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.
  • 20 Feb 1942, R. E. Jones Wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 20 Feb 1942

    Quiet day., no news no rumours. Food not so good again. Sugar $1 per lb. pre-war 65cts for 5lb. Chinese tobacco $2 per pkt. was 20cts.

    Colder.

  • 20 Feb 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 20 Feb 1942

    Volunteer R. E. Stott is sent from Tweed Bay Hospital in Stanley to St. Paul's Hospital ('the French Hospital') in Causeway Bay where the better food provided is expected to speed his recovery from a ruptured duodenal ulcer.

    He is planning an escape:

    Had I been able to do so I would have endeavoured to pass as Eurasian, but unfortunately was too well known by local enemy agents to succeed, Dr. Selwyn-Clarke listened intently but made no suggestions to help neither did he request me not to escape.

    See also entry for August 11, 1942

     

    Dr. J. B. Mackie manages to get into Argyle Street Camp to bring tinned food and tea for a friend there. He tells Isaac Newton about the Japanese response to the escape of Gordon King:

    The result was all passes practically were withdrawn and everything was tightened up, all the camps became cut off from visitors and news. All R. A. M. C. ((Royal Army Medical Corps)) officers had their passes withdrawn and most of the Civil M.O.s ((Medical Officers)) were interned in Stanley ((up to that point many members of the pre-war Health Department were carrying on their work)).

    Morris 'Two-Gun Cohen' starts the day still a prisoner of the Kempeitai. Since his interrogation (see Feb 11), he's provided them with an inaccurate written account of his activities with the Chinese Army, been beaten up without any attempt to ask him questions, and at one point been told by Rex Davis, who understands Japanese, that the two of them are to be beheaded.

    But today, much to his surprise, he's sent with the Special Branch prisoners (including Davis) back to Stanley. During the first part of their journey, they are suddenly bundled into a side street off Nathan Road: Rensuke Isogai, the new Military Governor of Hong Kong is arriving, and they are not thought worthy of looking at him.

    Sources:

    Stott: Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, entry for August 14, 1942

    Mackie's news: Isaac Newton, Diary, page 61

    Cohen: Charles Drage, The Life And Times Of General Two-Gun Cohen, 1954, 298-299

    Note: the date of February 20, 1942 for the arrival of  Lieutenant-General Isogai to assume the military Governorship of Hong Kong is given by John Luff in The Hidden Years (172). Philip Snow and Oliver Lindsay suggest slightly earlier and later dates respectively. Ramon Lavalle, the Argentianian Consul, in an affidavit of March 11, 1943 gives February 25.

    Note:

    Amazingly it is now possible for us to see something of what Cohen and the others were prevented from viewing; this link contains film of Rensuke Isogai arriving at Kai Tak, and of the Chinese procession that welcomed him:

    http://www.t3licensing.com/license/clip/750155_001.do

  • 20 Feb 1942, W J Carrie's wartime diary

    Book / Document: 
    Date(s) of events described: 
    Fri, 20 Feb 1942

    Dearest.  It is now 20/2/42 and I haven't written for nearly a week - but what is there to write about?   We have all sorts of troubles here but they will be all over by the time this reaches you so it seems useless  to mention them - they are mainly about food.  We had hoped to get a parcel today - I wrote at least 10 days ago asking one of the Inspectors to send me in some things -  I hear they are now coming - but not today!  Macleod and Valentine and most of the Inspectors are being sent in here next week we hear - I am not surprised.  I knew it would come in the end.

    I keep quite fit - my only worry is where you are and how you are.  I wish I knew and yet unless you are at Dacca perhaps it is just as well we don't know how each other is faring - it would just make us all  the more unhappy.  But we'll stick it out I am not quite so optimistic as I was - the fall of Singapore has altered the situation I'm afraid but we'll carry on.  Dora came in there an hour or so ago to pinch a sheet of this paper to write to Bertie!  She gave me a cig - I have about one a day from Dora - and she had a cup of tea!

    Well Cheero Darling.      Love.       B

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