to feel sorry we brought Mabel away, and that I didn't stick out the nursing lectures and have been with her.
Issue of Pirate cigarettes (8 for 40 cts.)
Idea of invading Ind. & Aust. given up by Japs. Withdrawing troops from Burma for defence of Jap. Malaya proving a white elephant to them. Three million Allied troops ready in UK. Kai Tak bombed?
Farewell dance for the Americans; we waited outside hall, too crowded to stay inside.
Plenty rumours about. Tobruk in danger?
Lovely weather.
Paid 40cts for postage of letter to Marj.
Sugar.
Dance in Club.
I see that in other diaries for this date I am mentioned coming from Tsingtao. Though I can't remember very much of the journey, what I do remember is arrival in Hong Kong and being met by my mother Veronica Weill and my Aunt Sophie Odell at the harbour waterfront who was there also to welcome her son David. We had come from Lunghwa camp as civilian POWs and were lucky travelling on a Jap transport ship. presumably a target for US submarines.
Harold Bidmead, Victor Randall, Brian Fay and Vincent Morrison are sentenced to two years in prison for their escape of April 8. (They were recaptured on April 10.)
They are sent to Stanley Prison to serve their sentence.
Farewell softball match (Americans 15 V. British 6). Cup made by T. Sanh presented by Al. Bourne to Fr. Moore
Nielsen also spoke.
The Americans are still with us. About 10 days ago they were informed that owing to some hitch in the shipping arrangements the date of their departure from HK had been postponed by a week to June 23rd. Accordingly, several farewell parties miss-fired and had to be postponed including ours to Bob Kendall and B.Witham. We now hear there is a still further hitch and the date of departure has again been postponed, probably for a day or two only.
Odd bits of unconfirmed news knocking about. Americans not going yet?
Watched baseball match on tennis court. Win for US.
We only have one tin of bully left, and are counting on our $75 parcels coming in.
Mabel is to start piano lessons which should help out with her boredom. ((Several pianos had been left in the camp, some relics of personal furniture in the flats pre-war.))
Went to Mr Shields ((dentist, known as Sammy)), at last he has found the reason for my ache- a large cavity half the size of the tooth. It was horribly painful.
Americans were to have gone tomorrow, but now postponed till Saturday.
Extracts from an internee's letter, perhaps taken out by an American repatriated on June 29/30:
Our Chinese friends are doing a wonderful job getting parcels to us all. Things are very bad in town and where they manage to find the money I don't know...
Higgins’ last service, gave blessing (Short – “The Christian Commitment “ / Begley)
Issue of Pirates 19 for $1.
A usual Sunday, nothing doing.
News?
Re-inforcements [sic] arrived in Alex. OK after battle with Italian fleet. Some losses but It. lost more. Channel mined and shipping warned. (2nd Front?) US s/ms around China and Jap Coasts.
2 AA guns & troops went to Fort this PM.
Jap paper gloomy for us as usual.
Mum said – please yourself, (about Mabel volunteering to go to Military Hospital) but I know she was hurt that we should want to take steps from her. As it turned out they are trying to get 3 from Military Hosp. without exchange, but have names ready in case there has to be an exchange. Volunteers for Military Hosp haven't come forward in any numbers. Mum says Mabel can put her name down to go back if she wants to – tho I blush to think what Selwyn-Clarke will think about it. Mabel says, why don't I try to come back with her?.