70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

((Lt Kerr has been hidden in tall grass near Siu Kung…))

I sat in the reeds all day.  The weather was very peaceful and sunny.  …

By dark I started looking for my young friends to arrive…There were two boys this time, one was a new lad.  He extended a note.  “Come here, sir, I bring you go home now!” was neatly written at the bottom.  … We tied up the bundle, straw and all, and set off in rather the way we had come the night before.  I was eager, and we made fine progress.  Reached a wide path and traveled silently along it into another valley.

… we reached a long Chinese house…We crossed a stone porch and a thick wooden door opened a little to admit us, then it was carefully barred behind…The room was full of people.  I was led to a chair by a small table and rested…there’s Miss Li of the charcoal cave!  

… the room seemed full of all ages from small boys to old women.  The young men (about six of them) wore large leather belts with long dangerous looking pistols stuck in them.  And with hand grenades tied on with string.  ….I asked them who they were – they pointed to “guerrillas” in the Pointee-Talkee.  They said yes, the Japanese were looking for me and were only a few li away.  They assured me that they’d help me escape.

The leader, ((was)) Hok Choy…The interpreter explained that Hok Choy was a nickname and meant “Black Boy.”

…Around midnight we assembled and prepared to move off…an armed party of seven and I felt much more secure.  The path led on down the valley and again we moved in perfect silence.  Except for me – I couldn’t always stay on the dark path.

…After about an hour we arrived at a dark silent house and after a preliminary survey we slipped in and re-barred the thick door….I was led to a little back room containing a wide bamboo shelf which I was motioned to use as a bed.  A block of wood (yes, wood) for a pillow and a frowsy quilt were the only furnishings, but I was happy to curl up and sleep.

((This journal was copyrighted in 2009.  The extracts are being made available to David Bellis for publication on Gwulo:  Old Hong Kong (http://gwulo.com) only.  Please do not republish without permission.  A Chinese/English publication of the journal is being prepared and a film is being considered.  Contact David Kerr (davykerr@gmail.com) for further information.))