09 Dec 1941, W J Carrie's wartime diary

Darling - I talked a lot last night about our bombing but never thought you’d get any yet but I think it was a long way from Goodwood.  I hear the C.N.A.C. planes arrived and got away again last night so perhaps my letters will get through. T.G. [Thank God] I’ve abandoned the Clipper or my last letter would be at the bottom of Kowloon Bay!

Another pretty terrible day - what tires me is having to go into the Supreme Court when the alert goes, and hanging about there.  I’ll learn to sit still some day but at present I hang around and so get very tired. But we’re getting some of the [?snags] put away and I got 50 bags of rice for my coolies who were nearly starving  - rice shops have closed and restaurants have not been functioning properly.

When I got home - I found the blow had struck!  Hamilton - acting Auditor rang me up and said he was coming to stay with me tomorrow. I cursed like H for he is an utter bore but when I got home Amah gave me the list.  Here they are -  G.H. Piercy Jardines - the nicer one of these boys and a Mrs D.W. Piercy – possibly wife – like Mrs A.B. instead of Mrs W.J.  Then Buckle - Instructor in Marine Eng in the Trade School -  Waddell  and Woodman - both P.W.D. Engineers and C Rogers – can it be the great Cyril?

I mentioned Mrs D.W. Piercy – there is also a Mrs H.E. Campbell – D.O.K., a Mrs C.T. Forbes manageress of Au Petit House I see from the Dollar Directory!! - then two Misses  E Hobbs and J.M. Reynolds – D.O.K. - but no Hamilton – so he can go and stew in his own juice. But Loved One what am I going to do with that bunch?

I haven’t been caught [?bending] – I have got this room and I’m going to stick to it - I have our bed in here now – only changed over today.  Amah is a real l??  - I told her she had to get two chair Coolies to help - and left $1 to pay for them. She and the Coolie did it all herself – including taking out the frightfully heavy settee.  So I’m set – I’m going to lock this room up when I leave in the morning and if there is any fuss I go straight to the Governor.  I’m finding it quite tough enough - I’m no chicken - and I must have my evenings free and quiet.  They can have the run of the rest of the house. But I’ve got all our nice stuff away - chair covers, curtains etc.  I’ve got practically everything locked away in boxes in the hot room - well Honey we must just hope for the best.   I’m going to tell them all straight that they are billetees, not my guests.  They’ll have to share gas and electric light – I’ll read the meters tomorrow.  But Adored -think of them - I can’t describe them in our house.  Well we can only say – c’est la guerre!

I have heard a lot of rumours today – we may hear something definite later - so I’ll leave that just now My Love. One is a wee bit het up but never forget Darling that always in all ways I love you. B.

Just a few moments later – poor Betsy knows there is some trouble on and when - as I did just now put the lights out to try out some darkening of a torch I got today she creeps under my desk. Poor Betsy she will have to get used to the bunch of folks coming tomorrow.

Still later

Sweetheart - I can’t get over poor Betsy - she won’t leave me alone tonight – she’s curled up on my wee mat under my desk - she is so sweet and has helped me keep my sanity.  I hate to think what she will think of the bunch arriving tomorrow. But I’ll see that its all right.  News on now in a few minutes so I’ll stop again. B.