70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Gimson issued an official statement at midday today. He stated that Lt Kadawakie had informed him that he had heard a wireless broadcast which stated that the Emperor had issued a rescript accepting the terms laid down by the allies at Potsdam. This meant that hostilities generally had ceased though as yet Col Takanada had received no official instructions and he had issued no orders regarding internees. Gimson said that during the next few days the situation would be very tense as the Japanese in the Colony were still retaining their arms and were still nominally in charge. He urged us, therefore, to exercise the utmost caution and to refrain from cheering or any kind of demonstration that might lead to incidents. He added that any attempt by any internee to leave the confines of the camp would lead to serious repercussions and that everyone was asked to “carry on as usual”. Well, no doubt he was right and wise and all that - but how tame! Fancy announcing the declaration of peace by a timid little notice like that stuck on the various block notice boards! ‘Cautious’ is certainly Gimson’s other name.

I can quite appreciate the danger of creating incidents here, for the Japanese in these circumstances think nothing of committing ‘Hari Kiri’ and if they think they are for it any way they are likely to be pretty reckless of consequences – and there are a good many men in this camp who have been beaten up by the Japs and whose fists must be itching to make contact with a Japanese or Formosan chin. But surely to goodness Gimson could have assembled everyone on (say) the Indian Quarters green, announced that peace had been declared, let us cheer our heads off and then asked us to be reasonable and carry on as usual. Now, we feel we have been cheated out of any feeling of excitement. Fancy putting up with this place for 3 ½ years and then not being allowed to cheer the news of peace! Miserable old idiot!!! Several people hung Union Jacks from their windows and he sent round an order that they be taken in.

We had our celebration lunch yesterday and another one today (also with Maudie) and much enjoyed ourselves. Anne Muir, whom we had asked, was unable to come but Marjorie Begdon was with Maudie when we arrived and we persuaded her to stay.

Yesterday evening we had a United Churches thanksgiving service to which everyone was invited. There was an enormous crowd of people and it could have been a most inspiring service but unfortunately the sermon was given by Revd Frank Short, who is a most worthy man and a very profound thinker; but in contradiction to his name he is often (as on this occasion) wearisomely long and is so lugubrious that I consider his efforts to be funeral orations. Still, it was worth going for the sake of singing the National Anthem at the end.

It is curious what a deflated feeling I have had about peace. I have not felt anything like so excited at the news of world peace as I was when Italy capitulated; and I think, generally, that that is true of a great many in camp. The Italian collapse was far more unexpected and less obvious than that of Germany and Japan. The news, as it has come, has been chiefly in the form of rumour and I have not dared believe it till it has been officially confirmed. I wish a squadron of planes had flown over the camp and done the Victory Roll. That would have given us a tremendous thrill! I just can’t realise that peace has been declared nor what it means. No doubt I shall feel excited about it soon.

I hear our own police are now in charge of the camp and will patrol it; what fun! There was quite a lot of excitement this morning when a European came roaring into camp on a powerful army motorcycle, followed fairly close by a fire engine manned by a European and a Chinese! The motorcyclist turned out to be Blumenthall, of all people! Eddie Greenwood of the HK Fire Brigade had come in with one of his Chinese firemen! These two had gone out of camp with the other technicians and when they had heard the news of peace they walked out of their camp, crossed to the island and asked the Japanese for vehicles which were promptly provided for them! Greenwood went to the Central Fire Station and took one of the engines. Blumenthall had been to the Sham Shui Po Camp and brought a case full of notes from the POWs there and he took back the replies with him when he left.

The Chinese fireman was given a terrific welcome by the crowd here. Yvonne saw him and said he was obviously rather overcome by the greeting but he could hardly raise a smile and she said he had the saddest eyes she had ever seen. The poor Chinese have obviously had a far worse time than we. He said that their ration of rice was 30 catties per month between four people, about 5½ ozs per day (we had 16 ozs per day) and a small sum of money which, as we know, would purchase hardly anything. He was taken straight off to our galley and given as much as he could eat.

In the afternoon K.S. Robertson of the HK Volunteers and Vernol (HK Wavy Navy) came over from Sham Shui Po. They were literally mobbed. I knew K.S. quite well and it was grand to see him. Vernol is an Architect in our P.W.D. office, but as he was mobilised in 1939 on the outbreak of war I had never got to know him. He had evidently commandeered a launch from the Japs, because they came all the way by launch. They had official business to see to and they were acting as liaison between Col Simon-White (now in command of the POW camp) and Gimson.

Anne, Winnie and Terrence had tea with us during the afternoon. It was a most exciting tea party. Notes and messages kept arriving from friends in Sham Shui Po. Yvonne went chasing all the way to the beach with a note for Isa from Kenneth. The POW husbands are hoping to get across soon to see their wives. Isa and Jean Mathers and the rest of them are so excited they just don’t know what to do with themselves.

During the afternoon a plane came roaring over the camp and we all rushed out to have a look – no taking cover now! It was a small fighter plane that seemed to shoot across at an incredible pace. It raced down the length of our peninsula, out to sea, then banked, turned and came racing back again. I was not in time to see it pass overhead, nor drop its leaflets, but some said unkindly that it must be a British plane because the pilot had carefully chosen the leeward side of the peninsula over which to drop his pamphlets so that they all blew out to sea! Not one settled on land! However, other planes were about so I expect other pamphlets were dropped over the Colony and when Vernol and Robertson went back we saw them change their course, stop and pick some out of the water, so we shall know soon what they said.