21 - 22 Dec 1941, Barbara Anslow's diary | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

21 - 22 Dec 1941, Barbara Anslow's diary

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Submitted by Barbara Anslow on Mon, 2016-03-14 20:41
Book / Document: 
Barbara Anslow's diary
Date(s) of events described: 
Sun, 21 Dec 1941 to Mon, 22 Dec 1941

I went to Confession at French Mission building at top of Battery Path – a young Irish priest stopped me (and others passing) and asked if I was RC and would I like to go to Confession.  Inside on ground floor a priest was hearing confessions.  Because Holy Communion would not be given immediately, I left without receiving it.  Olive and I had exchanged tin helmets on account of size difficulties.  I now felt horribly conspicuous in a red steel one.

Marjorie Cook and I had one big row over water.  There was none in the taps ((Japs had turned reservoirs off)).  One day she ushered a coolie into our room carrying two kerosene tins full of water; she announced she was going to use it all herself.  I called her a selfish bitch ((first time I used that noun.))

In the tunnel Peggy was always getting presents of chocolates etc.  I was very jealous.  Then one morning Mr Manning of ARP staff brought me one dozen 4 oz packets of Cadbury's milk chocolate – he said he had heaps in his firm's godown ((store)).  I ate one on the spot, gave one each to Mrs Bebbington and Mrs Pryde in Dina House, put six aside to send to Mum.  Got the 6 bars sent to Mum via Olive, who wouldn't have any of it herself.

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Submitted by jill on Tue, 2016-03-15 04:42.

Barbara - I'm delighted that David has persuaded you tell this story of my father's (half-) cousin Marjorie Cook and 'her' water on Gwulo. I believe you originally told me that your delight in seeing the water - were there several of you sharing the room? - turned to ashes, when Marjorie announced: "This is all for me!" I'm interested to know that Marjorie had contacts in town who could send her water to the Dina Hotel. Is that how she would have obtained it? - or was she free to go out and buy it herself? I was also relieved to hear that she ended up sharing the water after all and that you made things up. 

Jill

Submitted by jill on Tue, 2016-04-05 00:11.

Barbara answered my query about how Marjorie Cook obtained her water as follows:

"I don't know where Marjorie got that water.  Almost certainly she could speak Cantonese, and probably just asked around in the town.  This was while the HK battle was still raging, so we were free to come and go, I used to walk from Dina House every day to my job in the tunnel beneath Govt House.  
 
 It was only when the war was over, and the Japanese had taken over the city that after a few days we were not allowed to leave our billets (we had to vacate Dina house on 28th Dec when Jap officers came in and took it over , so we were all sent to the Tai Koon Hotel on Des Voeux rd.  we stayed in that hotel until 21st Jan when we were taken to Stanley by boat.

Despite row with Marjorie, she was very kindly towards me when we had to share a cubicle - and the bed.  I think she was trying to advise me not to trust men!"
 
(Marjorie's marriage had broken up and she had given her baby daughter into the care of her sister and brother-in-law, Iris and Cyril Gaby. They were posted in Amoy where Marjorie was easily able to visit her daughter. In fact Greg Leck's entry for Marjorie in his record of Stanley inmates wrongly gives her as having been interned from Amoy, according to an official file.)