Int’l Welfare Ctte now principally engaged in distributing supplies sent into camp by Informal Welfare Group in H.K.
Main hall P.O.C. made Central Rec. Room – main ent. Bl. A4 for residents and friends only.
Chinese, br. to Stanley Prison, innoculated then sent to jetty – junks- Mirs Bay
Mr Lammert has already moved up from the Indian Quarters and is occupying a pantry, temporarily in one of the flats in this block. He has his meals with us. If they move out it will mean one more person will move into our room. We had thought of asking Frank Burford if he would like to leave the PWD bungalow and join us. Maudie Min does not want to leave her bungalow or she might have come.
All news good but no details.
More Chinese entered Prison.
Filled in another form for C.S. name, birthplace etc.
Squally.
Wght.174lbs.
(30,000 Japs trapped in Aleutian Islands & relief ships sunk? If true, they will starve to death as the islands they have occupied are almost barren)
Mabel and I back from paddling round the blocks with no shoes on. She told me about the shows the VADs gave at the Military Hospital (often known as Bowen Road Hospital); and when she, as the baby of the VADs, was called upon to present a bouquet of flowers to the Matron for some anniversary. And how upset Nanny (Nancy Grady) was when Mabel came away.
News still supposed to be improving – Egypt, and Crimea, but local paper still claiming Germans getting into Russia.
James Ward was born today. Everybody is happy with them. The baby is fine and we heard the NYK Line would give him a free pass on any ship the rest of his life.
The news also was spread around that we would be at our destination on the 23rd and due in New York on August 19th. We are certainly looking forward to solid ground once more.
Internees asked to clean own rice for p.m. meal
Rain all day
Police allegedly confiscating firewood above 50 catties and rice above 30 catties.
Population according to registration about 1,100,000, regarded as under-estimate.
Story of woman at Italian Convent who bought pork. It jumped in the pan and scared her. They say human flesh jumps.
Benghazi re-capture, Fat Shan re-captured. Japs lost many ships off Hawaii & in Sea of Japan. Germans suffered terrific losses on Russian front?
Rained all day.
More parcels arrived.
Chinese being taken away from the Prison.
Weighed again - I was doubtful about that 14 - I'm down to 134 now and look it but I feel quite fit and well.
An old man of the sea died today - Anton Munze. He was tattooed almost from head to foot, and was known as 'Canaker Dick.'
Tony came to say Mr Murphy will swap his mattress for our teapot. ((Mum had a real bed, but no mattresss so she slept on the springs. There had originally been a mattress but it was alive with bugs so had to be dumped.))
Death of Anton Munze - aka Canaker Dick - aged 58. He was a former seaman of American nationality with a wife and family in Hong Kong (presumably Chinese or third national). The Maryknoll Diary calls him Dick Munsey and says that he was buried on July 16 at 10. a.m.
Walter Donald D'Evan Twidale (or Twiddle), a soldier, marries Mrs Beatrice Rose Cullen.
Sources:
Lorenz’s birthday. No presents to give so Elaine gave him her orange and Leonard a pocket comb which he had found.
We played pinochle in the evening and Mrs. Dunnett ((Was she in Stanley?)) and I had arranged a lunch in her room at 10 o’clock. It was a pleasant surprise and a tasty one, too. The first sandwiches for ages.
Rain
Collected $75 parcel
Death of Anton Munze (58)
Wedding – Joseph Donald Twidale and Beatrice Rose Cullen.
Heavy rain all day.
$75 parcel arrived so am fixed for cigs. etc for a while.
News good re Hawaii, Russian front & Sid. Barrami [?]
We have the mattress.. hope it's not got bugs in it. How lucky we've been in acquiring things - suitcases ((which Mum was given when at Queen Mary Hospital)), camp-beds, mattress, hot plate, Mabel (!) and FOOD.
News about Java landings, local bombings, things happening in Burma.
We may go swimming on Sunday.
Readers of the Shanghai Times are assured in an editorial that Hong Kong is 'an earthly paradise' under the Japanese occupation.
Source:
Bernard Wasserstein, Secret War in Shanghai, 1998, 170
It is still rough going and quite cold when the sun is down. Sunsets are perfect and moon rise is also very pretty. We sat and looked at the beautiful starlit sky last night. Also heard Mrs. Roetz’s most exciting experiences during the war.
Letters for S’hai + Red Cross forms for Europe, etc., to be handed in.
Better day but humid with some rain.
4 Junks, 2 small ferries & a small coaster anchored off Stanley Pier. Junks overloaded with Chinese from the Prison (Persons of no fixed abode in HK) where they had been since Wed. afternoon. 4 bodies dumped from 1 junk in about 10 minutes. The Chinese were eventually herded on board the 2 small ferries & after the junks cast off 2 more bodies were dumped.
(130,000 troops under Gen. Bailey landed in Java)
All the rumours are conflicting: we are doing well in Egypt and Russia.. we are NOT doing ditto.
At canteen today I bought a Shnghai produced 'Lacovomalt' for Mum, and someone either swiped it in a split second, or else the correct amount weren't handed out from stock: still, they gave me another tin.