70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Thanks to Nona for letting us show this rare document. It is her father, George Pio-Ulski's employment contract for August 1945, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

MUSICIAN'S AGREEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT dated 16 July 1945

Employer:    CHUNG WAH 4TH FLOOR AMUSEMENT HALL ( - )
Employee: GEORGE PIO-ULSKI
Period:    One (1) calendar month from 1st to 31st August 1945,

1. The Employee shall be decently dressed and behave with decorum. He shall at all times obey the reasonable and lawful orders of the Employer and shall perform such good class music, at all reasonable hours, both for tea dances every day (except on Mondays) and soirees every night, as may be required for the Employer's entertainment or cabaret business.    

2. In particular the Employee must not take any alcoholic drinks during working hours; he must not dance in the ball room; and he must not gamble during working hours.

3. In the event of the Employee not conforming in all respects to paragraphs 1 and 2 of this agreement, or the Employee not playing good music, the Employer may terminate this Agreement without notice or compensation, salary, and rice to be paid (as hereinafter provided) up to the day of dismissal, and any salary or rice overdrawn by the Employee or otherwise owed by him to the Employer shall he repaid by the Employee forthwith.

4. The Employee shall furnish at his own expense all his own music, instruments and all other articles required for his performance. 

5. The Employer shall pay the Employee a salary of M.Y. Four Hundred (400) per day, payable as follows:-

6. The Employer shall furnish the Employee free with tea and cakes afternoon daily, except on Mondays.

7. The Employer shall furnish the Employee free with three (3) catties of fair quality rice, or its value, per day, deliverable in advance on the 1st, 11th and 21st days respectively. 

8. The salary, food and rice (or its value) mentioned in paragraphs 5 6 and 7 of this Agreement are to be the full remuneration for the Employee.

9. While at work the Employee shall obey the reasonable orders of the band leader in order to obtain the best harmony in the music. No piece forbidden by the Government may be played.

10. In the event of either party not desiring to renew this Agreement after 3lst August 1945 such party shall give notice to the other party not later than 15th August 1945 of the intention to discontinue

CHOPPED by Hoo Kam Tai, the manager of the Employer, for and on behalf of the Employer:

SIGNED or CHOPPED by the Employee)

RECEIVED the above-mentioned sum of M.Y. SIX thousand two hundred (6,200) as advance salary.
 

Fine, hot.

Cut hole in Sewing shop wall & got smothered in brick dust, no soap to wash with either. 

Signed pay sheet at H.Qs.

1pm. G sehr hold 12.30 [?] Gott segnen dich meine Geliebte [God save you my Beloved?] (Jill Fell's translation: "G very friendly 12.30. God bless you my beloved."))

Walked around camp alone pm.

(Repat. ship to arrive 25th inst?)

Herr Kew begliedete ihr um viertel fur acht. [Mr Kew……around quarters ..for 8?] ∴ ((Jill Fell's translation: "Mr Kew escorted her at a quarter to eight." It should refer to Henry or Arthur Kew.))

Stevens snooping?

Wind backed to the E & heavy cloud formed.