A diarist in Shamshuipo POW Camp records:
Stanley reported to be overcrowded & much free love being practised.
Tony Banham comments that 'the truth was less exotic', and indeed most accounts of camp life report that the combination of hunger, poor nutrition and lack of privacy inhibits most people's interest in sex. There are a number of 'camp romances' though, some of which will cause problems after the war.
Source:
Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, July 5, 1942
While 2,500 people are wondering how they can follow the Americans out of Stanley, one brave man is trying to get in.
Daily Mirror, page 8:
‘HONG KONG’ BISHOP WANTS TO FLY TO PRISONERS IN CHINA
THE "fighting Bishop" of Hong Kong - the Right Rev. Ronald Hall—is fighting to get back to his diocese, to minister to thousands of Protestants who are prisoners in the hands of the Japanese,
Bishop Hall, who is in England, was here when Hong Kong fell, and for months has been trying to obtain permission to return.
He has now been granted facilities for a special priority flight to China. He hopes he will be allowed to visit Hong Kong.
"The Japanese have permitted the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong to resume his ministrations, but he is an Italian," Bishop Hall told the ‘Daily Mirror’ yesterday.
One Shamshuipo POW has heard some interesting things about life in Stanley:
Stanley reported to be overcrowded & 'much free love being practised'.
The camp was undeniably overcrowded, although the situation had been somewhat eased by the departure of the Americans. Some sexual relationships had sprung up, although most accounts suggest that Freud was wrong: in conditions of deprivation, the mind turns to thoughts of food not sex. In any case, most people who discussed this topic after the war felt that malnutrition kills libido.
Source:
Tony Banham, We Shall Suffer There, 2009, Sunday 5 July 1942
Death of John Webster McNaught in the French Hospital.
Greg Leck gives his age as 83, Tony Banham as 80 and the Red Cross as 84. The last of these states that ''Mr. McNaught apparently died of old age' and tells us that his possessions included Masonic Lodge papers and a pocket book of engineering formulae.. He was probably one of the aged or sick internees moved from Stanley in February.
Sources:
Greg Leck, Captives of Empire, 2006
http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/searchgarrison/nonuniformedcivilians.html
Death of Oriana Elizabeth Barrow, aged 3 months.
Eric MacNider transcribes a notice that is posted today:
The Council has approved of a resolution submitted by Blocks 8, 9 & 11, to the effect that Eurasian (crossed out) families should not be billeted in Block 11. The Council recognises that such a state of affairs would be highly undesirable, and, as this is a matter of extreme urgency the Camp Billetting Officer in small groups to other blocks as soon as opportunity occurs.
This seems to offer a glimpse of the continuing racism in the British community, But why was 'Eurasian' crossed out in the transcription, and what was different about Block 11?
Sources:
Barrow: Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 1973, 271
Notice: MacNider Papers, 'Billetting', 46
Mildred Dibden, Iris Critchell and Ruth Little have been allowed to remain uninterned to carry on running the Fanling Babies Home alongside their Chinese staff. It's been a hard struggle to keep the abandoned and destitute children they care for fed, and it's taken it's toll on their health.
Today members of the Braga family arrive, bringing with them a Red Cross representative and permits to allow the women to be admitted to the French Hospital, where there's a ward reserved for British patients.
Mildred Dibden has to be carried out of the Home on a stretcher. At the French Hospital she meets great kindnesss and the 'reassurance of being with {her} own people':
To add to the pleasure of that first night in hospital, came a tea tray from {Dr. Selwyn-Clarke}. With his wife and daughter, he was interned in the French hospital on the floor above. Tea with toast and butter. What could be more delicious? was it possible that within six short months such luxury would bring tears to the eyes?
Iris returns to Fanling after about two months, Ruth in the middle of September, Mildred not until November 1.
Source:
Jill Doggett, The Yip Family of Amah Rock, (1969), 1982, 178
Note:
The Braga family has deep roots in Macao, and also played significant a role in Hong Kong. One member, Jose Maria ('Jack') Braga compiled an important collection of material related to Hong Kong and Macao in the war years. It's now in the Austalian National Archive:
Bus loads of Chinese brought in, put in launches and many dead pushed over the side, also some still alive.
Source:
Diary of M. L. Bevan: IWM, 523.1 (Bevan)
Duncan Sloss, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, is taken from camp to the French Hospital for X-rays. Most people on this scheme spend only a day or two in the hospital, but Sloss is kept there until November 21 because of stomach problems.
During his stay he becomes involved in a British Army Aid Group plan to negotiate the repatriation of Stanley's mothers and children (the plan is code-named 'Milkers and Calves'). The intermediary used by the BAAG is Irish Jesuit priest Gerard Casey, who knew Sloss because he used to teach Geography at the University (hence his code name 'Geographia').
Source:
'Patients Brought From Stanley to St. Paul's (French) Hospital' - list drawn up by Dr. Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, in Archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross BG017 07-61
Death of Anton Munze - aka Canaker Dick - aged 58. He was a former seaman of American nationality with a wife and family in Hong Kong (presumably Chinese or third national). The Maryknoll Diary calls him Dick Munsey and says that he was buried on16 at 10. a.m.
Walter Donald D'Evan Twidale (or Twiddle), a soldier, marries Mrs Beatrice Rose Cullen.
Sources:
Munze: Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 1973, 271; http://gwulo.com/node/10376; Maryknoll Diary, July 16/17, 1942
Marriage: Greg Leck, Captives of Empire, 2006, 622
Readers of the Shanghai Times are assured in an editorial that Hong Kong is 'an earthly paradise' under the Japanese occupation.
Source:
Bernard Wasserstein, Secret War in Shanghai, 1998, 170
Rudolf Zindel, the Red Cross Delegate, makes his second visit to Stanley, this time in the company of Takeo Oda of the Japanese Foreign Affairs Department.
Zindel will not report on this and his first visit until December, when he will sum up affairs as 'definitely "satisfactory," although there was still room for further improvement in several respects'.
Source:
Rudolf Zindel, 'Visits to Prisoner of War and Civilian Internment Camps in Hongkong', attached to General Letter No. 10/42, 18th. December 1942 in Archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, BG017 07-61
The British Army Aid Group sends out a long document summarising the information provided by Staff-Sergeant Patrick Sheridan (escaped June 4). The section headed Stanley Interment Camp begins:
News from this camp comes from patients who are brought into the French Hospital for x-ray or special treatment.
Dr. Court interviews these patients and instructed me to try and pass on this information to someone in authority.
There are about 300 or 350 cases of Beri Beri, mostly among elderly people. As there are no vitamins available, this tends to play on these people's minds.
Source:
Sheridan's Statement, Ride Papers (kindly provided by Elizabeth Ride)
The Americans on the Asama Maru arrive at Lourenco Marques – Portuguese territory - and they’re sure for the first time repatriation will be completed.
And they’re thrilled with the welcome too:
The first ship that we saw in the distance was an American oil tanker. There was Old Glory flying from the stern. It was the first time we had seen that in many months….
We passed very close and just as came abreast of her, the captain lowered one of the windows on the bridge, leaned out, pulled on the whistle, and up the masthead ran a brand new American flag which he had saved for the occasion! Did we ever let loose! Absolutely everyone on the Asama shouted at the top of their lungs, waving hands, handkerchiefs, coats, shirts, and in fact everything that we could lay our hands on! It was one of the great thrills of my life…
As we continued on into the harbour, every ship picked up the spirit, blasting their whistles, giving the V for Victory signal as went by. It was truly a royal welcome and made you proud to be an American.
Source:
Carol Briggs Waite, Taken in Hong Kong, 2006, Kindle Edition, Location 3507 and following.
Today the repatriated Americans saw the ship "Gripsholm" for the first time.
The web-page http://www.salship.se/mercy.asp describes the repatriation voyages of the Gripsholm and the Drottningholm during WW2, and is a good source of additional information.
Missionaries Robert and Helen Hammond and their family are on board the Asama Maru:
July the twenty-third is another day we shall never forget. The sailors on the Gripsholm, Swedish crew, called to us that they had plenty of good fruit, and to prove it they threw us apples - American apples - also large oranges and pears...
We were exchanged about ten that morning. A long string of boxcars divided the dock. The Japanese with their new suits and happy, smiling, well-dressed children were carrying lovely new leather suitcases. We saw their trunks, new wardrobe trunks, but here were all of us with our dirty rags....
The call to dinner rang. We watched the head steward bring a great, big brown turkey. Our reactions were such that we cannot describe them. Besides there was all the bread and butter we wished, and all the different cold meats, various kinds of salads, potato, macaroni; then fruit and milk. Then, after grace had been said, we began to eat; we ate and ate and ate.
In the afternoon the Americans - who'd been confined to ship by the crew of the Asama Maru - are allowed to look around the town. The first thing Norman Briggs does is get a haircut. Then he heads back to the Gripsholm in plenty of time for the first dinner sitting which starts at 6 p.m.
Samuel Bitting, a repatriated banker with the National City Bank New York, writes from the Hotel Polona (Lourenco Marques) to assure Mr le Cocq d'Armandville that his daughter and son-in-law, Jacobus and Guillaumine van der Laan, are 'both well and as happy as one can be when living in conditions of semi-confinement' ((at the Sun Wah Hotel)).
Back at Stanley the divisions continue:
Murphy starts campaign against council. Set up table with petition.
In Britain the Daily Mirror brings disappointing news for the relatives and friends of those in camp:
AGREEMENT
Japs in exchange
THE Japanese Government has agreed to the exchange of 1,800 British and Allied nationals in the Far East for a similar number of Japanese and Siamese nationals here.
Mr. Eden announced in the Commons yesterday that agreement had been reached after protracted and difficult negotiations.
The Japanese Government, however, have not agreed to include in the exchange British subjects in Hong Kong, Singapore and other British territories occupied by them. (Page 2)
Sources:
Hammonds: Robert Hammond, Bondservants of the Japanese, 1957 (originally 1942), 78-79
Briggs: Carol Briggs Waite, Taken In Hong Kong, 2006, Kindle Edition, Location 3602
Bitting: David Tett, Captives in Cathay, 2007, 325
Murphy: Diary of M. L. Bevan: IWM, 523.1 (Bevan)
Note: there were at least 4 male Murphies in camp at this time. This one probably wasn't Father Murphy, a Canadian Catholic priest, but the other three are all possible.
Robert Hammond is sick.
(See entry for July 23)
Sources:
Robert Hammond, Bondservants of the Japanese, 1957 (originally 1942), 79
Stanley Herbert Marvin, a prison officer, marries Clementie Maria Fernandes, a nurse with the HKVDC.VAD.
The Optimists present Stalling Stanley at the Stanley Empire - the bowling green outside the former American club.
It's described as A Non Stop Revue in Sixteen Shocks & Spasms. Entry is free, it starts at 7 p.m., and the Maryknoll Diary considers it a 'good show'.
Sources:
Marriage: Greg Leck, Captives of Empire, 625
Show: Jim Shepherd, Silks, Satins, Gold Braid and Monkey Jackets, 1996, 81;
Maryknoll Diary, July 25, 1942
About 50 internees with links to Shanghai are sent to that city. Some of the more senior manage to get themselves repatriated on there on a ship taking off Allied Consular Officials.
'The worst stories of atrocities come from Hong Kong,' writes the (Glasgow) Sunday Post on page 1, picking up a story on the American repatriates. They note, however, that Stanley Camp's children are relatively well-treated and seem 'healthy and happy.'
John Stericker presents Franklin Gimson with a Union Jack at an emotional moment in the meeting of the British Community Council. It was found hidden in a water tank on a roof and was believed to be the only one in camp. ((It wasn't: http://gwulo.com/node/16146))
(W)ith one long blast on the whistle, we bade farewell to Lourenco Marques..our next stop would be Rio de Janeiro. We all felt a great let down in the tension. We were out from under the Japanese.
Sources:
Union Jack: John Strericker, Captive Colony, 1945, Chapter V1, page 18
Repatriates: Carol Briggs Waite, Taken in Hong Kong, Kindle Edition, Location 3753 et al
The Ogden Standard Examiner, the Nashua Telegraph and a number of other American papers carry a syndicated report from Vaughn Meissling, a former internee now on his way back to the USA. Filed from Lourenco Marques, the article describes Hong Kong as a 'ghost town' stalked by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:
Some million Chinese have been starved to such a point that the whole town has a wraith-like appearance... famine, pestilence and destruction of physical and moral values stalk the former British crown colony.
He notes that the Japanese are trying to get people to relocate to south China, and claims half a million have left of their own volition or by complusion - the million still left face a grim struggle to survive.
Death of Christine Miriam Ross, aged 58.
She'd been interned in the Kowloon Hotel and in Stanley lived in the Married Quarters.
Sources:
Geoffrey Emerson, Hong Kong Internment, 1973, 271.
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