Barbara Anslow's diary: View pages

Japan's reply expected to be against USA  policy, which should mean breaking off of diplomatic relations, then Japan going on her way re Indo China and Burma, then WAR.

HKVDC have been mobilised since this morning.  ((Mabel and Sid were having lunch at Dairy Farm in town when some one called for silence and said that Army & Navy personnel should return to their barracks immediately.))

Lots of people think there will not be things happening here (HK) at first.

Mum, Olive and I played tennis with Mr Bendall in afternoon, then to his house for dinner.

2 false alarms, 1 last night and one early this am, and 6 more throughout the morning.  Not much damage, mostly propaganda leaflets dropped, which means I fear that we may expect heavier raids in due course.  Tonight misty.

Mabel is at Women's International Club in town  ((for wartime billet, not far from CSO)).  Olive staying overnight on 4th floor of Gloucester Hotel  ((her Food Control Office nearby)). Olive phoned me and I rang Mabel, she heard there is one Royal Scot in Military Hospital. 

Japs are said to be at Taipo, according to the London news.  Also some Japs were ambushed and mostly annihiliated on Castle Peak Road - where the boys are. Can't properly imagine it.

Wrote to Arthur, though have little hope of his getting the letter, expect they're too busy to see about such things.  Topper called at flat but none of us in.   Mr Bendall also called, and Mr. Hall came home for a few hours.  ((Mr. Hall was a colleague of my Dad's; his wife, evacuated to Australia, had written and asked Mum if he could lodge with us, which he did. We left a writing pad on the table in our flat, so that any one calling while we were out could leave a message.))

Libya and Moscow news brighter.

Singapore/Malaya news not good, and raids at Manila.

8.30am. - On duty in office from 7 pm last night till 7 this morning, but actually slept ((fully-dressed, on camp bed behind screen in main office where all ARP staff were)) from 4.30am to 6.45am.

No raids during night, but shells are coming over now, but so far not doing much damage.

Slept some of morning at home, and a little in afternoon, when they dropped about 17 bombs in Wanchai area, one near Football Club (about 200 yards from our flat).  Amah took me downstairs to flat below ((where I sat drooping on a chair in the hall among lots of kindly Chinese neighbours)).

Later, to office and worked until about midnight when had chance to doss down.  It seemed so queer, me retiring behind screen on camp bed, with Tony Cole on bed nearby, and Gillies (Police), both sleeping.   I slept well after 2 am until 7 am Friday

Our office might be moving to CSO tunnel beneath Government House.

Walked from home with Mum just as it was getting light, and went to office ((Mum to Jockey Club hospital.)  Much shelling by Happy Valley in night.

Mr Puckle (Director of ARP) gave me a lift to the CSO tunnel ((beneath Government House, we entered by entrance in Lower Albert Road opposite CSO building.)).  Peggy Wilson had already arrived. ((We secretaries worked in 2 shifts - Peggy and I, then Bonnie and Charles.  Our job was to keep a log of events (mostly messages per phone calls), and also to make out identification cards for ARP people.  

Boiling hot in tunnel, I was glad of short-sleeved jumper.   Strong smell of raw wood from the props round the  earthy walls etc..  Various Govt. departments stationed in the tunnel which had been made with sections at all angles.  An alcove just inside the entrance was I think meant to be for toilets, but these were not present - just a few chairs without seats. There may well have been toilets in other sections, but for calls of nature we ran over Lower Albert Road to the ones in the CSO building.))

Off duty at 3pm, had meal at Parisian Grill ((my pass allowed me to eat there free of charge.)).  Bought lemonade as an excuse to stay longer when the siren sounded. Got into conversation with a stranger, Mr Robinson  of Metals Control Office.  Then went to Dina House, 2nd floor, as instructed, to get a billet, but couldn't get any satisfaction about where I was to sleep.  Phoned Olive's office and she and Topper (who was then visiting her) came and carried me off.  Had dinner with them at Gloucester, where met Eric Kennard ((Govt. clerk)) and he and one other escorted me back to Dina House where I met up with Mr G. P. Murphy and he directed me to a camp bed in a room with two ARP girls Janet Broadbridge and Lillian Hope (both from Kowloon).  Hardly slept because it was so cold, also had no nightwear as my luggage hadn't arrived.

Mr Garton and W. Skinner and Mr Bendall – family friends - were in and out of the tunnel re their war work. One day Mr Garton appeared and said he'd got someone to see me, and there was Sid, in khaki shorts and tin helmet.  I went into corridor and we sat on chair frames ((still no seats on them)) with his mate Cooper.  He said he was feeling more confident now, and appeared completely recovered. Cooper had been in hospital with foot trouble.  Of Mabel, Sid said 'You'll find her much older in the head.' ((Then both went off to war again.))  I gave Sid a note for Arthur in case he saw him.

The P. Grill was dark and tiffin generally soup, then some hash, and maybe a potato or macaroni or spaghetti; and tea. If no soup, there was generally salad.  One day a delicious hot cake.  Enjoyed the meals until those who fed at Cafe Wiseman started saying what they were having – whole oranges, and bread and jam in addition to other rations.  But I was scared to change because it was a longer walk to Cafe Wiseman, and by this time shells were bursting all over the place spasmodically.  After eating at P.G. I usually went to see Olive in her office in Holland House.  One afternoon I arrived too late at P.G. For tiffin, so got a cup of tea at Hong Kong Hotel, then waited in a queue at Lane Crawfords, bought half a pound of bread, 2 oz butter, a jar of paste and a jar of jam. Had to carry the bread in my fist, no bags.  Went to Olive's office for a knife.  There an unknown lady gave me some lettuce with which I made a delicious sandwich.

Bombs fell in vicinity of the tunnel. The concussion made our hair go up on end and wave backwards and forwards. The CSO garages were burnt out and or bombed.  A lot of Indian policemen were injured and carried into the tunnel.  I wished so much that I knew something about first aid, to see these great bleeding people groaning.  All I could do was tear up a sheet some one produced into bandages.  Bombing in the middle of Garden Road and Volunteer HQ as well.

((My colleague Barbara Budden in the tunnel was looking terrible as her father had phoned a little earlier saying he was on his way to the tunnel to see her, and she feared he had been caught in the bombing. But he hadn't.))

Uncle Sidney and I had a hectic time going back to Macdonnell Road, that evening. Shells were concentrated on the Garden Road district so we took shelter in a Military Post under the Peak Tram Station for a while. Avoiding the road, we went up the steps up to Macdonnell Road  but they were in a blasted mess, sticky red clay all over the place.  I was always scared of making that journey at dusk, and when Mum rang me (from Jockey Club Hospital) and said she'd feel happier if I didn't stay up at Macdonnell Road, I decided next day I would move back to Dina House, so I did.

Paper said more landings had been made. Tales that Chinese planes had been engaging Jap planes over Kowloon.

I re-installed myself at Dina House, slept first night in room with Janet and Lillian since Mrs Pryde and Mrs Bebbington who had moved in, were on night duty.   Next day moved to large room with Mrs Hilda Hutchinson (who is expecting soon), Mrs Boulton (American); Edith Palmer from Shanghai, Marjorie Cook, and Edith and Ivy Batley (all 3 Eurasians working with ARP).  At night Mrs H. told us stories about the BBC where she had worked (telephonist); and Edith told us of her many travels.

Had dinner with Mr Murphy and Janet and Lillian at the Hong Kong Hotel.  We were said to have sunk a cruiser off Stanley.  Mrs. Boulton very nice, she wasn't in any of the essential services so wasn't eligible for meals at the Parisian Grill or Cafe Wiseman, so I used to buy bread and butter for her in Lane Crawford's - with her money.

Sid phoned me at Dina House, now on first floor of Hong Kong Hotel (now a convalescent hospital); he had lost the tips of two fingers on left hand.  I already knew that, as had had a note from Mabel telling me.  I careered down to hotel and found Sid lying on a 'biscuit' on the floor ((with dozens of others)).  He looked a bit wild and woolly. He had seen Mabel that morning at the Military Hospital where he had been first taken.  They had become engaged!    Sid talked of marriage too, but I didn't seriously think anything could be done then.  Over the past few months they had paid off some $50 at Windsor's Jewellers for an engagement ring. His finger stumps were paining him alot, he lost them at Wanchai Gap; he saw Arthur before sent to hospital the second time.

I put my name down to help at hotel hospital after 3pm each day but the sister in charge said they had enough help so far. I felt superfluous at Sid's side, knowing he wanted Mabel all the time.