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.
  • 26 Oct 1945, Barbara Anslow's diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 26 Oct 1945

    Gale still in progress so we had to stay anchored. Wrote poem 'Homecoming' ((see 28th Oct)).

    Dock strike still on.

    Tombola in evening.

  • 26 Oct 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 26 Oct 1945

    In an article noting Charles Boxer's departure for New York, which took place yesterday, the China Mail (page 2) refers to Emily Hahn's 'now sensational China To Me'. The same paper on September 20 mentioned her only as the author of a book on the Soong sisters, so her memoir must have arrived in Hong Kong some time between that date and yesterday (or probably a little earlier unless there are some very quick readers in the Colony).

    The book contains frank portraits of her friends Selwyn and Hilda Selwyn-Clarke and other Hong Kong notables. Boxer himself is enigmatic about his future wife's memoir, saying that 'it opened a new line in literature that had unlimited possibilities that would in turn provide its exact limitations.' This seems to mean roughly 'she made a lot of things up so it's good reading, but I wouldn't trust it too much'. It's hard to be sure though.

     

    On the same page the paper reports yesterday's transfer of 500 more Japanese civilian internees, under commando escort, from Whitfield Barracks to Stanley Camp.

    Notes:

    1) For a discussion of Hahn's portrayal of Hilda Selwyn-Clarke, see https://brianedgar.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/emily-hahn-as-source-3-the-a...

    2)  Other reports make it clear that the Camp for Japanese was at Stanley Fort, not at the site of the former Stanley Civilian Internent Camp.

     

  • 26 Oct 1945, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 26 Oct 1945

    At anchor all day due to bad weather. Very disappointing.

    “Reina de Pacifico” & “Antenor”  anchored close by.

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