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.

  • 3 - 11 Nov 1943, Tom Hutchinson's Wartime Diary

    Submitted by barbaramerchant on Sun, 2013-09-15 11:59
    Book / Document: 
    Tom Hutchinson's Wartime Diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 3 Nov 1943 to Thu, 11 Nov 1943

    Tom Hutchinson's War Diary - Page 24

    Notes:

    3/11/43 "Paid Chu last month's water bill 3.-"
    6/11/43 "Delivered 2 qts Yeast to Dr Lum"
    10/11/43 "Bottled Bean Yeast from Residue" This may refer to yeast grown on bean curd residue.
    10/11/43 The remaining chicks are weighed: Bullneck, Cowboy, Fawn, Camie, and Big Wing
    11/11/43 "Dr Lum paid ¥12.50 for .... (2 qts) Yeast"

    Supporting information:

    Tags: 
    food
    Hong Kong
    Mongkok
    second world war
    civilians
    survival
    family
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  • 3 Nov 1943, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Sat, 2013-10-26 17:47
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 3 Nov 1943

    Wrote music all day “The Inchcape Rock”.

    Fine.

    Nothing happened.

    ((Barbara Anslow: Mr Jones' mention of the music of 'Inchcape Rock' immediately reminded me of hearing this sung by a fantastic men's choir in the 'Prison officers' Club' alias Recreation Hall, a truly professional performance by a large number of half-starved men.))

  • 3 Nov 1943, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong

    Submitted by Admin on Sun, 2014-02-23 04:22
    Book / Document: 
    WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 3 Nov 1943

    The next day's Hong Kong News reported an attempted raid had been driven back before it reached Hong Kong:

    Air Raids on Hong Kong-November 1943

  • 03 Nov 1943, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Submitted by ssuni86 on Mon, 2019-02-04 07:47
    Book / Document: 
    WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 3 Nov 1943

    OBJECTIVE: Bomb Kowloon docks

    TIME OVER TARGET: ~12:45 p.m.

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:

    • Twenty-one B-24s from the 373rd, 374th, 375th and 425th Bomb Squadrons (308th Heavy Bomb Group)
    • Seventeen P-40s from the 74th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)
    • Nine to twelve P-40s from the 75th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)
    • Eight P-38s from the 449th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group)

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW:

    • 74th Fighter Squadron: Col. Norval C. Bonawitz; Captain Bell; Lt. Garrett; Lt. Heelen; Lt. Duesler; Lt. Meyer; Lt. Jones; Lt. Strantz; Lt. Gibeault; Lt. Lundy; 2nd Lt. Altheus B. Jarmon; Lt. Thomas P. Bennett; Lt. Duffy; Lt. Robert M. Cage; 1st Lt. Harlyn Vidovich; Lt. Lee; Lt. Smith
    • 75th Fighter Squadron: Captain Grosvenor; Captain Pryor; Lt. Long; Lt. Balderson; Lt. Anning; Lt. Vurgaropulos; Lt. Casey; Lt. Howard; Lt. Brown; Lt. Bennett
    • B-24 #251: 1st Lt. Herbert W. Oglesby; 1st Lt. John M. White; 1st Lt. Irwin Zaetz; 1st Lt. Edward W. Smith; Tech Sgt. Leroy A Harned; Staff Sgt. Waino M. Williams; Staff Sgt. George J. McKorkell; Tech Sgt. Lawrence Bouchard; Sgt. Keene; Sgt. R.C. Schuman
    • B-24 gunners: Staff Sgt. John A. Caughlin; Staff St. Dallas C. Thomas; Sgt. Earl T. Smith; Staff Sgt. James M. Shook; Staff Sgt. Benjamin L. Ross; Tech Sgt. Burman [possibly Richard Berman]; Staff Sgt. Spodafara [possibly Tony Spadafora]

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: No bombs are dropped due to overcast conditions at Hong Kong

    RESULTS: None

    JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: American pilots report they are attacked by up to 38 enemy fighters, which is almost certainly an overestimation.  Intercepting Japanese fighters likely belong to the 85th Sentai.

    AIRCRAFT LOSSES:

    • B-24 #251 is struck by antiaircraft fire over Canton and then shot up by enemy fighters, forcing the crew to bail out.  All crewmembers eventually return to their unit.
    • Two P-40s are damaged.
    • B-24 gunners claim to shoot down up to five enemy fighters and P-40 pilots claim three more.  However, Japanese records suggest that only 1st Lt. Yoshiji Shiki of the 85th Sentai is lost over Canton on this date.

    SOURCES:

    • Original mission reports and other documents in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
    • Japanese Army Fighter Aces, 1931-45, by Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, and Christopher Shores

    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).

    Tags: 
    Air Raid

  • 03 Nov 1943, Additional notes

    Submitted by Sam357 on Sat, 2020-02-01 12:10
    Book / Document: 
    Additional notes
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Wed, 3 Nov 1943

    Among the papers of Mr Thomas Alwyn Hughes I found this instruction, written on the back of a cigarette packet, given to the Police members interned at Stanley on November 3, 1943:

    “C. P. of one (?) Sec  Nov, 3rd 1943           I want you to put clearly before the men of your sec. the following facts:- Arriving out of the recent sentences on prisoners from this Camp, the Jap. Authorities have made it abundantly clear to the C.C. that should any unauthorized communication be made into, or out of the camp be discovered, or should any escape be attempted, or should any action against the Jap. interests be discovered, not only will the offender himself be drastically dealt with but also the arrest of the C.C. & of the B.C.C. (?) will be affected & collective punishment will be inflicted on the camp. The Jap. Authorities have made it quite clear that they mean what they say. The first duty of Police is to the Public they serve. In the circumstances therefore, I specifically direct that no member of the Police Force shall take any action which may lead to penalties of this nature being inflicted on the general Public & leaders of the Camp.”


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