Emily Kate BROOKS (née FRANCIS) [1882-1960]

Emily Kate Brooks, the mother of Doris MacPherson (nee Brooks),  and Roland Henry John Brooks (aka Ron) was interned at Stanley camp - with both Ron and Doris. Emily was the wife of Henry Tom Brooks; in 1922 he was appointed as Superintendent of the Fire Brigade in HK with the task of modernizing the Fire Brigade. He arrived from London with Emily and their two children and initially they resided at the Kowloon Fire Station.  When the new Central Fire Station in Des Voeux Road, Hong Kong, was completed the family moved to live there. Emily returned to Devon, England, in 1937 when her husband retired from the Fire Services. However, when he died in 1940 she returned to HK.

Unfortunately, she ignored her son's advice not to return to HK and was caught in the Japanese occupation in 1941. All three, plus Duncan MacPherson, her daughter's husband, were interned in Stanley for the duration of the war. All survived.  Her home had been ransacked by the Japanese and she lost all her possessions.  Emily left HK with her son's family in late 1955 to live in New Zealand. She died in Tauranga in 1960. Emily had lived in HK for 34 years.