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.
  • 1 Nov 1942, Barbara Anslow's diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    Rumours of more bombing, and of parcels coming in on Tuesday - let's hope so!

    Betty Drown ((in room next to ours)) wasn't going to play tonight (she has a temperature) but when Mum told her Mabel was going out of hospital to hear her, she did play.  

    Choir sounded nice at church.  

    Mabel felt dizzy again yesterday, and today before she went to hear music.  

    Meat cake today.

  • 1 Nov 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    All quiet, no raids or news.

    All short wave radios prohibited by Japs.

  • 1 Nov 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    The Maryknoll Fathers have been released from Stanley and are living in Bethany:

    (Today) the Japanese government issued orders that all shortwave radio sets must be turned in to be sealed, after which they would be returned to their owners. At that time there was no radio at Bethany, but we listened to a neighbouring one, the owner of which kindly opening his door wide and turning up the radio strong. After the first we still heard the radio news but from other sources.

    These 'other sources' might have been short-wave radios kept hidden, or radios that had been 'castrated' (the popular name for being 'sealed' to prevent reception of the BBC or American stations) but whose owners possessed a device for restoring full capacity. Almost everybody in occupied Hong Kong was desperate for accurate news of the war, and the operation of short-wave radios doesn't seem to have been a major issue for the authorities until June, 1944 when some people suffered dreadfully for forbidden listening.

    Source:

    The Maryknoll Diary, 'November' (1942)

     

  • 01 Nov 1942, Eric MacNider's wartime diary

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    (Rose) / Alton

  • 01 Nov 1942, WW2 Air Raids over Hong Kong & South China

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    OBJECTIVE: Secret interception mission in vicinity of Hong Kong and Canton

    TIME OVER TARGET: ~11:20 a.m.

    AMERICAN UNITS AND AIRCRAFT:  Three P-40E1 from 16th Fighter Squadron (23rd Fighter Group, China Air Task Force, 10th Air Force)

    AMERICAN PILOTS AND AIRCREW: 1st Lt. Dallas A. Clinger; 2nd Lt. Walter E. Lacy

    ORDNANCE EXPENDED: None

    RESULTS: Anticipated enemy aircraft did not appear

    JAPANESE UNITS, AIRCRAFT, AND PILOTS: None

    AIRCRAFT LOSSES: None

    SOURCES: Original mission reports in the Air Force Historical Research Agency archives at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama

    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).

     

     

  • 01 Nov 1942, W J Carrie's wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Sun, 1 Nov 1942

    Another new month. I didn't write last week as I was disappointed - the blood count was no better despite my injection. I had another then and this time it was sore - very sore and ached all Saturday night and Sunday. This week the blood count is up to 3,340,000 with Haemoglobin a good 7%+. I'm to stay on the Diet Kitchen for another week. I didn't have another injection as Smalley thinks they haven't had their full effect yet.

    The offensive has started at last - last Sunday night the planes came for the first time. I saw nothing but lots of people saw the fireworks - "flaming onions" etc. But we all saw them on Monday - we hear they have completely knocked out Taikoo Docks and slipways which were captured intact. So now we are hopeful that the end is in sight.

    We have 2 other items of good cheer - we each got H$26 from the British Residents Assoc. of Shanghai the other day (I had to pay out to all our lot being Treasurer for the "Indian Quarters" and I had to handle H$12,500.) Then Comfort Parcels are on their way and we may get them tomorrow - we hear they are full of good "eats".

    Well I have to go to attend to my washing so goodnight.

    AIAW. Billie

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