70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

The weather is even worse today and there has been no raid that we are aware of, though a big American plane came cruising round this morning, probably on reconnaissance and checking up on results. The paper states that the French Hospital received a direct hit which resulted in killing 4 of the Revd Sisters at their devotions in the Chapel, while three more are buried and have not yet been recovered; the orphanage was also hit, killing and wounding, so says the report, 100 children. The patients’ wing also collapsed, burying many of the patients. This is another tragedy. The French Convent and Hospital have been doing heroic work. I have heard that the Japanese Naval Transport HQ is situated nearby and that the bombers were after that objective. The night before last night there was a big glow in the sky from the burning oil depot – it had been burnt out by the next day.

Blasting operations still persist around here. The side of the hill (on which Stanley Fort is situated) which overlooks the camp viewed from the cemetery, begins to look like a giant rabbit warren. It is full of these tunnels. There was a mishap the other day at the tunnel and gun emplacement above the gaol when the Japanese supervisor, thinking all the charges had exploded, walked back to the tunnel and was blown right down the hill and killed by the delayed explosion of one of the charges. There are so many bangs these days: bombs, blasting and A.A. guns. But it is surprising how quickly one learns to differentiate between them.

These air raids have decidedly upset the performances of ‘The Housemaster’. The dress rehearsal on March 27th at which children, invalids and the aged were allowed to attend and the first performance on the 31st, went according to schedule. The Monday and Tuesday performances, however, could not take place owing to the air raids. They were postponed to the Wed (also washed out) and this Saturday. Now it will be Saturday and the following Monday (raids permitting). I went to the first performance so at any rate I have seen it once. I enjoyed it immensely; in fact I think it is the most enjoyable show I have seen in Stanley.

It is a very nice play to begin with – if slightly overdrawn in parts and it was very well put over. Also, it brought back happy memories. Yvonne played the part of Rosemary very well and with the sympathy that it demands. All the girls were excellent as too was Jack Armstrong as ‘Ovingdon’, the Head. The others were all pretty good. It was noticeable how much better dressed were the women than the men. The women, as is only to be expected I suppose, had gone borrowing all over the camp until they fitted themselves out with nice clothes, while the men togged themselves up in the best of their own clothes. These normally would have been quite nice, but many of them, particularly Blair as ‘Donkin the Housemaster’ have lost so much weight in camp that their clothes hung on them like clothes horses!  Perhaps I should not say ‘all’ the men, but poor old Blair has certainly lost 50 lbs or more! Maudie and I were going to see it on the Monday but so far we have been out of luck. It is very trying for the cast and they are beginning to feel a bit flat. Hope it won’t affect the remaining performances.

Towards the end of March the Japs suddenly increased the camp’s firewood quota. Until fairly recently we had been allowed one catty per head per day - 1.34 lbs. Then the kitchens had to manage on grass every 5th day making the average 1.1 lbs per day. Now we get 1 kilo per head which is, I think, 2.2 lbs, or just double! The Japs have started chopping down the trees on the island now and we can see the pinewoods above the Maryknoll Mission where the Chinese coolies are at work. HK will be a terrible shambles at the end of this war. We had always managed adequately on our 1 catty per day and I cannot understand why they have suddenly increased our quota by so much. However, we now get 4 water boils per day again and can have cakes baked on four days in the week, so we don’t mind. I, as one of the woodcutters, have to cut just about double the quantity of wood each day. This baking of cakes will help people considerably with the chatty firewood problem.

It was last November I think, when we decided to chop up the teakwood dining table that was too big to be used in our room! We shared it out between the 6 of us and it burnt very well! I made a second small table with parts of our share (as we are more economical with chatty wood than the Bidwells) which is proving very useful. By Dec. or Jan. the Bidwells were out of wood (having in addition chopped up the two drawers in a kitchen table of theirs) and we all cast our eyes on the floor boards (which other people in other flats had already taken up and were burning). The Block Committee made a feeble attempt to stop this practice by saying that the boards were to be regarded as an emergency reserve in case the supply from the Japs failed (this, in the days when the Jap supplies were irregular and below the proper quota) and would be used for boiling water. They stated that in the event of the boards being required for this purpose a record would be kept of those who had used their flooring and they would be precluded from participating in the supply of boiling water. But no one took the slightest notice! And working on the maxim that, ‘A cake in the hand is worth two quarts of water in the bush,’ the raising of the floors went merrily on.

I forget which day we started – I know it was a Sunday (the better the day the better the deed! We started under our beds first and for quite a time the room still looked quite respectable. But gradually the cancer grew. Then one day a rumour went round that the committee had decided to take up the remaining wood blocks in all rooms where the demolition had been started.That settled it! Everyone’s blocks came up pronto although the rumour proved to be false! So now we have a beautiful black carpet!

The wood strips measure 12” x 1 ½” x ¾”. They are (or were) set in bitumen on the concrete floor and the bitumen that sticks to the strips, when they are pulled up, burns extraordinarily well (albeit somewhat smokily), so this type of fuel is eminently suitable for domestic consumtion, especially for starting a fire as paper is now almost unobtainable and is far too precious for burning.

People in the Indian Quarters and Block 10 have cement floors and are therefore out of luck: there is, therefore, a good market price for floor strips, the price starting at Y1 per strip and quickly mounting. People have paid as much as Y7 (pdv £30) per strip! We have not sold any of ours – we find them very acceptable as small gifts and birthday presents! What will happen to the bitumen on the floor when the hot weather comes, remains to be seen! It will be awful if it melts!

Harold removed the fireclay lining to our fireplace which has enlarged the space and means we can have two chatties going at the same time – both families cooking together. But a fair amount of smoke escapes into the room and our blankets and clothes etc. get awfully dirty. It is incredible to think of a house where you have a room for cooking, another for eating, another for sleeping etc.