70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries
24 Dec 1944, Barbara Anslow's diary
Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2012-04-16 18:37Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944Draw for two 10 lb. iced cakes made by Father B. Meyer. Won by Mrs. V. Murrell and Mrs. B. Doering. Air raid during proceedings.
(During this wek, I got Yen 230 from Ivy Denton - some time ago I'd given her a tin of parcel Cowbell milk power to sell for us to get canteen money to get extras for Mum when she was in hospital.)There was a draw for a cockerel - from surplus cockerels owned by an enterprising internee who somehow had a few chickens. Sheila Haines won one.
Extension of evening curfew tonight.
Walked round camp with Mabel and Clifton while the United Churches choir sang deep-throated harmonising carols. The Fortescues let us peep in on Adrian after 'Father Christmas' had been and left presents, and he was fast asleep. A lovely night.
24 Dec 1944, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
Submitted by brian edgar on Sat, 2014-02-22 18:15Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944It's announced that Governor Isogai Rensuke will stand down. He leaves early in the New Year and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Tanaka Hisakazu.
In February 1945 Isogai's associate Colonel Noma, head of the Kempeitai, will follow Isogai to Japan, to be replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Kanazawa Asao, who today finds assistant to the Chief of the Staff in the Governor's Office.
This change in personnel at the top probably stems from the fall of Isogai's patron, Premier Tojo Hideki, who lost power on July 18, 1944 as a result of the fall of Saipan to the Americans.
Source:
Philip Snow, The Fall of Hong Kong, 2003, 210
Note: This source, which includes a reume of his army career, gives December 16 as the date of the end of Isogai's tenure:
24 Dec 1944, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong
Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2014-02-24 21:48Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944The raid was reported in the Hongkong News:
24 Dec 1944, R. E. Jones Wartime diary
Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2014-12-22 11:35Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944Fine & dry.
Dentists window.
4 Raids afternoon (Tolo harbour).
Down to Steve’s at 4pm for Chow & port wine. Chicken, corned beef, Chinese pork sausage & tinned meat, rice & veg.
Bread issued.
Allowed out till 8pm.
24 Dec 1944, Eric MacNider's wartime diary
Submitted by Admin on Fri, 2016-12-09 10:35Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944Rose
Carol service 7 lessons
5 afternoon raids – roll call 5 pm. Curfew extended to 8 pm
Bread issued in pm
24 Dec 1944, Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong
Submitted by Alison Gerrard on Sun, 2020-10-04 12:06Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Sun, 24 Dec 1944I was highly delighted and thrilled when I received your lovely and loving letter of 2/2/44 which being of this years vintage brought us close together. I was very pleased and quite excited to know that you had received a letter from Bill Buchannan who would give you his latest news of me. Bill was a great lad, a real good sort and it was grand of him to write you after he returned to his home in Canada. I hope more letters come soon. I 'm really very greedy for more.
Things are going on all right here and it is hoped to give our people at St. Steven's quite a good Christmas meal tomorrow. We are doing the best we can under difficult circumstances, Congee in the morning with soya bean flour, oil and soya sauce in it should help to make it more than usual tasty. Mid day (11.15 am) the extra will be a rice flour sweet pudding or loaf and at the evening meal a large slice of tart with egg yolk, wong tong and pumpkin in it.
We have also had a flour and bran loaf issued to us today, the first bread we have had since early in the year when the flour stock ran out. The canteen have helped in a way by having a special issue of rice flour, noodles, sweet Chinese biscuits and syrup but at ghastly prices. Just imagine a tin of Taikoo syrup at 64 Yen. The biscuits at 13 Yen for 1/4lb. No parcels have come to me this time from our Taikoo people so the assumption is that most of them have gone to Macau or are in poor circumstances.
I saw Prof. Digby on the 19th and he wants me to come into hospital again on Monday 1st January to have my tag taken off. A good start for the New Year.
This week we received our first allowance for several months, when we received 12.50 Yen which is only sufficient to buy 1/2lb wong tong costing 11.85 Yen.
The news is still good except for the set back on the Western Front. The lads visit us either every night or at night-time and sometimes give Hong Kong or its' merchants a right good smashing. There is a small vessel left smack in Stanley Bay at present, our only light is that the vessel is so small, a larger one would have pleased us most.
Bungalow F where Finnie and Robert's live is to be closed down early in the New Year, where they are going to go is a problem. Bone and I still go there on a Saturday but owing to the restriction in the curfew hour which is now 6 o'clock whereas previously it was at 8 pm, so we go on Saturday afternoons instead, have a cup of tea and --- in going a smoke and a yarn.
