Dr. Newton, in the Kowloon Hospital has a reasonable breakfast - two bowls of cracked wheat made as porridge, three biscuits, a little butter and a glass of cocoa - but notes that 'none of us are up to very much activity' and that for most people just climbing the stairs leaves them winded. Food continues decent throughout the day, and the main problem is getting the 'night soil' (excrement) buckets emptied.

Arthur Hamson writes to Edith at 10.40 a.m. from 'Internment Camp, Hing Wah School, 7 Castle Peak Rd':

It is Richard's birthday today. It is also exactly a week since we last saw each other. What misery, what untold sufferings you and I have gone through will forever be in our minds...Like you I am living in memories, memories of happier days, of days when peace and freedom was around us. You would be surprised if I were to tell you that your wrist watch which I have is my constant companion...

There are 22 women here (and) 32 men...For the first 2 days we had little or nothing to eat and no water to drink, we have been able however to eke out some kind of an existence. The ladies prepare the meals and we men in turn make the fires. We spend our time in between meals in playing cards, draughts etc...Our beds which are black boards are real hard and everyone of us has sore hips. Today is the first day we've had water through the taps and we're all taking (it) in turns to wash parts of our body and our clothing.

On the Island an already bitter struggle intensifies:

This is by far the hardest day's fighting, with the defenders incurring in twenty-four hours approximately one-third of their total fatalities. Losses to the attackers are probably in a similar ratio.

Powerful forces of the newly-landed Japanese head westwards towards Victoria. At 1.45 a.m. Major J. J. Paterson reports that the North Point Power Station is completely surrounded; he's ordered to hold out as long as possible. His troops are all over 55 years old, but many have experience from WW1, and there's a contingent from the power company and other reinforcements to fight alongside them. There ensues what is often described as an 'epic' defence by a small but highly courageous group. There are two female civilians present throughout: Joan Crawford, daughter of the station superintendent and wife of a mains distribution engineer, and her mother, Mrs Duckworth. Joan Crawford has been doing voluntary work as a dispenser at the French Hospital, and she tends the wounded during the battle.

Crawford and a few others survive the bitter fighting which ends about 4 p.m. Everybody's pushed into a large garage in a nearby street. They spend the night there, some badly wounded. It's their second day without food or water.

The Japanese take over, without resistance, the Advanced Dressing Station at the Salesian Mission in Shaukiwan. Two volunteer nurses, Mrs E. H. Tinson and Lois Fearon, are released unharmed and eventually make their way to safety (see January 2, 1942) but many of the men staffing the station are murdered, in spite of the Red Cross armbands worn by those working for St John's Ambulance.

Down on the south of the island, in the confusion of the fighting, Bennie Proulx's wondering where to go next:

'The hotel's as bad as the castle {Eu Castle}, but it's got food in it,' I said.

'What do you say, chaps?'

'The hotel it is, then.'

So began the now famous siege of Repulse Bay Hotel.

John Stericker is keeping Radio ZBW on the air. Today he introduces the Governor, Sir Mark Young, who tells the listeners that the defenders have now retired within their 'island fortress' and bids them 'hold fast'. ZBW will be off the air for the rest of the hostilities.

Hong Kong’s on the Mirror’s back page today, and the news is ominous:

In his East Prussian headquarters, the man Britain is fighting in Europe shares a rather surprising view of events with his guests (including Heinrich Himmler):

What is happening in the Far East is happening by no will of mine. For years I never stopped telling all the English I met that they'd lose the Far East if they entered into a war in Europe.

Adolf Hitler, although he understands the importance to his cause of the Japanese successes - 'We must never abandon the Japanese alliance, for Japan is a Power upon which one can rely' - deplores the forthcoming expulsion of the 'white race' from east Asia (including, he believes, Australia) and regrets the fact that 'three centuries of effort' {by European colonialists} are going up in smoke'.

Sources:

Newton: Birch and Cole, 109-110.

Hamson: Allana Corbin, Prisoners of the East, 2002, 103-104

Hardest day's fighting: Tony Banham, Not The Slightest Chance, 2003, 18

Paterson at 1.45: Banham, op. cit., 124

Crawfords: Austin Coates, A Mountain Of Light, 1977, 147-148

Proulx and Repulse Bay: Benny Proulx, Underground From Hong Kong, 1943, 43

Stericker: Alan Birch and Martin Cole, Captive Christmas, 1979, 108

Hitler: Hitler's Table Talk 1941-1944, ed. Hugh Trevor-Roper, 1953/1988, 150, 300

At 9.30 am. a party halted outside Woodside and I led 19 members of my staff in a body on to the lawn. After the house was searched we were told to carry rice and other material, in company with 30 or 40 Chinese, many with halters around their necks and hands tied to ropes, who had also been commandeered. Doctor Winterstein, Dr.Choy, Tollan, Bell and I with our Chinese staff were added to the fatigue party. I protested but after being beaten on the head with a revolver was forced to submit. The women staff were permitted to re-enter the house. Choy and I with a bag of rice between us were in the van just behind the officer in command  and near the junction with Cecil's Ride lay the body of William Seath, A.R.P., shot through the head. On the opposite side of the road were the bodies of two women, one a European with a cloth over the face, [Mrs. Baldwin], and an Amah.

Fifty yards further on was a Rajput Bren Gun Post with several Rajputs bayoneted lying around. Still further on was a European Officer, young, fair headed; of good physique, lying on his face with wrists bound behind his back. In passing the Nipponese Officer cut the rope binding the wrists. I thought this man was Captain Cole, Adj.of the Rajputs. He was without shirt or tunic. Near the top of the road was another body, a private in the H.K.V.D.C. Evidently killed on the way down the road he had been shot in the head. I thought this to be Arthur Job of the staff of St. Stephens college but positive identification of any of these is only possible in the case of Seath. We were halted soon after near the top and I again protested to the officer who spoke a litttle English. After showing my passport in support of my age I was given a safe conduct pass to return to Headquarters. This pass was needed to pass the numberless troops on the road including artillery which was plainly visible. We safely arrived back in Headquarters at about 2pm.

The boys of St. Louis Industrial School with some of the staff were occupying number 10 camp after leaving Aberdeen and North Point Camp. A little after we arrived one of them arrived to report that Father Percunas, Latvian Mission, had been wounded and that he required assistance to reach the surgery. Choy, Winterstein, Tollan, Bell, Morris ((possibly Alfred Morris)) and I crossed the road down into the valley and after great difficulty got Percunas onto the path leading to the surgery. I climbed the bank to go  to the other house for female help and on hearing a shout turned around with  hands up. On the path I saw Winterstein helping Percunas followed by Bell, Morris and Tollan. Just off the road a Japanese Officer with men had come around a bend. All turned with hands up but Bell. A shot followed and Bell dropped. Another followed and I dropped on my face unhurt but out of sight. After a little time Winterstein was left with Percunas and Bell and the others were marched up the road. I watched and when out of sight I went to the assistance of Bell. He was shot through the chest and died about 7pm. without regaining conciousness. He leaves a daughter of about 5 years whom I understand was later taken to the Italian Convent. She left with Dr.Choy when the Gendarmes sent our Chinese staff away. Tollan and party returned later.

Shortly after midnight one of the Ordnance men dosed off with his finger on the trigger of his rifle with the inevitable result, which was somewhat alarming but fortunately caused no damage.

At six-fifteen just before dawn I announced I was going out to have a look around.  ‘Davy’ Gow immediately said he would come with me.  We opened the steel door cautiously and went slinking down the passage like a couple of gunmen till we reached the grill at the outer end.  We peered out, fully expecting to find a sentry or in any case Japanese around in the magazine compound.  No sentry was there!  No one up or down the roadway!!

We examined the car which by some miracle was still there and by a greater miracle undamaged.

Sending Davy back to call the others, I got into the car and touched the starter button.  She sprang to life immediately and I was thankful we had taken Larry’s Studebaker and not my Morris.  There is no question American cars are the ones for quick starting.

The others came out from the magazine and hastily piled in.  Larry and Gow in front with me, each with a revolver and the Ordnance men and the ancient police reservist in the back with their rifles pointing out of the windows.  It must have looked for all the world like a gangster’s getaway!

Off we went, but I couldn’t see the roadway and very nearly ruined everything by almost driving into a ditch, so I stopped the car and broke the windscreen with the butt end of a rifle.  Then we were off like the wind, up the hill to Lyemun barracks which were strewn all over the roadway from the recent shelling.  Threading our way through the debris we reached the main gates.  Again no sentry!  Luck was with us.

Down the military road I drove at a dangerous pace, the car going right down on her springs as we ploughed through the two big craters – till we reached Shaukiwan hill.

The light was still bad and I misjudged the turning and rammed my right front wing against the hillside.  Fortunately no damage was done other than force the wing against the tyre and we soon had that pulled out and were streaming up Shaukiwan hill.  I put my foot right down on the accelerator as the light improved and the big car well laden moved along like a train.  If we came across Japs it would have been just too bad for them unless they had a barricade, we should have gone slap through anything.  Our road block at the top of Shaukiwan hill which had been manned the previous night was deserted when we reached it and we saw neither our troops nor the Japs until we reached Tytam Gap which the Canadians were holding.

The gates across the road were closed and heavily guarded.  The Canadians knew about the landing and were all on the alert.  We passed through the gates and then drove on more slowly, past Stanley and Repulse Bay where the roadblocks were still in operation till we came to the RASC Supply Depot at Deepwater Bay which we found deserted ((as explained in Sheridan's diary for today)).  The Golf Club house was still piled high with tinned goods and there were also great piles of goods stacked all over the course.

We went into the clubhouse and helped ourselves to some bread and tinned goods wondering what had happened to the personell.  Whilst we were eating and discussing the situation we heard machine gun fire coming from Wongneichong Gap which is right above the golf course.

We decided to turn round and go up there to see what was happening. Accordingly we proceeded up the Repulse Bay Road till we reached a corner just short of the gap where a lorry driver stopped us and advised us not to proceed any further as the Japs had already got possession of the Police Station and we should be under fire,

There is a ridge slightly further down the road which commands a clear view of the gap;  on this ridge Eu Tong Sen, a multimillionaire from Singapore where he had made his money in tin mines, had built five houses.  Housebuilding was a fetish with him and he is supposed to have been told by the priests that he would live so long as he built;  however he is dead now and a good … [I will have to check this at HKU] between the priest and house contractors is also finished.  These five houses stand some fifty feet above the road and are reached by an approach road.  The first house is a smallish one, then come two large semidetached houses, next a large house and finally a smaller single house.  There is a good deal of space between the houses in the shape of tennis courts and gardens.  

The first house is built against the hillside from which the ridge on which the five houses are built juts out.  Some hundred feet above the level of the houses, up the hillside is a water conduit running from Repulse Bay to Wongneichong gap.

On getting up to these houses we found they were occupied by the Ordnance Corps who had their HQ in the first house, the two semidetached and the large single house were full of stores and the last smaller house was occupied by the other ranks.  There were also great piles of stores stacked all over the tennis courts.

On our arrival, I noticed there were a few men lying down with rifles behind the stone parapet of the approach road leading past the houses till it reached the end house, but no one was firing.  Looking across to Wongneichong gap I could see the Police Station was in the hands of the Japanese and they were engaged in attacking Tinson’s house, a beautiful home belonging to a solicitor who was a great friend of mine.  He was attached to the ARP but was killed whilst leaving his house for his post on the morning of 19th.

The Japanese were also attacking the pillbox at the foot of the bridle pass leading from the gap up Mount Nicholson.  This pillbox had a lot of bare hillside with no cover at all surrounding it and I could see the Japanese scrambling about on it quite clearly.

The Police Station, Tinson’s house and the Pillbox were all approximately the same range (about 1000 yards), so I was surprised that no effort was being made to assist them.  

I found the semi-detached houses contained a great many guns of all sorts in addition to all sorts of stores including field glasses and telescopes.  I got hold of a telescope just to make sure they were in fact Japs scrambling around the Police Station and pillbox and being quite satisfied they were, I got out a couple of Lewis guns with ‘Davy’ Gow, cleaned them up, got some chaps to fill up the drums and when we were ready started firing.  A sergeant of the Ordnance said to me “Thank God you’ve come Sir, we haven’t done a thing to help those chaps till you came”.

Davy and I were making good shooting amongst the Japs around the Police station and the ones on the bare hillside around the pillbox were scampering back to shelter like jack rabbits.  We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves when an officer came along and told us to stop firing.  I pointed out our target informing him, when he told me those were our Indian troops, that I had ascertained they were Japanese before opening fire by employing one of his good telescopes and invited him to look through it himself.  He took a look and said he wasn’t certain and therefore we were not to fire and in any case I had no business to open fire without permission from his OC.  In other words, he clearly indicated that our presence at “The Ridge” was not welcome and they were quite capable of looking after themselves – presumably by lying low.

As it wasn’t our show there was nothing to be done but pack up and move on.  It was sickening as some timely assistance to the chaps up at Wongneichong gap might have helped a lot.  We got into the big car, this time only Larry, Davy Gow and myself for we left the Ordnance men with their own outfit also the old police sergeant;  he poor fellow was overjoyed to be out of Lyemun safely and kept on saying “Bless you, my darling”.  He worked like a trump up at “The Ridge”, as I know when we returned there later that day and stayed till 21st, but I lost touch with him and am afraid he was killed.  

We turned down Repulse Bay road and went back to Deepwater Bay which was still deserted so decided to drive on towards Aberdeen.

Here we got news that the whole of the RASC both Supply and Transport had retired to Sassoon Road at Pokfulam.

We found them around noon and got a great welcome as we had already been posted as missing as it was presumed we had all been killed or captured at Lyemun.

I discovered that in the rush of leaving Shouson Hill most of my kit and Mr Bones had been left behind.  I went off to see Susie at the Queen Mary Hospital which is at the top of Sassoon Road, only a quarter of a mile from where we were.  I found her very tired but cheerful and Uncle Pat much improved.  As we were likely to be at Sassoon Road for some time, I decided to dash back to Shouson Hill and collect Mr Bones and my kit.

When I arrived at Grimble’s bungalow I found the servants still there but very apprehensive.  I told them not to be alarmed as no harm would come to them even if the Japanese arrived.  Mr. Bones was delighted to see me poor fellow, I’m sure he realized he had been deserted.  Thank goodness they hadn’t shot him.  I also collected a small suitcase I had containing razors, soap, brushes etc etc and a bottle of whisky, box of chocolates, pipe tobacco, cigarettes and oranges and apples, in fact a veritable treasure chest.  I left hanging in Grimble’s wardrobe a good Jaeger dressing down, a suit of overalls and my spare jacket and shorts.

On my return to Sassoon Road I was informed that we were to move our personnel to some position up in the hills just beyond Aberdeen, but that the vehicles would remain at Sassoon Road.  I placed Mr Bones and my kit in charge of Corpl. Sleap who was to remain behind with the vehicles.

We drove off, Larry and I still together in his car at the rear of the convoy of some six trucks till we reached a point on the road about a mile beyond Aberdeen where we got out and walked about five hundred feet up the hillside where we were to take up position for the night, but we had no sooner got up than we were ordered to come down again as we were to go up the Repulse Bay Road and join the Ordnance people at “The Ridge” and assist them to give covering fire to an attack which was going to take place that night on Wongneichong Gap.  It was said that we still held the Pillbox and Tinson’s house and that the position was well in hand so everyone felt somewhat braced.

After our first encounter with the Tramway wire down Kings Road I had equipped my Ammunition Column lorries with heavy wire cutters but unfortunately none of them were in our convoy for just at the junction of Island and Repulse Bay roads the leading lorry got entangled in the concertina wire at the road block there.  This was simply damned carelessness as the car leading the convoy had already passed through the gap in the wire safely.  We found there were no wire cutters of any description amongst the convoy and the lorry had to be cut out with a file which was a long and tedious business to say the least.

However it was clear at last and we proceeded up the Repulse Bay Road without farther delay, till we reached the approach road leading up to “The Ridge” where we got out and the lorries returned to Sassoon Road.

When we got up to the houses we found all quiet and nothing doing;  there was no sign of an attack being made on Wongneichong Gap and no preparations being made by the Ordnance to give covering fire.  Our presence did not seem to be very welcome, however we distributed ourselves amongst the five houses and settled down for the night.

I selected the last house where the sergeants were and they fixed me up with a good hot meal which was the first I had eaten since tiffin time the day before and also produced some whisky which had been left in the house by the owner.  I then settled down for a much wanted sleep on a couch.

Sweetheart - I wonder what you're hearing about us - they made a landing on the Island last night.  Kerfoot, one of the lads who came up from Singapore with me last January got a grenade thrown into his Bren carrier from above and he was killed. We have had a much quieter day - probably because they don't know where their own troops are. I am very afraid we won't be able to hold out long.

I went down town this morning again to see the Controller of Transport and to go to the Bank about small money - I drew H 1000 in H 1 notes and 10 cent notes. I went along and saw Bertie at teatime - he is looking pretty well but obviously shaken a good bit. I couldn't do with that bunch of women round me - Dora and Margery of course, Mrs. Mike Turner, Beryl Shipworth (Fair that was) ((probably Beryl Skipwith)) and another woman. I had a cup of tea and promised to cash a cheque for Bertie. It is only 5.30 but dinner is ready so I must run.

Now ten to 7 - all quiet - so we had a walk along the road to the corner - just at Upper Levels Police Station - just beyond Euston. The fire at the A.P.C. installation at North Point is still burning and some house on the upper levels is also on fire.

Dora was of course asking for you and I could only tell her I'd had one wire and had tried to send two. They were talking about N.L who was on the Ulysses - and so I fear was my Christmas parcel. On the 9th she reported she was being bombed half way between here and Singapore. I am afraid she would be sunk. But of course she might have escaped.

Well Honey - I can't write more - I must try and write by day in the future.          Goodnight Loved One.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Billie.

The Japs landed last night, at Sai Wan, Lyemun Magazines and North Point.  I suppose it was obvious they would land there from the amount of artillery preparation they have carried out in these areas.  For a long time we refused to believe it in the Battle Box.  There have been so many false alarms from this area that the attitude was rather “Those bloody windy buggers! At it again”.  they took Sai Wan Redoubt during the night.  Bompas made a counter attack and retook it but most of his troops melted away and he was pushed off again.  By daybreak we had to evacuate Sai Wan 6” How position.  The Japs were up on the top of Mt. Parker and beginning to trickle down into the Tai Tam Valley.  Then we had to evacuate Parker How position; after that came news that they had captured most of the guns in the Tytam Valley and were attacking Wong Nei Chong.  It looked as if Tytam Gap would go at any minute, so the C.R.A ordered the destruction of the guns at Collinson, D’ Aguilar, Bokhara and Chung Am Kok.  The men had to go to Stanley for use as infantry.  The controlled mine fields in the Tathong and East Lamma Channels were blown up. 

I rang up to ask Jack Fox what the position was at Wong Nei Chong.  I could hear the machine gun fire down the phone.  He had been manning one himself.  “Tell Pat” he asked me.  Quarter of an hour later I rang up again, this time I got Tim.  He said that they were surrounded and fighting a tremendous battle with small arms: “What else is there to do” he said in a rather humorous, resigned tone of voice.  That was the last we heard of them.  Wong Nei Cheong was taken.  It was the key point of the island.

Ted Hunt came in this evening.  He had led a counter attack against Wong Nei Chong and had recaptured it almost single-handed.  As he got near the enemy his Battery just melted away.  Though the gunners are steady under shellfire, they will not face the enemy at hand to hand fighting.  I don’t really blame them.  They have had very little training in the use of infantry weapons and so few of our young officers can make themselves really understood in their language.  Jack Fielden was killed in this attack and Colonel Yale badly wounded.  Ted could tell us nothing of Tim Temple, Geoffrey, or Jack Fox.  Ted is looking very wild and woolly.  He is wearing an extraordinary assortment of uniform, he has 3 or 4 day growth of beard and is carrying a Tommy gun which he swears is the finest weapon ever invented.  He has had no sleep for the past two days.  The C.R.A. had ordered him to go back to Stanley and rest.  About this time news came through that the Japs had reoccupied Wong Nei Chong.  Just as Ted was leaving I warned him of this and told him to go round by Pok Fu Lam but he replied “Bugger the Nip I am going back that way anyhow”.  And with that he dashed up the stairs out of the Battle Box.

John Trapman has done very well today.  With the capture of Wong Nei Chong the whole of the H.Q. of West Group R.A. appear to have been wiped out.  He has reopened it at Wanchai Gap and has carried on magnificently.  Later we sent Lundy Duncan to take over from him.