70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

I am glad to report the barometer is on the up again! The breaking of the thermos was, I quite believe, a good thing as it seems to have developed in Y and me quite a feeling of light hearted abandon. I think we have been worrying too much about the future (the future in camp I mean) of late. We have decided to worry less about food and such and let the future look after itself a bit more; in other words, not to take our hurdles before we reach them. Something usually seems to turn up when we are practically on our beam ends and things never seem to turn out as badly as we fear they will.

For instance, the water supply has always come on every third day so far, even though sometimes the pressure is insufficient to bring the water to the taps and we have to collect it in buckets at the hydrant in the yard. This means that we get about 2 pints of boiling water per day and as much chlorinated water as we want instead of the 1 pint of boiled water and no chlorinated water that we had expected. It also means there is a limited amount of water for flushing purposes and we have not had to resort to out-door dry latrines – an inestimable boon.

The communal gardens, too, have been producing extra vegetables for the camp and the sparing use of ‘night soil’ has not been nearly as objectionable as we feared it would be. And the sun has been out during the last few days which has made all the difference in the world. We have been able to get out of our room and bask on the hillside, which has been delightful.

For the last month or so Yvonne has been busy rehearsing for ‘The Housemaster’ which Bill Colledge is producing. The first rehearsal (for the children and the aged) is due on the 27th of this month and the other performances are on the 30th and 2nd and 3rd of April. Y is much enjoying it as it as it creates a pleasant diversion and there is a nice cast. She is playing the part of Rosemary, the eldest girl. I have very happy memories of seeing the West End production with HP in the first week of its run in about 1933 or so, and am looking forward to seeing the Stanley show. I cannot, myself, summon up sufficient energy to do any more acting here though I enjoy reading and discussing plays.

Bill has organised several play readings for these blocks and they go down very well. They are put over in the form of radio plays, the cast reading from behind a curtain of some sort fixed across the landings of the various staicases and reading by the light of a shaded peanut oil lamp, usually with three or four people craning over one script! Bill is a human dynamo where drama is concerned and always seems to have something in hand. He has asked me to read a part in the ‘Flashing Stream’ which is to be his next ‘radio production’. He quite often reads a part himself or, if not reading, he manages the noises off – even, on two occasions in one play, sobbing for two quite separate female characters when the artists had forgotten these important sound effects! How he manages it on this diet beats me. 

Apparently no more fish is going to come in, for the Japs are now supplying us with a very small quantity of beans to replace the fish. People often get a sudden craving these days, for something sweet, or a chance remark will suddenly conjour up, unbidden, a vision of  a delicious dish of bacon and eggs or Irish stew or roast beef or lamb – nothing fanciful but just plain, wholesome and satisfying food.

I had an amusing dream a night or two after we had received our parcels. It was during the days when we still thought there was more food in town. I dreamed that I opened the drawer of a table that used to stand in the living room of our flat in HK, in which we kept tins of cigarettes, playing cards etc. To my surprise I found, at the back of this drawer, a vast box of chocolates the possession of which came as a complete surprise to me, having forgotten when I had bought it. I seized the box and turned round and found the room miraculously full of my friends to whom I handed the box. I then returned to the drawer and pulling it out further I saw lots more boxes of chocolates. These too I fetched out and helping myself liberally, said: “Come on everyone; I’d forgotten all about these; have as many as you like because there are lots more in the drawer!”

I woke up and found myself absolutely dribbling over the taste of chocolate!  It was too cruel to come back to earth again.

Some people find they simply cannot ration themselves with wong tong and cigarettes and quite a few (Isa and Lyn Joffe) have hit upon the expedient of asking a friend in another room to look after these items and only issue so much each day! I heard that some time ago Blair (who is taking the part of ‘Donkin’ in ‘The Housemaster’) used to feel so hungry when he went to bed that he could not get off to sleep. So he tried the ruse of saving all his food till the evening and then eating it altogether and going to bed soon after. The evening part of this arrangement worked quite well but he felt so miserable during the rest of the day that he had to give it up! Really, the things people try!!