07 Mar 1945, John Charter's wartime journal

There is, in camp, a steadily growing feeling that there is a lot more food in town that has not yet been sorted out and sent to the different camps. This, it is thought, includes the more recently packed bulk supplies and also the American parcels. I am torn between a desire to credit this theory and a great fear of hoping for anything more at all in case it all turns out to be groundless. But looking at it logically, it does seem extraordinary that such a large ship as the Awa Maru should bring such a small quantity of supplies to Hong Kong, especially as it must be much more difficult for the Japanese to bring I.R.C. supplies to their enemy internees in the S. Pacific regions (like HK and Singapore) than to places like Shanghai and Formosa, and it would therefore seem that when a special ship is chartered for this purpose they would take full advantage of it.

We know that originally there were about 300,000 prisoners of war in Japanese occupied territory. The shipping experts here say that the ‘Awa’ is capable of carrying at least 12,000 tons of cargo. Assuming there are still 300,000 prisoners to be supplied (in spite of re-conquered territories such as the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines) it would mean that on a pro rata basis this camp alone should receive just about 100 tons; i.e. 90 lbs per person. These parcels altogether weigh about 8 lbs, plus say, 2 lbs per person of other goods makes it about 10 lbs. So there seems to be a big discrepancy between the 90 and the 10 lbs. Then again, fancy sending 4 cigarettes each all the way from America! ‘Old Gold’ they are and quite nice. No doubt the Japs have kept most of them for themselves.  

78 pairs of boots have been sent – between about 1,200 practically shoeless men! Why no Canadian parcels at all when it stated the goods were Canadian. Formosan guards are alleged to have said that our Sham Shui Po prisoners each received 2 parcels similar to ours and 150 cigarettes. Well, good luck to them if it is true. The cigarettes are said to have been ‘Craven A’. It would be lovely to have some English cigarettes or, better still, for me, some decent pipe tobacco.