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.
  • 14 Dec 1941. R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Ordinary routine. Chinese service at noon in Club.

    HK bombarded all PM, leaflets dropped. V.G. ((Probably 'Victoria Gaol')) & Central Police Station hit.

    “Tiny” Baker committed suicide?

    Cannot get potatoes or veg.

  • 14 - 15 Dec 1941, Barbara Anslow's diary

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    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941 to Mon, 15 Dec 1941

    Diary not available from this date until 22nd January 1942. but the following written up from brief notes of that period when diary was recovered.

    So cold in the night.  Had to get up while it was dark ((as working from 7am to 3pm)).  Went to Parisian Grill for breakfast with Mr G. B. Murphy, Lillian and Janet.  ((P.G. was only a short walk from Dina House)).  It was bacon and beautiful chips, and bread and butter and coffee. Then to tunnelCentral Police Station bombed badly in afternoon, several killed.  Felt the concussion even in the tunnel.

    Peggy ((Wilson)) invited me to stay with her in MacDonnell Road flat so moved there after shift.  'Uncle Sidney' (not a real uncle, but friend of Peggy's family) also lodging there, he is S.S. Harris, Gas Detection Officer.  ((All 3 of us slept in the same room, felt safer that way.))  We had cold meat and salad.
     
    I'm very mixed up over the next few days.  Raids most of daylight hours, and shelling day and night.   Peg & I got up at half past 5 and dressed in the drying-room as could have electric light on there as no windows.  To conserve Peggy's food stocks I went to breakfast at P.G. before going (with tin hat and respirator) to tunnel.   Peggy now drove a truck or lorry where required after finishing shift at 3pm. I admired her a lot for that.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    The assorted group we've been following around Kowloon are still in the Hing Wah.

    It's Gaudete ('rejoice') Sunday, and Father Gallagher preaches a sermon on that theme to his fellow prisoners: 'Rejoice Always!' That's not easy:

    The first four days we had nothing to eat, and made a broth out of gold fish, and gold fish water, that the children in the school had left behind them.

     

    Nevertheless, Dr. Newton reports a little food being provided yesterday and in today's diary entry records visits from two Japanese doctors, one of whom brings 'two large tins of army biscuits and two large kettles of boiled water'. He summarises his experiences of the Japanese so far:

    Except for the actual rounding-up stage at Kowloon Hospital they've been very polite and pleasant to us.

     

    Japanese shelling of the island begins at daylight and continues late into the night:

    And all over Victoria the terrified citizens crouched in corners, waiting for a lull which would enable them to run to a Governmment shelter.

     

    George Wright-Nooth offers a good general description of the experience of the next few days:

    Being bombed, shelled or mortared is an extremely frightening experience. You have absolutely no control over the situation. Nothing seems to offer adequate protection; the awful explosions, the unbelievable noise, the violent shock waves and the sickening apprehension as to where the next one will land, can combine to produce terror and inertia in all but the most courageous individuals. A part of the possible solution lies in activity, preferably physical.

     

    Nurse Brenda Morgan is killed by a shell in or close to her station at Rosary Hill. ((See note below.))

     

    Twins Aileen and Doris Woods and their sister Mrs. Winfield are billeted at the house of Sir Vandeleur and Lady Mary Grayburn. The electricity fails so they can't listen to the world news. The strain is getting on their nerves and there are frequent quarrels in the house. In between air raids they look down on the city. They see huge fires at North Point. Food is running short.

    Another air raid starts and they run to take shelter in the pantry, where they sit for hours repeating the 91st Psalm.

    When the shelling stops, they emerge and inspect the effects: the front of the house has been damaged and the Grayburns' private sitting-room is in ruins.

    Sources:

    Gaudete: Thomas F. Ryan, Jesuits Under Fire In The Siege of Hong Kong, 1944, 81

    Gold fish broth: R. B. Levkovich, Statement, page 5 (from the Ride papers, kindly provided by Elizabeth Ride)

    Newton: Alan Birch and Martin Cole, Captive Christmas, 1979, 51, 63

    Japanese shelling: John Luff, The Hidden Years, 1967, 58-59

    Wright-Nooth: George Wright-Nooth, Prisoner Of The Turnip Heads, 1994, 55

    Woods: John Luff, The Hidden Years, 1967, 136

    Morgan: Susanna Hoe, The Private Life of Old Hong Kong, 1991, 276 and Oliver Lindsay and John Harris, The Battle for Hong Kong 1941-1945, 2005,

    Note: Brenda Morgan

    Susannah Hoe states that she was a Canadian military nurse killed by shelling. According to John Harris she was from Nottingham and was killed by bombing. Harris also says that her fiancee, his flatmate Micky Holliday, a sapper, became 'unhinged' as a result and five days later went charging to his death along Wong Nei Chong Road, brandishing a revolver and in the company of several other Sappers.

    See also http://gwulo.com/node/13997

    This source seems to establish she was in fact from Leeds, and gives a more detailed account of how she died.

    See also Chronology, January 13, 1942.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Sheridan's diary of the hostilities

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Just a week ago today I saw the golfers enjoying their round of golf, or sitting on the verandah enjoying their cocktails. Now the grass is cut up by numerous lorries and the green in front of the Clubhouse is marred by the unsightly hump of 15 Aldershot ovens.

    The weather could not have been better, it is warm and sunny all day and nice and cool at night.

    We can hear the 9.2 guns from Stanley, Mt. Davis and Collinson((There weren't any 9.2-inch guns at Collinson Battery. Perhaps they heard guns of Bokhara Battery at Cape D'Aguilar.)) Also the AA guns when the Japs come over on their bombing raids. So far we have escaped. Normally we could be playing hockey, tennis or football or even in the sea for a swim, as it is still warm enough for it.

    The gun boats have moved out of Deepwater Bay although HMS Cicala comes in and anchors at night.

    All the yachts and boats in Deepwater Bay have been sunk including our little Snipe class boat. It is sad as we have had some great times sailing in it.

    During the night there was a hell of an explosion. It shook the Clubhouse and some of the windows facing the beach were shattered. It happened about 2a.m., I got up to investigate. One of the patrolling sentries told me that some of the mines on the beach had gone off with a mighty blast.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Charles Mycock's report of his wartime experiences

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    From the 14th. December 1941 the camp was shelled daily usually in the afternoons and evenings resulting in 2 killed and 37 wounded. The two killed were buried by Inspector Trimble, Sanitary Department.

  • 14 Dec 1941, A. H. Potts' wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    On 14th we got an urgent order to move 24,000 cartridges for 6 inch shells from Kennedy Magazine.  I heard that there were some 28,000 six inch shells stored in various magazines and at batteries, but the bulk of the cartridges were in the old Kennedy Magazine, which was in great danger now the Japanese had reached Kowloon, as it was in full view.

    We worked hard on this job all day – it was shelled on several occasions but nothing came alarmingly near us.  We moved all the cartridges to Shouson Hill magazine, so they were again all in one place.  The six inch batteries were scattered all over the island so I should have thought it practical to have taken a few loads to each.

    That night we made another trip to Stanley, and had cleared Shouson Hill magazine of all 9.2 land directional shells.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Harry Ching's wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Church services had a more than normally solemn atmosphere. There were heavy artillery exchanges throughout the day. There were signs that services were breaking down, and anxiety was expressed about the water supply. Supply is rationed and people are urged to conserve. The scavenging service is failing, and garbage is piling up everywhere in the streets where ever-individualistic householders are dumping it. Much of the Island is without flush closets, and the bucket removal service is made impossible by shelling in daylight and black-out at night. People are told to burn their rubbish and bury what will not burn. Thefts are increasing. Destitute and hungry laan tsai are snatching food in the streets.

    There is still a shortage of currency, so Chinese notes got from the Bank of China were overprinted - HK$1 on Chinese $5. The food kitchens are functioning well, but serving only 100,000 people of a population of a million. Many rice shops have not obeyed the command to reopen, pleading no transport to deliver their supplies to them. The Government began selling rice from its stores, and free distribution to the poor was begun. The chemists were requested especially to resume trading. Other shops are open, doing a cautious business through their door grilles or portholes in their shutters. The fear of looters is intensifying.

    The Government requisitioned all motor-cars, and private motoring has ceased. The shelling increased, the Naval Dockyard and battle headquarters area above it receiving much of the attention. It is now difficult to reach town through the barracks area, and I am permitted to remain at home and work by telephone.

  • 14 Dec 1941, South China Morning Post

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941
    Hong Kong-Newsprint-SCMP-14 December 1941-pg1.jpg
    Hong Kong-Newsprint-SCMP-14 December 1941-pg2.jpg
    Hong Kong-Newsprint-SCMP-14 December 1941-pg3.jpg
    Hong Kong-Newsprint-SCMP-14 December 1941-pg4.jpg

     

  • 14 Dec 1941, Father Biotteau's wartime diary

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941
    ((Original text)) ((Jill Fell's translation))
    Le grand chambardement commence. Bombardement intense et prolongé sur Mount Davis par de grosses pièces d’artillerie. Extérieurement le fort n’a pas l’air de s’en porter plus mal. Cependant à notre grande surprise, il ne répond presque pas. Les bombardiers commencent eux aussi – d’ordinaire par groupes de 3 – à survoler l’île et, çà et là, à lâcher leurs bombes qui éclatent avec un bruit terrible. The great upheaval begins. Intense and prolonged bombardment on Mount Davis by heavy artillery.  To all outward appearances the fort doesn’t seem to be coming off worse. However, to our great surprise, it hardly responds. The bombers are also beginning to overfly the island – usually in groups of 3 – and, here and there, to drop their bombs, which explode with a terrible noise.
  • 14 Dec 1941, In Time of War

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Fairly quiet forenoon. Went up at daylight.

    Several alerts p.m. 9 planes bombed up behind Mount Kellett and 4 bombs later in [...] and market. Oil store fire got under control.

    [Bevis sinking river steamers and block ships.] Went up at 5.45. News from Claire that Day and others OK at Kow. Hosp.

    APVs shot up and rammed junks coming from Lamma.

    Potato Jones killed. Royal Scots stayed in dugouts at night and were bombed. Indians did very well. MTB [rating] in [skimmer] to get Chinese girl shot up  [Pic's] master lost leg.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Additional notes

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    On Sunday 14th December there came an urgent message from General Maltby for the setting up of a fortress observation post on the north face of the Peak which could dominate the mainland.  Information regarding the movements of the enemy was vital and the post came under the direct control of General Maltby himself and his GSO1.

    ((Source - a dramatization of the history of the Hong Kong Volunteers, which was broadcast over Radio Hong Kong on 31st May 1954 as part of the HKVDC Centenary Celebrations))

  • 14 Dec 1941, W J Carrie's wartime diary

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    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Well Darling it is very difficult to think of this as a Sunday – for we have had our first taste of blitz.  Reports have been very slow in coming in and so I fear that it means buildings down and nobody  knows what the casualties are.

    But I’ve had a very busy day.  We had a quiet night but I didn’t sleep very well because I was worrying and thinking all the time.  I felt that my organisation was breaking down.  The whole Chinese civilian population is skulking in basements and in the tunnels we built costing millions  - and refusing to do any work.  Of course my men, scavengers and so forth drawn from the lowest strata of life are just the same.  I can’t get a job done.  It’s amazing what a bolster to morale a steel helmet is  - though actually I think they are of very little use. Well eventually I had a big confab with Macleod, Pope and the Chief Inspectors – Septic wasn’t there but we fixed up everything.  I won’t go into details.  So tonight though there is no more organisation really in existence yet I feel much happier for I know the beginnings are well laid.

    I’m beginning to draw rations too – I got chow today without paying for it!

    And this is a good job I have done today – I have scrounged a car – a beautiful Plymouth - belonging to Dr T.Y Li.  It is now mine for the duration.  The only difficulty is that it has the new gear change with the handle on the steering wheel shaft.  I’m not into it yet but I’ll learn.  Still even motoring won’t be easy soon.  The Central Police Station was heavily bombed today and there is a big crater at the top of “Old Bailey” in Caine Road.  I got past it and then at Magazine Gap there were 3 small craters but I negotiated them and so home.

    Bertie is home – 2 fingers lost but otherwise not so bad.  I am glad he has come off pretty lightly.  I don‘t quite understand how it happened yet - Dora is rather incoherent these days.

    Well Honey -  I am sure when you get this scribble you won’t be in any way critical of the culprit -  so I’ll shut down now.

    I am still terribly stiff and sore from my walk down the Peak – I was a mutt - why didn’t I ring for a car and wait?  But I wanted to get down quickly.

    So Goodnight Loved One.     BB

  • 14 Dec 1941, Colin McEwan Diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    During the morning Mike and Tai having to go out to H.Q. I spent the time at Punjabi H.Q. I just returned from there to find a telephone call to report back to meet Tai who drove me up to the Middlesex H.Q. in Leighton Hill. (Mike O’Conner’s house) Evidently a ship lying off Taikoo Docks – M’sex area – had been boarded by an observation party of Japs. and, for some reason, never clearly defined, shell fire could not be brought to bear on it. Here was our chance to try out our “toys” and by some curious twist this problem was the very one set me during our training course. Time, however, was short. The “toys” had to be made ready and no reconnaissance had been carried out nor indeed had we identified our object.

    At Taikoo things happened with a rush. Contacting Chris Mann who was in command of that special area we reached the docks – a strange contrast from their usual appearance – quiet and deserted. No one seemed to know the exact position of either ship or the pill boxes which were our reference points. This was later partially explained by the fact that the M’sex had only newly occupied them but, after searching and help from the dock people, a few of whom were around, we established her position. Back at H.Q. Tai and I set off for Ah King’s to find some kind of boat and luckily almost at once discovered a small yacht dinghy and two sawn off paddles. When we had this transported back Mike had the first toy ready and as soon as No.2 was ready we fed and at 21.00 hrs – when the tide was turning – we slipt out to the Ritz (this replaces ‘lido’) launched the dinghy and immediately realised something we had overlooked – the phosphorescent light caused by movement in the water. Still it was too late to worry now and with a queer feeling in the pit of my stomach I stepped in beside Mike and off we went.

    Tai remained to give directions and control the M.G. fire which was, if possible, to divert attention from us and keep the Jap. heads down as we approached. ((Footnote here referring to Sheet 14 (?) but the original Sheet 14 gives no clues: looks like Vickers a/q – Tarhard(?) – no way of digging/dragging 1’4 (?) feet/feel with a Currets(?) tool/loop – possibly concerning position of covering fire?)) Later we were to learn that the guns were mounted on concrete but, luckily for any peace of mind we had, this was not known to us. Incidentally how Tai ever guessed his times and distances for fire will remain a problem for me since obviously no cut and dried timetable could be arranged and the soldiers would give no guarantee of real accuracy. Paddling out proved a beast of a job. The tide was running like the devil. We did not want to paddle too forcefully on account of the phosphorous in the water but had to counteract the tide. The night which previously had seemed dark, now to my eyes, seemed bright as daylight  and we seemd about the size of a battle cruiser.

    Suddenly a burst of M.G. fire went over our heads and it was a moment before I realised it was our own fire and from then to our first bearing, another ship which was on fire, the odd burst kept coming at irregular intervals. The blazing ship spread a lurid glow over the water  and, unluckily for us, the wind kept blowing the smoke away from us. We were however getting nearer but by a mistake in our judgement of tide we found ourselves about 200 yards astern of our target and tide against us. So paddle we had to and maskee noise and to add to our discomfort a light kept appearing at intervals on the Jap. Shore. My mind was full of ideas – the Japs. might be relieving their post – perhaps at that moment one of them was sitting in the stern with an automatic laid on us (later Mike said his idea was some one with a grenade) and I kept wondering what it felt like to have a burst hit us and queerly enough drew comfort from the fact that the fire would probably set off the “toys” and let us out quickly. About 100 yards astern there came a burst of fire – ours – hitting the superstructure of the ship, our paddling became furious and under the stars we slid safe, at least for the moment.

    We hung on to the sternpost and took our bearings. We could hear faint voices above but no undue noise and noticed a large lifeboat attached to the gangway on the port side. Using it we pulled ourselves round the port side and reached a point about ¼ way up the ship. I slipt over the side and thought at first it wasn’t cold. In a minute though the water soaked through my clothing and “Wow” was it cold! Taking the first toy I sank down to get depth and “slap” on it went and with it most of the skin from the tips of my fingers on the barnacles. When I came in the tide had swept me nearly to the sternpost but by means of the lifeboat I pulled myself back up. Putting the second one on was slightly more difficult as we wanted to make absolutely sure. I was afraid that the barnacles would deaden the magnetic attraction and when it was on tried to pull it off but luckily it proved all we had been taught it was and behaved like its name. It is peculiar how the mind works since as I was coming up I found myself admiring the phosphorescent bubbles coming out of my battle pants. Once in the dinghy again our problem was to get away. We let her drift down stream and now our or rather my feeling was what it would feel like to have a burst in the back. Once clear, our spirits rose and, apart from one scare when we fancied we saw another small boat, we paddled back speedily and as Dai (Tai?)said later our last 100 yards was a procession. Getting ashore and a large tot of rum revived me considerably and I began to feel like carrying out our second job of attending to some of our prominent fifth columnists. ((There is another footnote here which says ’Cut the lifeboat clear’)) This however was postponed and after a change of clothes we hopped home where Betty, as always, was waiting with her ever welcome hot coffee.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Major John Monro MC RA diary of the Battle of Hong Kong

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Last night there was a false alarm that the Japs had landed.  It arose in this way.  It was decided to bring over all the explosives, chiefly dynamite, from the government Magazine on Green Island.  The navy arranged to send a launch to fetch it last night, and the pillboxes along the Praya were warned about it.  However the navy instead of sending one of the little launches which used to operate between the dockyard and Stonecutters and which is the average troop’s mental picture of a launch, and which individually would have been much too small, sent a ferry.  About midnight, on its way back, it was spotted by one of the pillboxes, the troops of which seeing a ferry approaching the island supposed that the Japs were attempting a landing and opened fire.  The ferry detonated with a colossal explosion and a panic seems to have started amongst the pillboxes along the Praya.

    I was asleep at Courtlands at the time and even slept through the explosion.  Someone woke me up and called me to the telephone. Bramble was at the other end. “The Japs have landed” he said, “come down to H.Q at once”. Courtlands was one of the H.Q messes. I thought that probably quite a number of officers were sleeping there and it would be hardly fair to leave them all unsuspecting if the Japs had landed so I woke them up.  As I went round two civilians, a man and a woman, sitting in the passage, heard me.  The woman gave a gasp, clutched my arm and whispered “God bless you”.  What a grim lookout there is for them.  Still, in many ways it’s their own fault, they would not obey the evacuation order.

    As soon as every one was ready I led them down to H.Q.  The harbour was lit by the blaze from the burning godowns (warehouses) in Kowloon.  The water was calm with scarcely a ripple, except for the intermittent surge of a machine gun fire in the distance, all seemed quiet.  On our way down we met not a soul.  The Battle Box was packed with people in a great state of excitement.  The C.R.A seized on me “Did you see anything on the way down?  Any boats coming across?”  I told him that I had seen nothing and that I had had a good view of the harbour.  “I bet it is a false alarm” he said.  Then Peffers got hold of me and I volunteered to go on a patrol to find out really what was happening.  Ian Macgregor the A.D.C and a small party of military police came with me.  We went down to Queen’s building then along to the club where we were challenged by a party of the Punjab Regiment, then along the Praya keeping to the arcade in front of the shops, to a point about ¼ of a mile west of the Fire Station.  Every window in the place seemed to have been completely shattered.  The road is a mass of broken glass.  We met a mobile patrol of police but of the Japs there was no sign.  We came back via Des Voeux Road to the club from where after waking up the cooly in charge of the telephone I reported to H.Q.  So ended the great Dynamite Flap.

  • 14 Dec 1941, Lt. L D KILBEE HKRNVR WAR DIARY Dec 1941

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 14 Dec 1941

    Felt refreshed after several hours sleep.

    Spend morning ascertaining damage — seems certain only bent prop and possibly shaft, however, can't do anything until No.11 comes off the slip. Most annoying a sheer waste of time.

    Went up to the office and had tiffin in the school. Not very good - they don't seem keen to dish out too much food - why!? God only knows - the storeroom is crammed full of the stuff.

    Just before sunset, enemy plane diving low over the dock dropped a  bomb which landed in the boat yard on the West side oi Aberdeen dock -Immediately setting a junk on fire, which burned for some quite considerable time. At the time we had five boats lying all together at the end of the dock – (they were just about to move out as striking  force).

    Everyone was handy and in no time all guns were blazing away at the plane. We were certain the bullets were going into him - one could follow the tracers right into the plane. He seemed to wobble and lose altitude disappearing over Applichau in a South Easterly direction when we lost sight of him.

    Later that night it was reported that an enemy plane was seen  to crash in our vicinity. One up to the M.T.B.'s!

    We claimed having got him (subsequently there seemed to be some  doubt as to whether a plane had been seen to crash - I was never able  to get anything definite on this).

    The C.O. gave me leave for the night so that I could get away  and see my wife. She and the baby were often in my thoughts these days, and occasionally I had been able to phone through to her and hear all was well.

    Tommy was given leave too, and very Kindly gave me a lift in his father's car as far as Magazine Gap. (His father was driving).

    Dropped into the house - found the boy there very worried and wondering what it was all about. Called at the War Memorial Hospital and found out Evelyn was staying in the Government Flats just a few blocks away.

    At last found her - full of life and very cheery. Had a fine supper - felt very embarrassed among so many women however the dim lights helped no end .

    They were all most anxious to know how the war was going - I of course could not tell them anything - except to reassure one and all that everything was going along fine.

    Stanley was shelling the mainland that night and the whine of the shells as they passed over The Peak was most eerie.

    Had a grand night. Sleep followed by a hot bath - and fully refreshed - said good bye and returned to the base.

    I was most surprised at the cheeriness of our women folk - they were having a pretty nasty job - a job some of them had never had to do before - and they were doing it 100% plus. Later on they  were right in the front line so to speak and put up a fine show - there was nothing but praise for the fine work done by the A.N.S. and V.A.D.s.

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