70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Yesterday morning we had an air raid by some 30 big planes: but it was a most peculiar raid in that the planes (which came in, as they usually do, over Lamma) seemed to cruise around at a considerable height over HK, in formations of 6, 7 and 10, without appearing to drop any bombs. There was some Japanese Ak Ak fire but not a great deal. They were, I think the big 4 engined American Flying Fortress land based planes, and they looked beautiful in the blue sky with its huge white clouds. When they caught the sun they looked as if they were made of crystal. During the raid I went onto our balcony and saw, out at sea between Waglan and Po Toi, three big columns of black smoke rising from the surface of the sea. I called everyone and there was great excitement – for the least thing out of the ordinary makes us think the invasion has started or is about to start! (Here I am talking as if air raids are quite usual occurances! Well, they are in a way). We had heard no detonations and did not know if the planes had dropped smoke floats and if so, why; or whether the Japs had fired smoke floats and, again, if so, why. The smoke rose in columns and fairly soon so it was evidently not intended for a smoke screen, as that type of smoke is heavy and would hang about on the surface of the water. The raid gave rise to much speculation: some thought that officers who will command the invasion forces were being shown the lie of the land before operations commenced. I think, however, that they would get a much better idea from enlarged and annotated photographs than from looking at the land from 15,000 to 20,000ft up in the air. Also there is a risk attached to flying a large number of important officers together – we could see no fighter escort. No, I don’t think that can be the answer. It is more possible that they were flying new Air Force personnel.

Another theory is that they were thoroughly photographing the place! It would have been very thorough with so many planes! Another story is that pamphlets were dropped and this story is supported by the further statement that the pamphlets are a warning to the Chinese civilians of pending activities and telling them to go to the sea board in the event of commencement of heavy bombing. I somehow feel that this too is a product of someones imagination. Still it is rather intriguing. Another, and I think more probable suggestion is that they had raided some other place (perhaps Canton) and had been ordered to gather some information or other from over HK on their return journey.

All kinds of preparations are still taking place around here: we can just see some sort of bastion that they have erected at the fort on the end of this peninsula; it looks like a new gun emplacement – this would command the Lamma Channel. Night exercises go on and I am told that some of the newly constructed tunnels are now manned at nights. We can see in the distance from here (through a small gap) Mount Cameron which is in the ‘Peak’ district (near Victoria Peak) and within the last few months quite a high obelisk or tower has been erected. We do not know what it is, but the Japs are not likely still to be erecting monuments and memorials so it is more likely to be something to do with the defences of the Colony – possibly a listening post. In fact, many indications point to the fact that the Japs are expecting landing operations soon. Oh! If it would only hurry up and get it over! If we have a bad time coming, then the sooner it comes and gets finished the better.

Three or four weeks ago Maudie moved her billet for the second time. Dr Deane-Smith had said positively that she must live somewhere on a ground floor to avoid the strain on her heart of having to climb up and down stairs. C.C.Roberts, the Billeting Officer, had been vainly trying to find the necessary accommodation for her when Tate, the Block 10 representative, pointed out a hitherto unoccupied corner in one of the huge downstairs rooms of Block 10. This room is curtained off into cubicles and is occupied by policemen with Chinese wives and their families and is locally known as ‘Wanchai’ (after one of the salubrious districts in town). At first Maudie laughed at the idea, but on thinking it over the advantages so outweighed the disadvantages that in the end she decided to take the plunge. The epithet of ‘Wanchai’ is quite undeserved, for these Chinese really keep their quarters scrupulously clean. Most people thought her mad to go, I confess I had my doubts: but she managed to buy some blue curtain material and curtained it off (about 12’ x 7’) and turned it into a cubicle that has since become the envy of most of her friends.

It is entered directly through big French windows from the covered way on the ground floor of Block 10 and, facing west it got a lovely SW breeze while the covered way keeps out the sun until late in the afternoon – a great advantage in the tropics. Being still in the same block her friends can easily visit her and Roberts has reserved for her for two months her place in the old room (with Vera and Elma) in case, for some reason, she decides to go back there. This, of course, is nice for Vera and Elma as they won’t get a third person in the room for two months anyway.

But last Sunday Maudie had an unpleasant experience. At night she sleeps with the doors slightly open and a rope tied to the inside of the door posts across the opening. On Sunday night she woke and heard two Formosans standing just outside her door, in the dark, holding a whispered conversation. She lay still and presently they cleared off. She mentioned this to no one, though she said she nearly told me when I happened to drop in on her on Monday morning. However, on Monday night they came again and this time they tried to open the doors, but went away when they found the cord obstructing them. Maudie coughed and made some noise to generally let them know she was awake. Poor thing, she hadn’t slept much after the Sunday visit and on Monday she slept not a wink. On Tuesday she went to see Roberts and he advised her to sleep with Vera and Elma for a little while until all this black market trouble and unpleasantness with the Formosans has blown over. Mrs Flaherty (who came back from hospital yesterday) lives in this big ‘Wanchai’ area and a good many Formosans are (or were) in the habit of coming and going there during the day and night. Maudie has not got to give up her room, which she still uses during the day time, and will probably sleep there again soon. She has a padlock and chain so I must try and fix it that the door cannot be opened sufficiently to admit a person.

To return to Mrs Flaherty! Maudie has seen her and says, she really is in a terrible state, simply black with bruises. Apparently only one wrist and two ribs were fractured and not both wrists. Her Formosan guard still visits her constantly. He was such a nuisance when she was in hospital, visiting her at all hours of the day and night that when she said she wanted to go back to her own room (she too found the hospital inconvenient for receiving her friend!) the hospital authorities gladly complied.

Smith and Vanthal were both summoned up the hill again where they both made accusations against each other with the result that the Japs made them beat each other. It is disgusting; but I really cannot keep laughing at the idea. There is a certain amount of poetic justice in it, though the whole thing is degrading and in this instance, of course, the Japs just did it to amuse themselves.