SS St. And. Concert.
Jail concert.
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Permission to transfer the food ((i.e. the bulk IRC rations)) from the godown to our own stores was obtained eventually from the Japanese and the day fixed upon was Tuesday 17th Nov. The weather up till then had been beautiful but Tuesday proved to be a cold and rainy day. I had been allowed a shoe repair by the welfare and had my one pair of leather shoes, which would stand repairing, put again into service by the very hard working but very amateur shoe repairers in camp.
Fine, no news today.
((G.))
We're just heating up our first tin of M & V between us - it looks lovely. ((I always assumed it stood for Meat and Veg - though I suppose it might have been 'Mutton & Veg.' We always referred to it as M & V.))
The POWs in Shamshuipo receive their first Red Cross parcel.
It comes at a time during which diphtheria is regularly claiming lives and almost everyone is ill with one or more of the diseases of malnutrition.
The effect can hardly be exaggerated; for some, it's a literal life-saver - when Jean-Paul Dallain gets his he's too weak to open it, but the contents eventually set him on the road to recovery.
For everyone it's a powerful experience. 'Blackie' Verrault writes in his diary tonight:
(ADVENT SUNDAY) MacKenzie Dow/Wittenbach.
Fine.
News good.
Kam Tin fine. ((Not sure what that means? There's a place called Kam Tin in the New Territories, but I can't think why it would be of any interest to Jones.))
((G.))
Not a single plane about today - amazing since there's been that droning all day long for weeks past.
Choir practice. To music at St Stephens in evening. A small child in gym costume started to go on platform to present Mrs Drown with a red nosegay – then changed her mind!
Foodball match - England v Scotland, with the Pipes and Drums in attendance.
ST.AND’S ch((???)) parochial reunion. ((A parish reunion for St Andrew's Church))
Football – Scot. B 1 v Rest 4.
Scot. A 3 v. Rest A 3 (pipe and drums).
((Stuart Braga: 30th November is St Andrew's Day, explaining the above.))
((Following text not dated:))
All radio sets to be taken for inspection and alteration. Only long wave allowed. Radio sets not sent in by 1st December to be confiscated. To depot with my big set. They looked suspicious because I only had long wave. Short wave adaptor hidden in hole in wall.
((More about moving the bulk IRC rations into camp:)) Though these sacks were twice as heavy as the 50 lb boxes of bully beef that followed, they were soft and much easier to carry (across the back of our neck and shoulders) than the cases. We finished up that day with the cases of bully beef and tins of meat and vegetables. Our block store was filled high to the ceiling that night. There was still the tea and surplus parcels to come.
St. Andrews Day. Scotsmen celebrated, football matches & bowls.
Didn’t see Steve tonight.
((G.))
Life is an awful mess in some ways.
Another month gone. Thank goodness we never knew in February that we should still be here in December, or I think we should have died straight away!
My 24th birthday. Seems such a great age! To Confession and Holy Communion in morning.
Fine day.
More good news if true, especially about Russians.
((G.))
Poor sleep.
Birth – To Margaret Liu, a son (Anthony Clark).
Each issued with 3 tins M & V and 3 tins of corned beef. So nice to have lots of food.
Went to Retreat Dissertation in am.
Birth of Anthony Clarke (died December 14).
In London the Colonial Office states that the Red Cross delegate (Rudolf Zindel) has been allowed to visit Stanley regularly and conditions are satisfactory.
Sources:
China Mail, September 15, 1945, page 3
C.O. statement: The Yorkshire Post, December 3, 1942, page 2
Fine.
Haircut.
((G.))
Lost comb. Found. Match 10 P.M. ((Not sure what the Match refers to?))
Out of gaol.
No black-out.