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 - 5 Sep 1944, Tom Hutchinson's Wartime Diary

    Submitted by barbaramerchant on Sun, 2013-09-15 17:09
    Book / Document: 
    Tom Hutchinson's Wartime Diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 25 Aug 1944 to Tue, 5 Sep 1944

    Tom Hutchinson's War Diary - Page 49

    Notes:

    31/8/44 - To bring up Water meter    70.-  
    ((Their water meters have been stolen or damaged several times))
    5/9/44 - Ferry HK + Back     30¢    2lbs Cotton ((wool?))     24.-
                - Left Panama Hat with Cora to sell @ ¥250-00

    Supporting information:

    Tags: 
    food
    Hong Kong
    Mongkok
    second world war
    civilians
    survival
    family
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  • 25 Aug 1944, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Thu, 2014-06-12 20:16
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 25 Aug 1944

    Fine day, cloudy & hazy.

    Sharpened Steve’s saw & helped him to grind rice.

    Made a key to fit our store lock.

    Canteen held.

    Chopped wood & gave Dutch their 53lbs.

    Japs to take over private gardens.

    Lorry arrived late, 7pm, veg & partridge.

    With Steve pm.

    Mary lent me another Y20.

    Air raid alarm 10pm much shouting of “Kuchu” ended the day.

    Japanese again warned re intensified A-raids & likely landings in Japan by their Premier. Paper news OK, Brit & Canadians advancing N behind German lines toward Calais. V. Adm. Decoux more or less warned re conduct by Japs.

  • 25 Aug 1944, Harry Ching's wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Wed, 2014-07-02 21:05
    Book / Document: 
    Harry Ching's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 25 Aug 1944

    ((Following text not dated:))

    Comic buses. Two-wheeled old hand trucks with rubber tyres. Two skinny coolies pulling and one behind to hold on even keel and steer. Two rows of narrow seats facing each other. Canopy of canvas or rag. You are told riding is worthwhile because you would walking use up Y5 worth of shoe leather and health, especially in rain. Mostly we still walk with our little cart to carry purchases.

  • 25 Aug 1944, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Submitted by Grace on Mon, 2014-09-01 15:22
    Book / Document: 
    Eric MacNider's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 25 Aug 1944

    Classical concert ((see 24th for details))

  • 25 Aug 1944, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Submitted by ssuni86 on Thu, 2019-05-16 20:33
    Book / Document: 
    WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 25 Aug 1944

    OBJECTIVE: Fly nocturnal sea sweep mission to detect and sink Japanese ships in the South China Sea.

    RESULTS: No enemy ships are detected during the sea sweep.  The aircraft commander, Lt. Wind, opts to bomb the HK & Whampoa dockyard (the designated secondary target) on the return flight.  At least nine bombs fall in vicinity of the dockyard, but damage is unknown.

    TIME OVER TARGET: Unknown, but likely around 1:00 a.m. on August 26

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: One B-24 from the 375th Bomb Squadron (308th Heavy Bomb Group)

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 2nd Lt. Elmer E. Haynes; 2nd Lt. Milton Wind

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: 12 x 500-pound bombs

    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 raids

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