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.
  • 29 Jun 1944, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Thu, 29 Jun 1944

    Fine, hot day. Aired bedding or what is left of it.

    Rec. RC letter from Mother 9-2-43. Seems Marj hadn’t written to her at all.

    Japs made special search of lorry.

    Churchill made known British casualties for first 4 yrs. of war. 158,741 killed, 78,204 missing. 159,219 wounded, 270,995 ps. of war. 109,101 civilian and 30,314 merchant marine casualties. Allies advancing on all fronts still. Russians now N. of Tali in Finnland & E. of Polotysk in W.Russia. Tilly area in France being extended by us & progress N. made in Italy. Burma not mentioned today & Pacific only slightly touched on.

    Black-out ordered again, also an order prohibiting the collection of salt-water by people who go to the beach. (Salt (rough stuff) is 90sen ½lb & has to last us at least 12 days. People have been collecting quantities of salt water in bottles etc. for cooking purposes & now the lousy rats even stop that)

    With Steve pm.

    Russians have one million men on a 400 km. front & surrounded between 50 & 70,000 Germans around the Vitebsk area.

  • 29 Jun 1944, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Thu, 29 Jun 1944

    B.O.

  • 29 Jun 1944, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Thu, 29 Jun 1944

    OBJECTIVE: Reconnaissance flight over Canton airfields

    RESULTS: Pilots overfly Tien Ho and White Cloud airbases to take pictures with recon cameras; they also overfly satellite fields and report that the White Cloud satellite field has been ditched to render it unusable.

    TIME OVER TARGET: ~3:30 p.m.

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT: Two P-40s from the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (attached to 23rd Fighter Group)

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: Major Edward O. McComas; Lt. Penning

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

    JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: Pilots spot eight aircraft taking off from White Cloud airbase, where one aircraft is observed burning on the runway. 

    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).

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