13 Dec 1941, Major John Monro MC RA diary of the Battle of Hong Kong

Yesterday there was a tremendous battle on the Devil’s Peak Peninsula.  Twice in the afternoon we were asked to put down big concentrations of 6” How 9.2” guns on enemy advancing to the attack.  We beat them off and by evening were still holding our original line, but the General decided that the peninsula must be evacuated.  We got the guns across safely, but the lighters to take the mules were sunk and the entire lot, about 100, were lost.  We must have very badly weakened the Japs yesterday because the final boatloads of men only got away shortly after dawn this morning.  I believe Thracian (our only destroyer) and the M.T.Bs (motor torpedo boats) only left the Lyemun Pass at 7:00am. About 9:00am the Japs sent across a boat with a white flag demanding our surrender.  I saw the demand itself shortly afterwards in the intelligence office where the interpreters were busy translating it.  It was a scroll, unfolded, right to left about a foot wide and 10 feet long. There were three of them working on it, it was spread out between them, There was plenty of room for each to work on his own portion.