70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Better weather but still showery.

Communal work am on store in garage.

Swim pm.

B.B. now i/c Bonnie. 

((G))

Walk with Steve pm.

Mail 12 months old arrived from Can. Africa & home.

This is a day I have been looking forward to since the first letters commenced coming into the camp for when I was down at the ration place this forenoon and whilst working on the ration figures Andy (W.J.Anderson) handed me a letter from you. Oh Boy what a thrill I got.

It was very decent of Andy for he happened to be in C.S. office when the letters arrived and he saw mine, got hold of it and rushed down to give it to me. I was dated 4th May 1942 and it was glorious to see the handwriting of my own Twinkletoes. Tho' the letter is over a year old actually taking 13 months in all to arrive here. I have the feeling that my lass is still well and getting along all right.

It was cheering to know that Swiss were in touch with you and sending you remittances. I'm glad that you like the change of house and from information I have got as to its location you are still near to English Beach.

Yes I could have made good use of the five year diary and the Parker pen, but like everything else, except what I had on me, these would have been lost to the looters. I loved your description of Vancouver as it was when you wrote and your expression but 'Robin Adair' however my dear happy days will come our way again. I am now hoping that more of your letters will come my way now that I have got the taste of one.

Repatriation or evacuation is still the top liner but how it will affect your hubbie will be unknown until Miyina comes back from Tokyo, tho' all the wisecracks know all the answers already. We'll see later.

J.F and I were a Mrs Bonnars wedding to Captain W.R.Worrall this afternoon. She is the wife of one of our European Watchmen who was killed in the fighting. The ceremony took place in the B.C.C. room conducted by the Rev. A.P.Rose and later a small reception took place in her room, coffee and sandwiches and cake.

It is really wonderful how people manage to get together the necessary eats for an occasion of this kind, everyone helps. J.F. proposed the health of the Bride and Bridegroom. Mrs Bonnar (or rather Worrall) has two young girls so Worrall has a ready made family.

Yesterday I received a parcel from Ah Lin containing 1 tin jam, 1 tin sardines and 6 sweet corn cobs, mixed cocoa, corn starch. Brown sugar and tea had been removed for some reason or other. Too bad.

The Banns of marriage between Hugh Smith in our room and Margaret Black were called for the first time last Sunday. They hope to get married before the evacuation of the women takes place whenever that may be.

The weather has been awful lately real solid rain practically all the time. Lights out from the 1st of June is 10 o'clock now, so they are gradually doing everything to save electricity in other words they are short of coal in Hong Kong and can't get any more or in very small quantities. It originally was 11 o'clock, the half past ten and now 10 o'clock lights out. Well we are internees and shouldn't grumble too much our day will come, as sure as day follows night.