17 Sep 1944, Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong

The big news for this period is that the Canadian Red Cross parcels have actually arrived and are now in our hands and some of the contents in our tummies and Boy Oh Boy are they good. I'll say they are. We had cheery news of these parcels and then we were in the dumps when they didn't actually arrive, but we quickly forget all the dull things when the --- ferry arrived at the pier with the parcels, large quantities of rice, salt, sugar, beans etc. everything was discharged by our men who worked all night and part of the next day on the job.

Well the ferry arrived on Wednesday 13th Sept. and distribution to the blocks took place the next day. I had arranged with the ration party and woodcutters to do the cartage and haulage of the cases up to the block where I had a party to commence opening the cases and stacking the parcels. Everything went well and by 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon 14th I was able to commence distribution to the residents of the blocks. 

Children under 2 years no parcel, children up to under ten years one parcel and the rest two parcels. The parcels are splendid and tho' we had given up hope completely of ever seeing these Canadian parcels, still it is great now that they are here, but of course owing to the long time since they left Canada and arrived out somewhere east at least nearly a year ago, some of the parcels are in very poor condition. It was of course a great mistake to put salt in a paper package. The prunes and raisins were very mouldy, also the chocolate but the tin stuff in great condition. Each parcel contained viz; 1 tin powdered Domo milk, 1 tin butter, 1 tin Zest jam, 1 tin Fray Bentos corned beef, 1 tin Salmon, 1 tin sardines, 1 tin meat roll, 1 packet tea (or coffee), 1 packet Lowneys chocolate, 1 packet McCormick biscuits, 1 packet prunes, 1 packet raisins, 1 packet sugar, 1 packet pepper and salt mixed, 1 cake soap, 1 packet cheese. The powdered milk does grand for congee in the morning, the biscuits with jam are top hole, the chocolate is just rapidly disappearing and so on. All should greatly benefit and help to --- for the time being at least, beri-beri and pellagra.