09 Jul 1944, Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong

30 years ago I arrived in the colony.

I received your letter of 30th August 1942 on Thursday 29th June. This letter of yours was from Montreal written on your way home and for the greetings and all your news I am very grateful. I hope now Nell that it wont very long before we are in communication with each other regularly for the news is so good, both in Europe and out here that it would appear our enemies both Germans and Japs can't last out much longer. Our invasion in France, the Russian's terrific advancements, Poland's and Nimitz's smashing up of the Japs at the Mariannas is really wonderful and we are all very bucked and eagerly waiting, like Oliver Twist for more and more news.

I got a postcard from Lo How I (book Office) the other day which was very servile, enquiring about me and so on, after two and a half years. It would appear that the Chinese are very hopeful of our early return to Hong Kong and so are looking after No.1 viz their jobs back. Well we'll see about that later but we will have to be very careful in our selection of staff when the time comes.

D.B.B. and I still go to J.F's on Saturday nights for our usual crack about current events and future prospects and on the previous Saturday he gave D.B.B. and I 20Yen each which sum is mighty unusual and will enable us to get some necessaries when the canteen opens again and it is our turn of a tab tho' the prices of things are so high that it is not easy to get very much and the total amount we are allowed to purchase only amounts to 15Yen. Actually the Yen has no value at all and the Chinese wont sell our valueless paper like Military Yen.

The weather today is very typhoony with high winds and heavy rain, not very pleasant in our present circumstances, things appear to be better when the sun is shining and clear skies, but on a day like this cooped up in our room with eight of us it is far from being pleasant, however we can take it and stick it out.

Food has not improved at all, what we are getting is sprats the cheapest form of fish (--- 3 --- and catty), pumpkins, green marrow, water spinach and a little sweet potatoes, in other words ALL WATER.