TRANSLATION OF
"RUSSELS MATHEMATICAL TABLES”
P.J. ASTON
137
Introduction
The Japanese attacked Hong Kong on 8 December 1941. Seven-teen days later, on Christmas day, the brave but outnumbered defending forces surrendered and were put into prisoner of war camps in which many died. A young squadron leader in the RAF, Donald Hill, kept a diary of events during the battle for Hong Kong and for a while during his captivity. In order to keep it secret, he wrote it in a numerical code which, according to the cover of the book in which he wrote, was supposedly "Russels Mathematical Tables”. Donald survived the camp and brought the diary out with him, However, his experiences were so traumatic that he did not like to talk about them. The diary was never translated before his death in 1985. I decoded the diary in 1996 revealing, for the first time in nearly 55 years, this first hand account of the battle for Hong Kong and life as a prisoner of war.
SHARJOITAH 18 304714 10 d4d3 Ida7a731644 2779
You 7016/049 1760BR277] (630323223 (63 70 31 24 120 273-75728314 1/2003 2338 74/75 242123OSH THIN CHAVAKSA 17/03/
5972/BLYV7221707031 790 EJIZZA VE MAM 787 7670 2729/0/4 BAR) 2377 7030 JATT 1808 SAB777238:14 H135-83310742277607
7383747075337273/21/20-014131176/A
7634225781788 17249150BRAD5-9120/61/0N73
ANGRIA.
770773 1976 SAUNANGAKA127 1273 321 1772 5635 ELDR: 170 KEADILANJA
**
36 KTA JADI 01270765 2301#2777/03077
MAA VENA DELECTABlanco FIO O PAÍ
A sample of "Russels Mathematical Tables".
香港仔店收容所