Tom Downs of HMS Venerable letter to mother from Hong Kong 1945
Hong Kong Liberation - Bo'ness Journal and Linlithgow Advertiser 1945 September 28th clipping.png
Submitted by eurasian_david
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Friday, September 28, 1945
Gallery:
Connections:
- Hong Kong Liberation - Bo'ness Journal and Linlithgow Advertiser 1945 September 28th clipping.png shows Person Robert Johnstone DOWNS [1915-1988]
Comments
BO’NESSIAN AT HONG KONG
BO’NESSIAN AT HONG KONG
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Tom Downs of H.M.S. Venerable, whose home is at 9 Deansfield Crescent, in an interesting letter to the Editor of the ‘Bo’ness Journal,’ writes: -
We are in Hong Kong just now; we have been in just over a week. I am on an aircraft carrier, and the ships that came into the harbour with us were the carrier Indomitable, the battleship Anson, the cruisers Swiftshore and Urallus, also half a dozen destroyers. The carrier Vengeance arrived later. There was slight opposition when we came in – a couple of Jap suicide boats tried to get us, but the planes soon attended to them.
There has been a bit of sniping going on ashore, not between us and Japs; its Chinese sniping at Japs. They seem bent on revenge, so instead of just taking firearms from Japs, we have to take them off Chinese as well! The Japs I’ve seen, seem to be ashamed at losing the war - they can hardly look us in the face.
We are getting the naval dockyard cleared of debris, and some parts of it have started working.
Incidentally, my brother Robert was captured here on Christmas Day 1941. They didn’t keep him here; he was transported to Osaka, Japan. Now that the war is over, he should be getting home soon. I have another brother serving in Italy.
There is no legal currency here at the moment, and when we go ashore the Chinese want about 10s for a bottle of beer.
I look forward to receiving the Journal from Mother.
Source: Bo'ness Journal and Linlithgow Advertiser page 2 28th September 1945