24 Nov 1945, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Major W. G. E. Eggleton, Government Biochemist and Adviser in Nutrition, sums up part of the experience of the Chinese majority during the occupation, and shows some of the new spirit. He told the China Mail:

Nutritionally the people of Hong Kong suffered greatly under the Japanese, especially during the last six months of the occupation when all essential services were becoming increasingly disorganised.

He continued:

Under the Japanese the daily rice ration was restricted to 6.4 taels (eight and a half ounces) per person,whereas the average Chinese needs twice this amount. There was also a great shortage of vegetables, meat and fish due to lack of transportation.

High prices, due among other causes to a lack of confidence in a spurious currency, placed many essential articles of food out of the reach of honest people with modest means.

During the last two months ((since British re-occupation)) however, the food situation in the Colony has steadily improved, largely as a result of the Government's enlightened policy of price control, and relief for those in distress...No small contribution has been made by the various public charity and relief organisations.

Then he raises perhaps the most important question facing liberated Hong Mong:

Soon we shall be back to pre-war conditions. But are we to stop there? Were pre-war conditions good enough? Did all have enough to eat? There are few in this Colony to-day (sic) who believe that to attain pre-war conditions should be our goal. What else then can be done to help secure a lasting improvement in the Colony's standard of nutrition?

Eggleton goes on to tell the story of the head of a small Government Department who, finding his staff too weak to work a full day, forbade any he forbade heavy lifting, stipulated ten minutes rest every hour and fed supplemented their food and that of their dependants (to the number if 24) out of his own pocket.

Eggleton is right to praise the Chinese charities. In the early days of re-occupation, the charities, which had been hard at work at the end of Japanese rule, 'played a key role in distributing such food as the BMA managed to bring in to Hong Kong', leading David MacDougall to remark that in their 'long and honourable history...(they had) never given better service than now'.

Sources:

Eggleton: China Mail, November 24, 1945, page 2

Charities: Philip Snow, The Fall of Hong Kong, 2003, 280