8 Jan 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

Phyllis Harrop writes in her diary:

There are still a large number of people living on the Peak who have not yet been interned...

Some of these, including the policeman Norman Gunning, his wife Nan, a nurse, and baby son Richard, avoid internment in the hotels completely and are sent straight to Stanley.

Also in this category are Quaker missionary William Sewell and his family. They're living in a group including the Refos and the Kennedy-Skiptons. George Kennedy-Skipton and Henry Refo will agree to do 'constructive work' for the Chinese in Hong Kong to avoid internment. Henry and the rest of his family will end up in Stanley, but Kennedy-Skipton will remain uninterned and eventually face dismissal from his government post and suspicions of collaboration.

Sources :

Peak: Harrop, Hong Kong Incident, 1943, 108

Gunning: Norman Gunning, Passage to Hong Kong, 2009, 130

Sewells: William Sewell, Strange Harmony, 1948, 46-47

Refos, Kennedy-Skipton: Sally Refo's Letter, available to members of the Yahoo Stanley Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stanley_camp/messages

Note:

A post-war tribunal upheld Mr. Kennedy-Skipton's dismissal but cleared him of all charges of disloyalty to the Crown. See also entries for February 7 and February 11.

For a full account of the Kennedy-Skipton case see http://brianedgar.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/accusations-of-collaboration-1-george-stacy-kennedy-skipton-2/