29 Aug 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

A 'rainy, leaden, steamy day'.

At noon Harcourt's fleet catches its first sight of the 'storm-clouded island of Hong Kong'. Planes ('hell cats') are making regular sorties to protect the ships, but there is no opposition.

Commander Phillip 'Percy' Gick flies a reconnaissance plane over Hong Kong. He passes above the Camps twice; the first time they seem empty, but the second time large crowds wave at him.

The Canadian ship Prince Robert, part of Harcourt's fleet, anchors off Tamkan Island at about 1 p.m.

The US Air Force drop food and medical supplies into Stanley:

On the third run of the plane a package came down and a parachute opened. Everybody was dancing up and down. There was a great rush to Block 13 to open it. It contained medical supplies...People stated to fight over the parachute...15 parachutes came down...there were 40 cases.

American missionary Beth Nance had volunteered to  forego the repatriation of June 29/30, 1942, hoping to be of service. Today is Mrs Nance's birthday:

In the week of August 26, some friends of mine in Hong Kong who had not been interned, including Mrs. Koeppen, decided they were going to come celebrate my birthday, which was on the 29th. We were at the home of another family internee hosting this celebration....

During this friendly celebration reuniting with our Hong Kong friends, we heard the roar of a plane, and here came parachutes of treats landing on the lawn in front of our building. Of course, first they had to be opened and investigated to see what they were. The initial distribution took place, and it added quite a lot to the refreshments we were having.

Mrs Koeppen was a Russian refugee of German origin, and she and her husband had not been interned by the Japanese.

Telephone engineer Les Fisher leaves Shamshuipo to visit friends in Stanley:

The first thing which struck me was the gay colours of the women, and not having seen a female for nearly four years I was a little shy at their dress, or rather undress, which was very scanty, no doubt partly because it was a hot day. I thought they looked fairly well, but thin, likewise the children. Many of the men I hardly knew, and greying hair was much in evidence.

One of the friends he speaks to is his former room-mate James Anderson, who's recently returned from Canton where he was imprisoned for the last few months of the war:

He had lost 20 lbs and looked very thin but his humour was just the same.

R.A.O.C. man James O'Toole makes his second visit from Shamshuipo to Stanley ((see entry for August 22)):

Visit to Stanley saw Pilkington & some police friends. Parcels dropped by parachute, medical supplies and meal units, chocolate etc.....Saw Jim and Nan Moody also Mrs. Lancaster. Bill saw old Smyth. Saw ships on the horizon.

An Australian mine-sweeper is anchored just off Stanley Peninsula. A female internee swims out to it, and others follow. One of their number is horrified by the behaviour of some of these people:

They acted like a mob....(like a cloud of locusts) they gorged everything in sight. And what they couldn't stuff into themselves, they carried away.

This 'flock of vultures' breaks open the sailors' lockers and steals clothes, boots and personal possessions.

Sources:

First sight, hell cats: The Times, August 30, 4 

Glick, Minesweeper: Russell S. Clark, An End To Tears, 1946, 14, 16, 17, 18

Parachutes: George Wright-Nooth, Prisoner of the Turnip Heads, 1994, 250

Nance: http://bethnance.com/

Fisher: Les Fisher, I Will Remember, 1996, 239

O'Toole:  Diary of Staff-Sergeant James O'Toole:

http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/James_OToole/html/dairy_1945.htm

Note: 'Percy' Gick was later put in charge of suppressing the pirates who preyed on the ships bringing vital rice supplies to Hong Kong.