Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong: View pages

There is not much news available tho' repatriation has reared its head again and there are great hopes when the Teia Meru does her next exchange voyage which should be about early December.

The latest information is mysterious being that the next exchange will be entirely different from that which was expected. Now what that means I Dinnae ken, tho' it is being interpreted in many ways, one being that the women that didn't go in 1940 wont get this time either and accordingly more men will get away. Well we'll see in due course.

Time is tearing on and our stay here seems to be going to be long and not very much hope of getting any improvement in the chow rations which are very poor and with the colder weather coming in most are having to tighten their belts except of course those with plenty of money who are able to buy locally at the canteen.

I'm hoping that more letters will come this way soon. I am keeping very fit and well and having plenty to do has a lot to do with my fitness. I weigh round about 11stone.

Tonight I received two glorious and loving letters of 29th Nov and 13th Dec 1942 and its grand to know that you were fit and well and getting on all right. Letters a year old are the usual thing but I am fortunate in comparison with some internees who have either never received a letter or like G. Rodger who has only received one from his wife and that was dated over 18 months ago. Actually your 5th January letter I received on the 26th August, 2 1/2 months ago.

We received terrible news on Tuesday 2nd November when a bulletin was issued by Mr Gimson Camp Commandant that he had been officially informed by the Jap Authorities that the following internees who were arrested some time ago had been executed: Messers Fraser, Scott, Hall, Bradley, Rees, Waterton and Hyde and that prison sentences were given to W.J.Anderson (Andy), J.L.Anderson and F.Roberts 15 years each and Edmonston 10 years.

It was a terrific shock to everyone and the whole camp was depressed, we are not allowed to hold memorial services for these poor chaps. They were shot on the 29th October Friday not far from here.

Tonight I received your loving and glorious letter of 6th December 1942 and it is grand and fine to know that you were keeping cheery and well. It was very pleasing and cheerful to me to know that Phil Hermon had written you about me and the others. Your letter was so newsy and for it I thank you. I wish we were able to write as much as you are allowed to. We haven't been able to write you since 30/9/43 but when the next repatriates go, we are hopeful of being allowed to write again.

Last night Monday we had our first night air raid and oh boy it was great to see in the moonlight our lads doing their stuff and sailing over Hong Kong with complete nonchalance and disregard for ack ack. Then today they came over again and showed the nips a thing or two, but again there was no opposition to them and this rather belittles their tales of how they chase our chaps out of the sky. Our lads dropped heavy calibre bombs and were off quite quickly. The help to the Chinese morale must be wonderful.

Because of this we are now having blackouts from 6.30pm on Monday 22nd November.

Tonight I received your letter of 13th September 1942 written in Montreal and post marked Sydney, Nova Scotia which was when you were on your way home. It was most interesting dearest to hear your news. Thanks for all your love and thoughts.

700 repatriates are expected to leave sometime next month, war widows, women with children, men with children, old people over 70 and the very sick. Well I can't be included in any of these categories.

This afternoon I received three loving and glorious letters from you dated 27th December '42, 12th January '43 from Glasgow and 31st January '43 from Inverness and I am so glad that you are liking the Northern town so much.

I wonder what kind of a job you have there however it is fine to know that you are well and keeping cheerful, your letters are very encouraging and so helpful along this dreary road, which is becoming wearisome. Nevertheless we keep cheery and tho' the food is poor and small we live in the hope that very soon happier days will come our way soon.

Thanks a lot for all your news dear and I hope that long before you have received some from me and heard about me from the repatriated Canadians (Bill Buchannan through' Mrs Finnie).

Last night when D.B.B. and I were at J.F.'s he gave me Yen to pay out to the staff at the rate of 15Yen each. I knew of course about this a little time ago but we kept it a secret from the staff that is as best we could but C.C.R. had to talk and spoil things. However everyone was very grateful and I was joyfully received and a welcome visitor.

Actually this is the commencement of a much brighter Christmas than we had expected as things were looking very black for us all with no prospects of money or allowance.

The start of another year and still here, but we are more hopeful of release than we have ever been. We are moving rapidly on all fronts and this we gather from the meagre news that is in the daily rag and reading between the lines sort of thing. At any rate we feel more confident that our day of freedom is not so far distant now.

The chow put on by the kitchen was quite good considering the small and poor rations we get, however to supplement we made another pie of corn mutton and vegetables and has helped to fill the empty places.

I received three small parcels from Lo Fung I, Lam Chang Wei and Mei Lee Ironworks and these were very acceptable and helped to replenish our impoverished stocks. There is still no further news of repatriation, but continue to hope.

Our 23rd Anniversary and I fell very confident that this will be the last one that will be separated. At any rate we live in great hope as the news at the moment is said to be great.

I am writing my 25 word postcard for you today. I look forward with great keenness and longingly to our happy day of reunion which of course can't come too soon for us. I hope you keep well.

Well I entered the hospital on Sunday evening and on Monday forenoon proceeded to the operating room where I was given a general by Dr Bennett, Prof Digby and Dr Kirk were there. Well I passed out under the anaesthetic and came to later in the day back in my bed. I felt all right and I wasn't sick but later in the evening I was given a morphine injection and in the early hours of the morning I became violently sick and felt like as if the end had come. Everything went black, I became hot and cold all over but a dose of something and I felt better and slept until morning. I managed to get rid of most of the chloroform when I was sick. However I'm feeling all right and have a big iron cage over my legs.

There are nine of us in the surgical ward and very cheery tho' unfortunately there is a blackout which makes the dark evenings so long. My toe-nail has only partially been removed, only a strip having been taken away but the bed has been removed which is the main thing. Three stitches were inserted and these I expect will be cut on or about Saturday and I should therefore be out the following Saturday. I feel all right tho' the bed I'm in is very lumpy. I'll get a change when one of the others go out.

Today shortly after one o'clock I left the Tweed Bay Hospital. N.M. and H.S. came down and carried most of my stuff as of course one has to take blankets and pillows and mintoy as well as personal things including tea, bread and any other eatables. In other words the hospital provides a bed only.

I feel all right with little or no pain in my toe. I go to see Digby again on Tuesday. I'm glad to get back to my room in the block as the chow in hospital was very poor.

Things go on as usual in this place and with the weather being so cold one is always hungry, so that will be beneficial in that respect when the warmer weather arrives.

There is nothing much to report as regards our rations, tho' the vegetables we are receiving have improved slightly in quality and quantity, but we are receiving fish every day and so one missed beef. To give us the necessary fats and of course the loss of the flour for bread is a serious business for us.

However it gives us the assurance that all is going well with our cause when the Japs cannot replenish stocks. Our blockade of the coast is therefore hot stuff. The Jap Governor has told the people of Hong Kong that if there is no rice they must eat sweet potatoes and if no potatoes then they must eat beans. What was it that Marie Antoinette said 'What do the people want' 'Bread' ' Well give them bread' 'There is not any bread' 'Well give them cake'? I'm glad to say that I am keeping all right and back to normal again, my weight being 150lbs but I feel we (men) will get lighter still on this diet.

We had an air raid on Friday afternoon and the Japs say that we lost 4 planes, but the true story is that they lost 1 plane and that we did a lot of damage to the troop movements in Kings Park.

Tomorrow we are to receive a ??? from the canteen profits of 1/4lb of brown sugar which will be very welcome. The block elections take place next week and I hope to stand again.