16 Jul 1945, Barbara Anslow's diary

Pacifist meeting in evening - only Audrey, Charles, Father and myself.

Rumours in abundance:-

• 1900 Allied planes over Japan, 30 downed.
• Russia has taken over Red Cross.
• Foodship is coing here (within 24 hours!!) - American parcels.
• We are to go to England via Vladivostock.
• We are to go to Manila (a) direct, or (b) via Macau where we will be transhipped.
• We will receive 4,000 Yen apiece for ill-treatment from the Japs.

We cling to the repatriation rumours and the parcel ones: re the latter, argument is that the Americans can now dictate because they have Japanese prisoners in the Philippine Islands. ((We internees did in fact (about 2002) receive £10,000 each compensation, less £1,000 each to cover cost of negotiations by a postwar society which had been pushing for compensation for years.))

Feeling sickish and unhungry.