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.

  • 7 Feb 1943, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Submitted by brian edgar on Wed, 2012-12-12 14:53
    Book / Document: 
    Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 7 Feb 1943

    HSBC Banker Charles Hyde is one of the most wide-ranging and courageous of the British Army Aid Group's agents in Hong Kong. He's involved with fund-raising, smuggling money and drugs into Stanley, arranging escapes and gathering intelligence.

    He sends a report that the BAAG believe is written today about developments in occupied Hong Kong: the escape of Kennedy-Skipton, the departure of more POWs to Japan in late January, the arrival of about 30 more beri-beri sufferers in Bowen Road Hospital, and so on.

    He comments on his difficulty in persuading anyone to join an escape he's organising with Thomas Monaghan:

    God knows what keeps them here...Give me the chance they get and I'd be out of this hell hole in two shakes.

    Source:

    The Ride Papers, held at the Hong Kong Heritage Project, and kindly supplied by Elizabeth Ride

    Note:

    Mr. Hyde was presumably unable to leave because of his wife and young son. Two more people were eventually found who wanted to get out of Hong Kong and the three escapers were escorted to safety by BAAG operatives:

    http://gwulo.com/node/13618

    For more on Charles Hyde's resistance activities see:

    http://brianedgar.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/charles-hydes-resistance-work/

    • Log in or register to post comments

  • 7 Feb 1943, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Fri, 2013-02-01 20:31
    Book / Document: 
    R. E. Jones Wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 7 Feb 1943

    In bed nearly all day.

    Saw Steve pm.

    Colder.

    Good news re Russian advances. Felt somewhat better. 

    ((G.))

  • 07 Feb 1943, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Submitted by Admin on Wed, 2017-02-08 14:30
    Book / Document: 
    Eric MacNider's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 7 Feb 1943

    Brown / Alton

  • 07 Feb 1943, W J Carrie's wartime diary

    Submitted by billagee on Tue, 2019-09-17 09:50
    Book / Document: 
    W J Carrie's wartime diary
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 7 Feb 1943

    It has got much colder again after 2 days of muggy drizzly weather.  Friday 5th was C. N. Y. - again this year as 19 years ago the day after Joy's birthday.  I had a terrible day yesterday.  We have at last got a little allowance - it's supposed to be 20 Military Yen for all over 12, and Y 10 for those under 12 but the I.R.C. delegate miscalculated  and only sent enough for Y15.  I had to pay out to all in I.Q. - 743 persons - totally Y10,835 - and I had awful trouble as I hadn't enough 5 Yen notes.  I let the Police pay themselves and so got rid of Y3,300.  When I totted up at the end I thought I was down 10 or 15 Yen and if I was I'd have lost my own allowance.  And as each Yen is supposed to equal $H.K.4 it was a hefty loss.  I went to bed last night very unhappy and it wasn't till this morning that I found out my little mistake in subtraction!

    I am going to have coffee or Cocoa with Dora tonight and perhaps play bridge. I play very little - I can't be bothered. 

    All my love    L.O.   B.


Subscribe: If you'd like to receive future pages by email, just enter your email address below and click the 'subscribe' button:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to 70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries