70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Shows diary entries from seventy-one years ago, using today's date in Hong Kong as the starting point. To see pages from earlier dates (they go back to 1 Dec 1941), choose the date below and click the 'Apply' button.

  • 25 Aug 1943, Harry Ching's wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Sat, 2013-03-23 17:18
    Book / Document: 
    Harry Ching's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 25 Aug 1943

    ((Following text not dated, but Steven Bailey's records show that several days of heavy air raids began on 25th August.))

    Last week of August many raids. One day loud explosions 11 a.m. Saw eight bombers, three fighters. High flak. Another alarm same day 6 p.m. Seven high planes.

    Second day hectic. Alarms all afternoon. First at 2.30 p.m. Saw five two-engined planes. Thick high flak. Nerves shaken by raids.

    Third day calm but distant explosions at nightfall.

    Fourth day alarm in afternoon. Some bombs distant. Two zeros aloft late. First we've seen for a while.

    Fifth day alarm after midday. Some saw six planes over Kowloon.

    Sixth day several alarms but no excitement.

    Seventh day gloomy weather. Heard plane before noon and large explosion. Later heard planes very high not fired on. Rumour three bombs dropped somewhere but didn't hear.

    • Log in or register to post comments

  • 25 Aug 1943, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2013-08-05 04:52
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 25 Aug 1943

    Painting for Betty G. ((Probably Betty Grindley, whose husband was a Prison Officer))

    ((G)). Bon hid with Steve.

    Heavy bombers raided colony 9.30am & 6pm. Saw at least 30 bombs dropped. Black-out.

  • 25 Aug 1943, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Submitted by Old Man on Tue, 2014-08-19 11:25
    Book / Document: 
    Eric MacNider's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 25 Aug 1943

    9.40am (13) & 6.08 pm (7) raids

    Black out

  • 25 Aug 1943, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Submitted by ssuni86 on Sat, 2017-09-23 05:43
    Book / Document: 
    WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 25 Aug 1943

    OBJECTIVE: Bomb HK & Whampoa dockyard

    TIME OVER TARGET: ~7:45 a.m.

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Eight B-25s from the 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group) and seven P-40s from the 74th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14th Air Force.

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

    • P-40s: Colonel Bruce K. Holloway; Captain Arthur W. Cruikshank; Lt. Anderson; 1st Lt. Harlyn Vidovich; Lt. Hendrickson; Lt. Meyer; Lt. Robert M. Cage
    • B-25 #55: Lt. Col. Morris F. Taber; Captain Robert E. Davis; 1st Lt. Daniel Manley; 1st Lt. Abe Schestopol; Tech Sgt. George W. Gouldthrite; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Lucas; Staff Sgt. George J. Atack
    • B-25 #61: 1st Lt. Charles F. Whiffen; 2nd Lt. Jack E. Booth; 2nd Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; 2nd Lt. Robert D. Guma; Tech Sgt. Karl H. May; Tech Sgt. Alvin P. Schmolt
    • B-25 #56: 2nd Lt. Edward J. Palowski; 2nd Lt. Dow J. Richter; 2nd Lt. George E. Dykstra; Staff Sgt. Robert C. Appleby; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Steiner
    • B-25 #41: Captain Don H. Milam; 2nd Lt. LeRoy J. Fontaine; 1st Lt. Joseph F. Dockwiller; 1st Lt. Guy P. Baird, Jr.; Tech Sgt. Joe Edmonson; Sgt. Kenneth C. Prothe; Sgt. Kenneth C. Passarino
    • B-25 #68: 2nd Lt. Clifford T. Schapansky; Flight Officer Leroy J. Goode; 2nd Lt. Wayne J. Aberle; Staff Sgt. W. Bernert; Staff Sgt. Hadsell D. Barnhouse
    • B-25 #09: Flight Officer William C. Arnold; Flight Officer Richard M. Gramling; Sgt. Rafael C. Arellano; Corporal Everett F. Hamilton; Staff Sgt. Michael Barnick
    • B-25 #36: 2nd Lt. William M. Henry; 2nd Lt. William A. Brenner; 2nd Lt. Seaborn V. Howard; Staff Sgt. Ray T. Hamilton; Sgt. James T. Borgia
    • B-25 #65: 2nd Lt. James J. Harnett; 2nd Lt. Richard C. Battle; 2nd Lt. Robert E. Fischborn; Staff Sgt. Marino R. Galluzzo; Staff Sgt. Arthur B. Smith

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 45 500-pound general-purpose bombs

    RESULTS: Numerous bomb hits on HK & Whampoa dockyard.  Bomber crews report direct hits on one ship in dry dock and another tied up at a pier.

    JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: No Japanese fighters intercept, but at least two transport planes are spotted by American pilots

    AIRCRAFT LOSSES: No American aircraft are lost.  B-25 gunner Staff Sgt. Arthur B. Smith is credited with shooting down a twin-engine transport plane over Hong Kong with a burst of .50-caliber machine-gun slugs fired at extreme range.

    SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

    Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

     

    Tags: 
    Air Raid
    air raids

  • 25 Aug 1943, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Submitted by ssuni86 on Sat, 2017-09-23 05:45
    Book / Document: 
    WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 25 Aug 1943

    OBJECTIVE: Bomb Tai Koo dockyard

    TIME OVER TARGET: ~4:12 p.m.

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Seven B-25s from the 11th Bomb Squadron (341st Medium Bomb Group).  All of the B-25s and many of the pilots and aircrew are on their second run of the day to Hong Kong.  Escorting fighters include six P-40s from the 74th Fighter Squadron and seven P-40s from the 76th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group).  All aircraft are from the 14th Air Force.

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 

    • P-40s: Major Norval C. Bonawitz; Major Robert Costello; Captain Morrison; Captain Lubner; Lt. Bell; Lt. Mauritson; Lt. Lundy; 1st Lt. Lawrence W. Smith; Lt. Burbank; Lt. Williams; Lt. P.N. Bell; Lt. Lui; Lt. Gilmore
    • B-25 #55: Lt. Col. Morris F. Taber; Captain Robert E. Davis; 2nd Lt. Richard C. Battle; 1st Lt. Abe Schestopol; Tech Sgt. George W. Gouldthrite; Staff Sgt. Michael Barnick; Staff Sgt. George J. Atack
    • B-25 #61: 1st Lt. Daniel Manley; 2nd Lt. William F. Angell; 2nd Lt. Raymond J. Mazanowski; 2nd Lt. Robert A. Fischborn; Sgt. Charles M. Cox; Sgt. Jack L. Gould
    • B-25 #56: 2nd Lt. Carl J. LaValle; 2nd Lt. Richard L. Edwards; 2nd Lt. Robert D. Guma; Sgt. Alvin A. Stainker; Staff Sgt. Lambert B. Bebstock
    • B-25 #41: 1st Lt. Charles F. Whiffen; 2nd Lt. Jack E. Booth; 1st Lt. Charles J. Bethea; 1st Lt. Guy P. Baird, Jr.; Tech Sgt. Joe Edmonson; Sgt. Kenneth C. Prothe; Staff Sgt. R.P. Betts
    • B-25 #68: 2nd Lt. William A. Brenner; 2nd Lt. Edward J. Palowski; 2nd Lt. Howard V. Seaborn; Sgt. James T. Borgia; Staff Sgt. Louis L. Lucas
    • B-25 #36: 2nd Lt. George T. Grottle; 2nd Lt. Dow J. Richter; 2nd Lt. Paul J. Diekmann; Staff Sgt. Loren Morris; Sgt. Golden U. Gallup
    • B-25 #65: 1st Lt. James C. Routt; 2nd Lt. Richard R. Rouse; 2nd Lt. Wayne J. Aberle; Staff Sgt. William V. Vickery; Sgt. F.C. DeWitt

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 42 500-pound general purpose bombs

    RESULTS: All bombs miss target and fall into the harbor

    JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

    AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

    SOURCES: Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

    Information compiled by Steven K. Bailey, author of Bold Venture: The American Bombing of Japanese-Occupied Hong Kong, 1942-1945 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska Press, 2019).

    Tags: 
    Air Raid
    air raids

Subscribe: If you'd like to receive future pages by email, just enter your email address below and click the 'subscribe' button:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to 70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries