21 Jul 1943, Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong

My weight last Sunday was 159lbs which is the lowest I've been for over a year. Of course rations are low in everything that is rice, flour, beef, fish and very poor quality of vegetables such as water spinach which is only lepsop ((Chinese for "rubbish")), grass, fit for chickens and rabbits etc. and now that private parcels coming in have been stopped that reduces any extras. Fortunately we are able to buy bananas at 15sen each which help our --- and bread. A food ship at the present juncture is desirable and would be joyfully welcomed.

However we live in hope and trust that repatriation is not far away. The Canadians were called up yesterday and asked if they would definitely go should the opportunity for them to be repatriated arose. That is pukka, Canadians along with the few remaining Americans totally 64 in all. Rumours are flying about the place regarding repatriation and if all that is said is true well the ship is just round the corner. Lets hope it is.

We are to be allowed to write a 200 word letter with the closing date on Monday. Actually it is difficult to say very much as we are tied down so with restrictions of all kinds, must not write about repatriation, conditions in the camp, food, no double meanings, no mention of loss in weight and so on. However a letter is something in these times and I hope you receive them all right.

I always go to the lecture on Commercial Law given by H.C.Macnamara on Wednesday afternoons. We still go for our usual walk round the camp with half an hours talk seated on a rock somewhere. As usual we go to J.Fs' on Saturday evening. 

There isn't very much news coming into the camp these days, so our source of bamboo wireless has dried up. No coolies are allowed into the camp on the ration lorry and so no news from their quarter and nothing comes through' the wires, but we get a little from the newspaper and the Sicilian news is very good.