Stanley Camp Internees | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Stanley Camp Internees

Hello everyone. I am looking for pictures of the hotels on Des Voeux Rd where civilians rounded up by the Japanese forces in January 1942 were held prior to their removal to Stanley. I am particularly interested in the Tai Koon Hotel where my future mother-in-law Mavis Ming was incarcerated but pictures of any of these hotels would be fine. I have seen one such photo in the book Hong Kong Internment, 1942 to 1945 by Geoffrey Charles Emerson but would like to get a clearer copy if possible.  Any assistance would be appreciated.  Richard Horsburgh

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Hi, you could do a lot worse than have a look at George Wright-Nooth's account of the internment from his perspective as a senior HK Police officer during this period. This is contained in his book "Prisoner of the Turnipheads," written in the 1990's.

He covers the period when the internees were incarcerated in what were, by all accounts, rather squalid hotels (read "brothels") in Sheung Wan, before being interned in Stanley in early 1942.

Thanks very much for the tip. There is a copy of this book in the NSW State Library where I live in Sydney so I will check it out.

The hotels are also mentioned in the wartime diaries for January 1942 here on Gwulo, especially the entries for the 5th and 6th of January.