70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

To get over the difficulties of issuing money to the internees it was decided that people should be allowed to make out lists of goods they required and that a British, American and Dutch representative should go into town and order these goods from one or two of the big Chinese shops, Wing On, or Sincere, or China Emporium or through a Compradore. Parcels would then be made up and sent into camp and then the Japanese would pay the lump sum direct to the shop or shops.

We were told by the British Communal Council that HK$30 ((pdv £85)) was going to be deducted from everyone’s amount with which to buy essential things for the community, such as condiments for cooking, brooms, cooking utensils etc. They also proposed to spend about HK$20 per head out of this fund for purchasing rolled oats with which to give everyone porridge in the mornings.

This all happened about a month ago and the parcels are still in the air! All sorts of difficulties seem to have cropped up to prevent the purchase of the goods. We had been told to guide ourselves in assessing the purchasing power of our remaining HK$75 by pricing our lists on current canteen prices. Later we were told the Japanese were disappointed, and in fact, felt a little slighted because about 80% of most lists consisted of items of food and only a small percent on clothing and other requisites; while the Japanese considered our extra food rations were quite adequate for our physical needs. Yvonne and I had HK$150 between us. We ordered food.

Items of Food:          

• 5 lbs Rolled Oats @ 3.20 – $2
• 2x Tins Syrup @ 7.30 per tin - $14.60
• 8 lbs Brown sugar@ $2.40 per lb - $19.20
• 12 oz 12 x tins jam @ $1.20 -   $14.40
• 1 ½ lb Margarine @ $5.60 lb - $8.40
• Soya Bean Milk Powder - $14.00
• ½ lb Tea @10.40 lb - $5.20
• 1 lb Salt @ $2.20 lb - $2.20
• 1 lb Cocoa @ $5.60 lb - $5.60
• ½ lb Milk Powder @ $6.60 - $3.30
• Peanut oil @ $15.00
• Total - $117.90

Items of Clothing:

• Tooth brushes and tooth paste @ $12
• Washing soap @ 40c per cake
• Matches $1
• Toilet paper x 2 rolls - $3 ((pdv £8.40))
• 2 x pairs of rubber shoes - $12 ((pdv £33))
• White sewing thread - $1
• Packet of needles - $1
• Total- $32.10

Grand Total: $150
                
In later canteens the prices of various commodities have varied and so the representative buyer will be guided by the prices we have put against each commodity. Syrup is now HK$8.80 ((pdv £24.75)) per 2 lb tin while it was HK$7.30 a month ago. On the other hand tea can be bought at HK$5.00 (Ceylon) or HK$2.40 (Chinese) per lb instead of HK$10.40, and margarine at HK$2.80 instead of HK$5.60 per lb. In view of the advent of bread and things we have been able to purchase at later canteens, we should have liked to revise our list a little. However, we are fairly satisfied with what we have ordered.

Our aim was to buy things which would improve the food we were getting for rations rather than buy such things as flour, dried fruits etc. with which to make entirely new dishes. Many people are cursing themselves because they ordered fairly large quantities of flour, while as it happens the committee twice decided to issue flour because the bakery was not complete and we were getting a surplus of flour (which incidentally is full of little maggots and weavils which have to be sifted out with much patience). Each of us has received 1½ lbs of flour with which we can make biscuits of sorts or plain dumplings (without the suet) which we eat with sugar or jam. We had heard of the vague possibility of an increased bread ration so we ordered a fair amount of jam on the off chance of it being true and we are glad we did. Anyway, we could have eaten it with part of our rice as a sweet-course after the rice, meat and vegetable course.

At about the time of this (canteen) parcel news, the Japanese sent us 100,000 cigarettes. They seem to do this sort of thing when they are celebrating a victory or the capture of some place or other! However, we were mighty glad to get the cigarettes. I had given up smoking except for an occasional pipe full of some cheap Chinese tobacco mixed with an equal quantity of dried and chopped up pine needles to drown the taste and smell! The cigarettes were divided evenly between all people over 17 and we each got 38. We had to pay for the cost of transport only and that amounted to 35 cents each person. Cigarettes in camp - these cheap Chinese makes like ‘Globe’ or ‘Golden Dragon’ - which get in some way or other have been selling at HK$1.40 per packet of 10, while before the war a similar packet cost only 10 cents.  Before the war a tin of 50 ‘Players’ or ‘Gold Flake’ etc. cost only HK$1.00 (pdv £2.80)! Thank goodness I am not a tobacco addict, nor is Yvonne, though we are both moderate smokers and enjoy a cigarette.

Last Saturday was quite a red letter day. News came through that each of us was to receive in cash the sum of HK$17.20, this being our portion of the HK$30.00 kept for the community purchase of rolled oats that could not be spent because rolled oats were not obtainable in such quantities. This was excellent news, and the actual money arrived almost as soon as the news. Usually such news arrives as a rumour which most people treat with much scepticism. Generally the rumour turns out to be only a rumour, but sometimes, after a day or two or even several weeks, the rumour turns to fact. This time it turned to fact very quickly.

Almost concurrently with the money issue came a second cigarette issue. This time it was 40 ‘Golden Dragon’ cigarettes in packets of 10 at 20 cents per packet. Yvonne and I bought our share and decided to smoke 30 each and sell our last two packets in a week or two for 80 cents each packet when the price would again have reverted to HK$1.20 or HK$1.40 per packet. Thus we would get our 30 cigarettes for nothing. This sounds rather mean, but it is not below Stanley standards! And anyway, there are many men who happen still to have quite a lot of money who are only too glad to buy the cigarettes and would buy the whole lot if they were offered at HK$1.00 per packet. However, now we have an extra HK$34.40 we may be real devils and smoke the lot!

Yvonne was very sweet! She had saved two of her last packets, unknown to me, and was keeping them for my birthday. However, on looking at them the other day she found them beginning to go mildewy and so we had to smoke them. It will be miserable if she has to spend her 21st birthday in this wretched camp. I hope and pray we shall be out before 6th August.

On Saturday also the Welfare Committee issued clothing sent in by the International Welfare Society. I think it was probably organised by the Swiss Consul under the aegis of the International Red Cross Society. At any rate, it was really a splendid effort.