70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries
25 Dec 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
Submitted by brian edgar on Thu, 2012-02-16 01:50Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Fri, 25 Dec 1942The first Christmas in captivity and a year since the surrender - a day of great emotion.
Outdoor carol singing goes ahead (see yesterday's entry). A choir tours the Camp singing close to each block in turn, and also outside the hospital to welcome Janet Carole Sallis, who's born today.
All church services are held outdoors. Catholic mass is celebrated in a large natural grotto between the hospital and the 'American' blocks. There's a small manger - consisting of an old vegetable basket and a borrowed doll - next to the makeshift altar (a slab of concrete jammed into a natural rock). The familiar scene and the memories of the previous Christmas's fighting move many to tears.
The children get presents:
On the first Christmas in camp the informal welfare committee sent gifts from Hong Kong to all of the children...
Committee chairman Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke also sends Christmas decorations.
Another group sails away to Shanghai. This includes Reuters correspondent Bill O'Neill (G.P. Murphy takes over as head of the Irish Commitee), the Begley family (Australian), the diplomat Sir Arthur Blackburn and his wife - and at least 20 others.
In town prices have been rising rapidly and food is growing scarce. Banker Andrew Leiper reports there's little seasonal spirit in the Sun Wah Hotel:
In our community there was little heart to celebrate Christmas and the advent of 1943 was marked only by a party given for the half dozen children in the boarding-house. They were each presented with a small packet of home-made toffee, for which we had all contributed a part of our sugar ration.
But Japanese interpreter Kiyoshi Watanabe does his best for the bankers and their families:
I will always remember his visit on Christmas Day, 1942. He joined four of us in singing carols, gave us a solo rendering of 'Holy Night' in Japanese, and contributed to enhancing our meagre diet.
The Hong Kong News publishes a bumper issue to celebrate one year of Japanese rule. But proof is provided that the Chinese population are less than happy to be 'an important part of the Co-prosperity Sphere of Greater East Asia':
Hong Kong might show its appreciation by displaying a more adavnced conception of its political and civic duties, by way of qualifying for graduation as a part of the Japanese Empire'.
Sources:
Carols, choir, services: Mabel Winifred Redwood, It Was Like This, 2001, 148
Birth: China Mail, September 15, 1945, page 3
Presents: William Sewell, Strange Harmony, 1948, 124
Decorations: John Stericker, Captive Colony, 1945, Chapter V111, page 9
Shanghai: Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, Kindle, Location 4576
Leiper: Andrew Leiper, A Yen For My Thoughts, 1982, 164
Watanabe at the Sun Wah: H. Hawkins, former Mercantile Bank manager, quoted in Liam Nolan, Small Man Of Nanataki, 1966, 74-75
Hong Kong News: pages 2,13
25 Dec 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary
Submitted by Barbara Anslow on Tue, 2012-03-13 18:26Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Fri, 25 Dec 1942Slept in with Mum last night – my bed folded up because bookcase removed so fireplace could be used.
Went with Mrs K to 7.15am Mass in Maryknoll Chapel ((tiny, so few people so didn't count as a 'gathering.')) Mum and Mabel to 8am Mass in grotto. ((near American Quarters)).
After, egg, bacon, tomatoes and loganberries.
Mrs F Deacon came with Patricia and Jean who gave us 2 packets of Post Toasties from the Braudes ((Mrs Deacon was Mrs Braude's mother)), and 8 Yen from Mr Addis Martin ((Jean's father)).
Tony came, gave us tin of cheese and onions.
I wore my blue sharkskin dress - a tight fit. ((That dress was among some clothes our loyal amah had brought me when I as in the Tai Koon Hotel)).
To hospital; hung over verandah while Mrs Drown's choir sang outside: Happy Birthdays for the new baby born this morning - Janet Sallis, for Jimmy Barnes (medical staff), for one of the patients, and for Mrs Drown herself tho her birthday was yest. Such a bright sunny morning.
Office transformed into a dining hall, desks pushed together made 2 long tables. Miss Davies (Matron) gave each of us office girls 2 lovely little tablets of soap. Meal not gigantic - roast meat, cabbag, gravy, 1 huge sweet potato, NO RICE. Seconds in sweet potatoes. Christmas pudding - a big share. I sat next to Dr Loan and Dr Pringle; Olive between Dr Uttley and Dr Erooga.
Later I went to Tony's bungalow and had tea with him, Stopani Thomson and Bailey. ((George Stopani Thomson, electrical engineer, killed when Bung. C bombed.))
6.30pm - Our Nativity Play rehearsal at St Stephens to sing in choir. I was the only alto as Sheila (Haynes) was helping with the angels behind the scenes.In evening Mum and Olive and Mabel each ate a tin of M & V but I wasn't equal to that.
'Xmas pudding' Mabel made was grand, we had it with custard power (from Tony who came) mixed with wong tong. I have a stomach ache and deserve it.
Mr. and Mrs Tribble dropped in in evening.
25 Dec 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary
Submitted by Admin on Fri, 2012-12-14 15:29Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Fri, 25 Dec 1942Party in Cookhouse & served one meal at 12.30PM.
To tea at Steve’s with G.
Nativity Play at St Stephens.
((G.))
Lovely Xmas considering conditions.
25 Dec 1942, Eric MacNider's wartime diary
Submitted by Admin on Tue, 2017-01-03 15:52Book / Document:Date(s) of events described:Fri, 25 Dec 1942To Mr & Mrs C Sallis (d)
Services on bowling green
HC (2) Brown (c) / Short : Sandbach / Wittenbach (c)
10am – Short
Sandbach 4pm
(Curfew ext. 9pm)
