24 Dec 1941, Major John Monro MC RA diary of the Battle of Hong Kong
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Since the 19th the fighting has been very confused. It was on the 20th I think that we tried to make a counter attack in Wong Nei Chong from two directions simultaneously. One attack was to be made by the Canadians from Repulse Bay the other by a scratch collection of troops from the direction of little Hong Kong. The first attack never started because the Canadians and their Commander were drunk. The General sent Temple out from Stanley to take charge of the situation. I think that because the Canadians could not attack the other was cancelled. From that moment the fate of the island was sealed. If we had been able to recapture Wong Nei Chong it is just possible, though most improbable, that we would have been able to clear the enemy off the island.
We, gunners, have been having great difficulty with our communications. All the Hong Kong Regiments O.P’s ((artillery observation posts)) were officially sited for their view over the beaches; For fighting on the island itself they are in many cases quite useless. As they and the section positions are all connected by buried cable to the group exchanges, the Hong Kong Regiment were never supposed to hold more than their peacetime quota of field cable. We have had to put out new O.Ps and we should have more than we have now got but it is impossible to find any more cable. All the reserve stocks were held at the “Ridge”, which was surrounded when Wong Nei Chong fell. It held out for two days but since then nothing has been heard of them and they must have been captured.
Another trouble is this problem of crest clearance. The number of possible positions on the Island are very limited. I honestly think that we are already occupying the lot. Our line is now so close to our position that it is extremely hard to find guns to clear down to certain targets. During the fighting at Wong Nei Chong we were continually being asked to put down fire on the police hut, but were unable to do so as not a single gun still remaining in our hands was able to clear down to it. Paddy had been unhelpful by destroying, in an excess of zeal, the traces for Austin which is still in action. I haven’t been able to control him as much as I should have liked. He is much older than me, he was doing the job temporarily for two months before I took over, and in some respects he certainly knows more about it than I do, though in others he was not a quarter of the knowledge.
We have been doing a number of shoots with infantry observers. When they know the procedure, which is not invariably the case, they have been most successful. One shoot which resulted in the destruction of an enemy gun had an extraordinary chain of communications. The observer I think was Henry Marsh of the Middlesex Regt., who had his O.P. in a private house and used the civil telephone to one of the “g” duty officers in the “g” ops room. They sent the observations over to me, and I passed them out to Lundy Duncan at East Group, from there they were passed on to the section.
At Stanley we appear to be holding a semicircular line about 500 yards north of the police station. Though the Japs hold all the intervening country between there and Wong Nei Chong gap they have made no attempt to cut the cables and we are still in telephonic communication. The Stanley guns have given us in the west the most effective artillery support we have had. Dewar, who is in the Little Hong Kong Magazines which are also surrounded, has directed the fire of Stanley guns with great effect whenever he has seen the Japs massing in Black Link for an attack on Mt. Cameron. As the Magazines are surrounded the ammunition situation would have been very serious if it had not been for Barman, B.Q.M.S of 4Bty, who night after night has taken a convoy of lorries down to Little Hong Kong, fought his way into the Magazine, collected sufficient ammunition to last the guns on the Peak for about a day, and then fought his way out. We have been running out by M.T.B., ammunition for their only 3.7 How at Stanley.
In the west we hold Aberdeen. Brick Hill is cut off. We hold a few localities with Naval and RAF personnel rather west of Shouson Hill. Some sort of a line then runs up to Wanchai Gap and then down to Causeway Bay. There is street fighting on the outskirts of Wanchai.
A few days ago Bird, Neve and Boxer went down to look at the position at Aberdeen. While they were there they took it into their heads to lead a local counter attack. Now all three are wounded in hospital. One of them might have done such a thing, but three staff officers together is folly.
The other night Andrews, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, who used to be an emergency reserve officer of the Hong Kong Regt, came into H.Q. He appeared rather shell shocked but he had a tremendous story to tell. On the night of the Jap landing he was down at Lyemun Magazines drawing ammunition. He took shelter with some others in the magazines. The Japs lobbed in a few hand grenades but did no damage. Early next morning all seemed quiet. He crept out, saw no sign of the Nip, found his car where he had left it and drove off towards Tytam Gap. Halfway there he met a company of Canadians by the side of the road. He told them his story and suggested that they reoccupy the place at once. They didn’t take much notice of him being far too intent on getting their breakfast. He went on to Tytam Gap; apparently he didn’t get much sympathy there. He went on round to Headquarters, but found Wong Nei Chong occupied and found himself with a number of other men besieged in a house at the lower end of Repulse Bay road. They tried to break out but going down the road they were ambushed. They took refuge in another house. He himself got out at night, swam across Deepwater Bay and then made his way to Aberdeen. ((Other diaries have more details of Andrews's adventures.))
I have shot Buzz. Up to now the bombardment has only puzzled and startled him; it has never really frightened him, but yesterday and today he has been terrified by every exploding bomb or shell. It is obvious that very soon we shall all be dead or will surrender. He is better off out of the way though I don’t suppose I shall have another dog his equal. I have paid Ah Tong his wages up to the end of the month and have given him his annual cumshaw (tip). He has stood by me very well. This place has been heavily bombed and shelled, unlike the other boys he has not run away. Whenever I come in he always produces a meal for me and usually water for a wash or a bath. He was fond of Buzz and looked after him very well.
Yesterday whilst we were off duty Bill Squires and I went to the Gripps for lunch. The restaurant and ballroom is now a hospital, food is served in Mac’s Cafeteria. Olivinsky seemed very cool, calm and collected. The lunch was not up to the usual standard but it was only $1.50 and the times, to say the least, are unusual. But roast pork and tinned fruit are a welcome change from bully and bread and butter. After lunch I had my hair cut. I was greatly impressed by the barber, a Chinese. Shortly after he had started there was an air raid. A bomb landed nearby which put out the electric lights. He sent for a coolly to hold a candle and carried on, quite unperturbed.
When I got back to Battle H.Q. I found that the C.R.A. was going around the Jubilee area and wanted me to go with him. We found everybody surprisingly cheerful. On our way back we went out to the Queen Mary Hospital to see Mrs Macleod and the George Neve/Boxer crowd who had been wounded near Aberdeen. Mrs Macleod is recovering from a strained knee after falling down some stairs. She is very angry with her enforced inactivity and longs to be up and working at Bowen Road. George Neve was very cheerful, Boxer was sitting up and looked fit though they told me he had a lost a lot of blood. Micky Hahn was dancing attendance. Bird seemed quite chirpy.
