70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Up with the lark.  Breakfast, then given a half pound slab of York choc. each, cigs and matches. As we went down the gangway, each given a scran bag with sausage rolls etc.

HOMECOMING
'I woke at six; excited, thrilled.
The ship's pulsating heart was stilled.
I leapt out from my bunk, bright-eyed
And wrenched the porthole open wide.
In swept a rush of icy air:
I shivered, not too cold to stare
Enraptured, at an English sea
With grey waves dancing angrily,
And interlaced with spitting foam.
Beyond were stretched dim hills of Home
Beneath a sky wind-racked and dull;
And as I gazed, a lonely gull
Swooped by, a amooth white rhapsody,
And screamed a welcome in at me.'

To nearby Riverside Station.  Train already waiting, we sat in long coaches with sets of 4 seats.  Mum and I were with Miss M. Ward and Miss Betty Chart (both nurses).

Tea and biscuits served on the platform.  Shunted off 10.30, long journey - 5 or 6 hours.  Notices painted on back of hen coops, fences etc. with 'Welcome home!' and 'Well Done Boys!' - touching reminders that the war was not long over.

It was dark when we drew into Euston and got out. Mum told me to stay put while she went to claim our luggage. Aunt Lily suddenly materialised out of the melee on the platform, saying 'It's Barbara, isn't it?' (We'd last met 7 years ago).  She'd been brought to meet us in an ambulance from Kent - those fantastic organisers deserved a medal!   Now our luggage was heaved on board the ambulance.  Also passengers with us were parents with small children, and a Royal Scot who were going to places in Kent.

Aunt Lily had been waiting for us in London almost all day.  She produced sandwiches for us, and letters which had been addressed to us at Gillingham. We dropped the Royal Scot at Greenwich, outside his house which was decorated with a flag and a sign 'Welcome Home Alf' over the door. The other folk got out at Chatham.

The St John's ambulance drivers were voluntary workers, they were kindness personified.

(And so back to the Gillingham house where the Redwood family had said goodbye to Aunt and Uncle  in January 1938 to go to Hong Kong 'for 3 years' which turned out to be 7 and a half... we still could hardly believe we were home.)

((P.S.  Despite our relief to be back in UK, my family and I all returned to Hong Kong the next year!))

Barbara