70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Shows diary entries from seventy-one years ago, using today's date in Hong Kong as the starting point. To see pages from earlier dates (they go back to 1 Dec 1941), choose the date below and click the 'Apply' button.

  • 14 Feb 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Sat, 2011-12-31 21:41
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    9am all Internees to open ground NW of Prison & searched, rain & cold made things more miserable especially for women & children. Quarters searched too. Food late, 2.30 & 7.30PM & not so good either. Hurry up relief & food say we. (Vth column, Sallis, Blumenthal, Hodge?)

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  • 14 Feb 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary

    Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2012-01-09 09:58
    Book / Document: 
    Barbara Anslow's diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    Mincemeat and beans and a large quantity of badly cooked rice today. Am at last getting better at eating rice among other stuff.

    Morning off from work, but had to spend it all being searched at  Stephen's Prep. School grounds by the sea.  ((Japs got us all lined up, near where we first landed in Stanley.  There were armed soldiers all round us. We wondered if we were to be massacred, or sent off somewhere.  In fact, Japs used our absence to search through all the accommodation, presumably looking for wireless sets, weapons etc.  The main worry of us Redwoods was, would they come across the opened tin of sausages with the remaining half of contents, and help themselves.... they didn't though)).

  • 14 Feb 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Submitted by brian edgar on Wed, 2012-07-11 22:54
    Book / Document: 
    Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    American internee Norman Briggs describes today's main event:

    (T)he order came at 7.45 AM that the entire camp should assemble on the vacant lot by the side of the prison. Everyone had to go....Going down to the field, someone made the bright suggestion that it was going to be a massacre...I don't think he was serious, but in our frame of mind, it sounded entirely within the realm of possibility.

    Two women faint. One man eats his diary of the fighting. But when the search comes it isn't too bad. The internees return to their quarters to find that the real object of the exercise is to go through their rooms looking for radios and other fobidden items. They arrive back at noon, hungry because they've missed breakfast, but it takes two hours to get the fires going and prepare lunch.

    Source:

    Carol Briggs Waite, Taken In Hong Kong, 2006, Kindle Edition, Location 2802 onwards.

  • 14 Feb 1942, Harry Ching's wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Thu, 2013-01-17 17:08
    Book / Document: 
    Harry Ching's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    We drew our rice rations for first time, half a catty per head per day as expected.

  • 14 Feb 1942, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Wed, 2016-03-02 01:42
    Book / Document: 
    Eric MacNider's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    Parade in rain while blocks searched. 

  • 14 Feb 1942, W J Carrie's wartime diary

    Submitted by pxb09 on Mon, 2019-08-26 19:32
    Book / Document: 
    W J Carrie's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sat, 14 Feb 1942

    Dearest, - it is now Saturday 14/2/42 and we hear from the Jap paper that Singapore has been captured.  I do so hope you are away some place.
      I haven't been able to write all week - I have had awful sinus trouble with constant headaches but I think I have conquered it.  They could do nothing for me of course.  It has been bitterly cold here but at last we have got electric light - and I have a kettle with me - the office one not our one which I hope is still safe in the B.I.  I can't write Darling - I know you'll forgive me when we meet and I can tell you everything.     All my love always.     B

     


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