70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

The fateful 28th has passed; no ship hove in sight and all the women and children are still here. So I smile complacently and say, “I thought so”. However, the next date for departure has already been fixed and the day named is Friday, 23rd July. Well, in that case Yvonne will just be able to celebrate my 31st birthday with me – something like the occasion, four years ago, when I spent my 27th birthday in Ceylon with Mother and Father and set sail the next day for HK.

I have, I am thankful to say, almost completely recovered from my ear affliction. Dr Smalley, who treated me, told me that it looked as though I was developing a many headed carbuncle and I feared I was in for a very painful time. Certainly my ear and the adjacent glands swelled, ached and throbbed and inside my ear was a continual popping and bubbling. This was most noticeable in the quiet of the hot and sultry nights. I had somehow to prod and prop my pillow so that I lay on the side of the affected ear (to help the discharge) without lying on the ear itself, as that was too painful. I longed, unavailingly to turn over and was so hot and restless that I hardly slept for several nights. I simply soaked my pillow with perspiration. Then Dr Smalley gave me a course of strepticide tablets – 12 in 24 hours – and though they made me feel like nothing on earth for some time they evidently did the trick. The threatening boil or carbuncle dispersed and the ear is practically right again.

This strepticide is wonderful stuff. I believe the doctors do not quite know themselves of what it is composed, but apparently it carries on a general war against all types of germs in the human body and seems to be administered successfully for scores of different ailments.
Now Yvonne is in the wars a bit. She has been suffering a little from toothache and yesterday Sammy Shields stopped a tooth from which she had broken the stopping. He found, however, that all four of her wisdom teeth (two of which have come through in camp) have decayed, due, he seems to think to the camp diet. It is a shame. Any way, he suggests that 3 of them should come out, though the fourth has not grown straight and is impacted against the next tooth; this one he may leave to be treated in Australia if the women are repatriated soon. So, poor Y has an ordeal before her. But wisdom teeth generally seem to be more trouble than they are worth and this camp is not a bad place in which to get over such operations, providing special invalid’s food etc. is not required.

Last night there was considerable excitement. Apparently, all day, people had been summoned up the hill for various reasons; some not being allowed to return. I heard as many as 30 had been called up but do not know if this is true. At all events, at about 8.30 Yamashita’s small car came to block A3, and presently Anderson (of the Govt stores department) climbed in with a small basket of kit. His room has been sealed by Yamashita and he has not returned. I hear that 8 people were detained last night, either at Stanley Police Station or in the gaol. Amongst these for certain are; another Anderson, Hall of Lane Crawfords (Eileen’s newly wedded husband), Scott (the Deputy Commissioner of Police), Bradley, Gillespie (Head of ICI in HK) a man named Reece and someone else. This morning I hear others were called up – Revd Alton and Dr Watt were mentioned, though this may be incorrect. Everyone is trying to guess the cause of it all. A rumour is circulating to the effect that a Chinese in town was found to be in possession of promissory notes signed by people in camp and that these people were now being apprehended. Well, there is some blooming Chinese in town with a note signed by me! So I hope he is being careful!!

I suppose I am foolish to write that sort of thing down in the diary. Wild rumours went round last night saying that the Japanese were going to inspect our baggage. I spent some time anxiously debating where I should hide this! I have come to the conclusion that I must either destroy this diary or smuggle it out with me, for to try and hide it and risk its later discovery might possibly get other people mentioned in its pages in to trouble. The thing is, how the Dickens can I smuggle through a bulky thing like this, assuming we are one day moved or repatriated?

On top of last night’s excitement came the ‘Block-head’ to say a blackout had been ordered from midnight! Most queer. We have to turn out our lights at 10.00 p.m. in any case. Now I suppose we shall have to endure several more days without light.

One other item I must mention very briefly: on Friday 25th Y managed to dispose of a bracelet which has helped.