70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Today we have been confined to our quarters from 1 p.m. till 6 p.m., because the new Japanese Governor of Hong Kong came to visit the fort at Stanley and all internees had to be off the roads during the visit.

Last Tuesday evening I was making a jug of cocoa for our supper (on the electric stove downstairs) when someone came running along the back yard shouting,

 “Put out all the lights, there’s a drunken Japanese soldier coming.” 

Lights in the various blocks flicked off, for on several occasions drunken gendarmes, who are quartered in the Prison, had come round at night, pushing their way into rooms and looking for young women. It is a beastly position to be in, for these soldiers are armed and when drunk are likely to be dangerous. Sure enough, in about 5 minutes this gendarme staggered along, escorted by a Sikh policeman who was doing his best to calm the former. The Japanese was shouting at the top of his voice and I heard him banging at some door and then there was silence for some minutes! Suddenly Mrs Greenwood ran across the yard to the flat on the ground floor where the cooks live and shouted to them at the top of her voice for assistance. Mrs Brown was in the kitchen with me, washing her baby’s’ clothes and she asked me to stay with her, so I did not join the cooks who had immediately turned out to render assistance. They disappeared into the flat which the gendarme had entered and presently escorted that gentleman out, shouting at the top of his voice. The Sikh policeman persuaded him to turn his steps in the direction of the gaol; Mrs Brown made a bolt for her room (a small Amah’s room on the ground floor which she shares with her mother and 18 month daughter; her soldier husband having been killed here during the war). I advised Mrs Brown to lock her door and not open it on any account. I then went to see what had happened and chatted with Himsworth.

Apparently the gendarme had burst into a room where 8 women lived; some were already in bed. Himsworth, who lived next door, with great courage went in to try and distract the gendarme’s attention. This he managed to do and the women fled from the room, some escaping through a window. Another man (whose name I did not get) had also gone along to help. The gendarme drew his revolver and pointed it in their faces and when Mrs Greenwood peered in she found the gendarme shouting at Himsworth, with the pistol waving about, 18 inches from his forehead. She ran back to give the alarm and when the cooks appeared (all seamen) headed by Mills, they found the gendarme had forced these two unfortunate men onto their knees and were making them kowtow to him, their foreheads touching the ground, while he shouted and waved his revolver.

Mills came up behind, seized the gendarme’s arm and hand and pointing the pistol harmlessly at the ceiling led the gendarme out of the flat and into the back courtyard, where the Indian policeman took him by the arm and led him away, still shouting and protesting. Himsworth was laughing and treating the whole thing as just an exciting adventure! However, after a few minutes, back came the gentleman, evidently determined not to be balked. He was really yelling and grunting and waving his revolver in a most dangerous looking way. We all melted away in the dark and doors were locked and bolted behind us. Vera had very courageously come down to see if she could help by talking to the gendarme and reasoning with him. She speaks Japanese fluently, having been born in, I think, Yokohama, and lived in Japan for the first eleven years of her life and returned there later. However, we dissuaded her and returned to our flat and turned off the light. I heard the gendarme hammering on Mrs Brown’s door and felt so sorry for her as she and her mother must have been frightened. However, he gave up in time and stood swaying in the courtyard, looking up and grunting and shouting and waving his revolver. He stood just below our window and when his gaze was turned to it, I judged it wisest to withdraw! Eventually the Sikh got him away and peace reigned again.

Neilson and our block representative went immediately to see Mr Cheng the Chinese Administrator appointed by the Japanese to look after the internees here. They apparently all went to the gaol and reported the matter to a Japanese officer who promised to take disciplinary action. I hope no similar incidents will occur.