05 Jul 1942, John Charter's wartime journal

One more month gone. How much longer are we to remain here?

At any rate, the Americans have departed……and some of the British community have received their $75 parcels! Really I had begun to doubt both the promised departure and arrival. True, instead of $75 worth we get only $52.50, the rest going on squeeze and rake offs etc; but even that is something. Yvonne and I hope ours will come soon.

The Americans finally departed on the Asama Maru at 6 p.m. on Tuesday 30th June.  We had heard the Asama was due on Monday morning and sure enough, at about noon, a large ship appeared on the horizon and as it drew nearer and steamed in between the Lamma Islands we saw it had the Japanese colours (white background with central red disc) painted amidships on the sides, with a large white cross on either side of the colours and another cross both at the bows and the stern. It disappeared from view behind the hill of the peninsula and then steamed round the point and anchored in the channel between this island and the Po Toi Islands, about a mile from the shore. Rob Kendall was with us, and Frasier, Pete and a couple of other Americans with Mrs Glanville and Co next door. They were all very cheerful and thrilled at the prospect of getting away. It is quite extraordinary how sentimental the average American seems to grow on such occasions. I think most of them felt genuinely sorry that the British were being left behind, they seemed almost to have a guilty feeling that they were sneaking away and abandoning us to our fate!. They had been saying “Good bye,” off and on for the last few days and Bob (whose special weakness was Isa) ((probably Isa Lammert)) had been almost living on our balcony for those days. He insisted on kissing all the girls good bye and this happened at least twice! They all seemed to be of the opinion that we should be following within two to four months. Let’s hope so: the sooner the better.