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.

  • 5 Oct 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Submitted by brian edgar on Mon, 2013-03-11 19:57
    Book / Document: 
    Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 5 Oct 1945

    A letter on page 2 of the China Mail refers to the 'frayed state of the nerves of the majority of bona-fide residents and hard-worked officials' and calls for forbearance, kindness and consideration.

     

    They need it because they've hardly had time to recover from the rigours of the occupation and the situation is still very difficult:

    The Japanese left no appreciable stocks of...food. Peanut oil, fish, beef, vegetables, sugar and salt are in seriously short supply....As to firewood, Hong Kong is iving off floors and doors.

    Source:

    HKRS 41/1/547/7410/45 'Food and Fuel Position', October 1945,cited in William Roger Louis, End of British Imperialism, 2006, 347

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  • 05 Oct 1945, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Fri, 2015-10-02 15:40
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 5 Oct 1945

    Felt extremely downhearted today.

    N.Westerly course. Clock back another hr. 3 ½ .

    Gave Smalley G’s message.

    Beautiful sunset.

  • 05 Oct 1945, INTERNED - DECEMBER 1941

    Submitted by Clive Hamilton on Wed, 2017-01-04 15:32
    Book / Document: 
    INTERNED - DECEMBER 1941
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 5 Oct 1945

    ((Kathie finishes her account with a look back over the war years:))

    Doctors who were prisoners of war themselves, stated that "in all camps the individuals who kept fittest were those who worked hard, and kept themselves cheerful and occupied, while those who sat around grumbling and pitying themselves lost weight and condition rapidly".

    I am of an optimistic frame of mind and kept myself going with the thought that in three months time it would all be over!  It didn't matter if it wasn't; I'd just start another three months, and kept this up until the end.  I tried to keep up appearances, and managed to get some telephone wires (covered with hard rubber), from a friend who was in the telephone company.  These were cut into small strips for me to curl my hair.  It was not easy to sleep in them, as it was difficult to find a comfortable position for my head.  Our men shaved every day whatever state the razor was in; those who didn't soon became tramps.

    Had it not been for the Atomic Bomb, one and a half million of our men would have died, as the Japanese would have fought to the bitter end.  The Chinese have rather a good saying: "If you get on the tiger, you must be prepared to ride him".  (You have to be able to take the consequences of what you start!)

    There are no winners in a war; there is nothing but heartache and tragedy.  I don't hold any grudges against the Japanese; let each one of us be kind to one another and pray for peace in the world.

    KATHIE HAMILTON
    STANMORE, MIDDLESEX
    AUGUST, 1995


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