70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

I was told the other was Streatfield, number 2 of the HK Bank, but I do not know him. That evening there was a great deal of discussion about the identity of these two and speculation as to the cause of their presence there. A day or two later we could see these two Europeans being paraded up and down at the side of the second or third prison block; they were in the company of some thirty Chinese prisoners and were guarded by Indian guards. All the prisoners were barefoot and Sir Vandeleur was allowed to walk up and down by himself on the grass verge. One or two pairs of binoculars were surreptitiously produced and from his walk, build and what could be seen of his face beneath his whiskers, it was quite definitely established that it was Sir Vandeleur, also Streatfield. This confirmed a rumour heard in camp about a fortnight earlier that these two had been arrested, though for what reason no one knew precisely. Fancy Sir Vandeleur Grayburn, the No. 1 of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the largest financial concern in the entire East and indeed, one of the five biggest banks in the British Empire, a common prisoner here in Stanley Gaol, walking about in a shirt and pair of grey shorts – Sir Vandeleur, generally known as the “uncrowned king of Hong Kong”.

Dr Talbot had been in to town a month or so ago for the purpose of having an x-ray at the French Convent. He stayed in some time and on his journey back, the ambulance and his person were searched and in addition to the enormous amount of goods he had purchased and was bringing back for various internees, he was discovered to be carrying a large sum of money. All this was taken from him and a day or so later he was summoned up the hill to be examined. He explained the goods were for people in camp and these were all duly returned. He said that the money had been given to him by the Americans when they left (he had acted as one of the Medical Officers for the American blocks when they were here), though why he should have it with him on his return to camp I do not know – he probably said he had been given notes of big denominations, $100 and $500 and that he had taken them into town to try and get a favourable exchange. At all events the money was confiscated and Dr Talbot returned to camp, a reticent but relatively cheerful person, to complete his convalescence from his previous appendicitis operation.

Then, 10 days or so after Sir Vandeleur was put in prison, Dr Talbot was again called up for trial one morning and was taken straight away to prison. Now he too parades up and down inside the prison wall, twice a day for exercise. His mother, who is a Polish Jewess I believe, and doesn’t speak a great deal of English, nor knows any people in camp, was in a terrible state, poor thing. She comes along during the prisoners parade time and stands on the terrace so that her son can see her and occasionally, as he approaches in their direction, he raises his hand and scratches the back of his neck – the nearest he can get to a sign of recognition. No one is supposed to look down into the prison area but it is difficult not to. 

Rumour has it that Talbot is somehow concerned with Grayburn and Streatfield and the money he brought in was some that Grayburn had managed to get to him and that he was bringing it in for a specific purpose. Another rumour says that Grayburn had been imprisoned because he has done something to upset the Japanese credit or the HK currency here. No one I think really knows the reason.