16 Jan 1945, Diary of George Gerrard in Stanley Internment Camp Hong Kong

Fire over Hong Kong. Yesterday and today. We have been subjected to a real blitz by the American Air Force. We had a real taste of their might, unfortunately with tragedy to themselves and to ourselves.

Yesterday the raid was heavy and we were in high spirits at the strafing both Hong Kong and what we presumed was the New Territory and also shipping. However today the first relay of bombers came over at 8.45 am and kept up a continuous bombing of Hong Kong and even near to us.

Waves of bombers came over and this continued to 12 noon, when there was quiet, but not for long for about 2 pm more came over and we saw 8 planes in one formation and 5 in another just close behind. They appeared like silver bullets in the sky when suddenly we saw the left hand plane in the first formation swing over to the right and strike his companion. A terrific sheet of flame shot out and the first plane came lurching down, but the pilot bailed out and then the second plane made a big effort to get under control but to no avail, the fellow jumped but was caught in his incline and eventually crashed in the region of Mount Parker, also a wing came slowly to the ground.

Wave after wave of planes came over until later about between five and six o'clock, while I was collecting my chow in the front hall of St. Stephens, planes dropped bombs on a lighter, a crane barge and a sunken vessel in Stanley Bay. The water spouted high and the explosion was terrific. Then another was dropped and this unfortunately landed in the compound, between the garage and C bungalow.

The walls of the garage collapsed and the roof fell in and killed Adam Holland, G. Willoughby, Mrs Davis and Mrs Guerin, the first two were living in the garage and the other two ran there for shelter. The whole back of the bungalow was blown in, we imagine it was a 50 lb bomb and 10 more people were killed so that out of a total of resident strength of 28 of whom 2 were elsewhere 14 people were killed including Mr and Mrs Alec Hyde Lay. Mrs MacLeod and Bobby Taylor had miraculous escapes. Some were injured slightly but all the survivors suffered from shock. The following is the death roll, O. Eager, Alec and Betty Hyde Lay, Mr and Mrs G. Searle, J. Dennis, A. Holland, G. Willoughby, Stopani Johnson, Balfour, Bishop, Mrs Guerin, Mrs Davis, Mrs Johnson, 9 men and 5 women. Their bodies were brought from C bungalow and placed just outside our back window in the courtyard between blocks 8 and 9.

It was a terrible calamity to happen in this camp, but one must face the facts that war is a terrible thing. All are to be buried tomorrow in one grave. We could see fires all over Hong Kong and these carried on well into the night.

Another incident I saw was a plane crashing down into Tyki Bay, at any rate I couldn't see him come out of his dive. All this would appear to us as if an invasion of Hong Kong is not far off. We hope there is a task force not far away. It seemed to us that the planes were all carrier borne.