15 Dec 1941, A. H. Potts' wartime diary

Stanley and Mount Davis were still requiring shells the next day, and as the remaining ones were stored at Lyemun it was decided the Ammunition Column should move to Happy Valley which was much more conveniently situated;  so we set off for our new quarters that after noon (15th) and settled down before starting off on our all night job.

We found Capt. Wiseman in charge of the small pool at Happy Valley and attached ourselves to him for rations, but I arranged for my men to sleep in one of the private boxes so that they would be undisturbed.  Major Grieve was also there in charge of coolie labour, his command of 12th Co. RASC having been transferred to Major Dewer.  Lt. Gidley was still living in the stables with his coolies.

On arrival I received a message that I was not to take 9.2 shells to Stanley and Mount Davis, but was to assist in the clearing of some ten thousand six inch shells from Lyemun magazine which were to be taken to the various six inch batteries.  Some of these batteries were up the Peak which can only be reached by a road on the north side of the island facing Kowloon, and the Japanese were already registering on this road at Wanchai and Magazine Gaps.

There were other six inch batteries at Mount Parker, Red Hill, Stanley and Mount Davis.

Apparently they all needed shells and we were told this job was to be worked on till completed.  I felt rather upset as I had promised Stanley I would be back with more 9.2 shells for them, and I knew how eagerly they awaited my arrival.  Stanley had nicknamed me their ‘Fairy Godmother’ and I felt sad to think I should not be able to visit them with my welcome loads.

Sergt. Barman RA arrived at the Valley at dusk and informed me I was assisting him in the clearance of the six inch shells.

We set off for Lyemun shortly after dusk on the night of 15th.  I had been told that Kings Road had been badly shelled all day and that we were likely to encounter difficulties with the Tramway overhead cable, which had been shot down in several places, but that we should probably find it alright as gangs had been instructed to clear it away.  I was also told the military road leading from Shaukiwan Hill up to Lyemun barracks had received two direct hits from bombs, and it could not be repaired till the next day, so I was to use all caution whilst ascending and descending.

So we set off fully prepared for an exciting evening.  On reaching Kings Road we found it very cut up by small shell craters, and after proceeding about a mile I felt my car run over some cable.  Fortunately it did not twist round my axle, and I proceeded at a snail’s pace.  Soon I was passing lorries which were tied up in the cable and then I heard the honking of my leading lorry’s horn.  I stopped and got out to find it tied up in the cable and the lorry which was following had run its bonnet under the tailboard and was firmly wedged.

Whilst we were working to extricate them, Sergt. Barman arrived and said we were to return to Happy Valley immediately, as an attempted landing was taking place at Lyemun and it was impossible to get near the magazines.

We turned our remaining two lorries round and my car, and proceeded back to the Valley, but on arrival there we decided that if we got a metal saw or some big wire cutters we should have time to go back to Kings Road and rescue our other two lorries.

We went to the workshop which was located in the Hongkong Hotel garage and procured a saw and a pair of cutters.  When we got back to Kings Road we saw many more lorries tied up in the cable.  The roadway was lit up by two huge fires on the Kowloon side, so we had plenty of light by which to work, and in a short time had got our two lorries cut out and also one belonging to the Royal Scots.

We cleared the roadway of some two hundred yards of wire and then returned with our two lorries and our prize to Happy Valley.

Nothing further eventuated that night;  the attempted landing apparently failed, the pillboxes along Kings Road up to Lyemun were at this time manned by the Royal Scots who I heard put up a fine show throughout the trouble.  They were moved to other positions the next day unfortunately.