THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1961.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11, JOHN LUFF'S
HONGKONG-Christmas 1941
The
return home and the hasty pucking and the long frightening walk to the ferry, only to find yet another long walk down the wharf to a boal which will take Alleen and her sister to Victoria.
Bewildered
So this is war. Two women struggling ashore in Hongkong, with nowhere to go, bewildered by the tragic fate that has swept them from home and the life,
they understood.
Yet there is no self pity. Only a huge question mark. For of thinking of that home back in Kowloon, there is this entry: "Oh, dear God
shall we
ever know what happened to our loved servants and pets ... could we have walked out and left them to such an uncertain. fate?"
At last, this tragic journey ende at the War Memorial Hos- pital. Alleen and Doris are wel- comed there, for the servant staff have left to seek safely with their own people.
But the domestic needs of the wounded Canadian soldiers must be administered. There are dishes to wash; food to be pre- pared; and the thousand and one thores which continue to pile up, even although shells are ex- ploding around and upon the Peak
Wild
rumours percolate through the hospital. Desperate disorganised bands of defenders pase by and are lost as they reform into isolated units pre- paring for that last stand of all
Healing
&
But in the hospital, the work of healing must continue. A
and rumour,
wounded Canadian officer gives an order to such of his troops who are able to rise from their beds. Arms and ammunition must be destroyed,
Alleen pauses in her chorég as this order is obeyed. Is it the prelude to the unthinkable con- ditions of surrender?
It is surrender. The flag is lowered. Aileen Woods' diary is so personal upon what she her- self felt about it all.
Need it have been? In what sense was she and her sister responsible? A natural reaction, remember, for the dlary is an immediate thing recalling, not reflecting upon the mood of the moment,
not know then; yet talked with brightness and optim ism.
FRANCIS CAREY
Lieutenant. Francis Carey of
2
the Hangkang, Royal Navy, Volunteer Reserve was in
yard. I was not unduly dis- The uniform straight from turbed because I had seen it. the taller smelt awfully all before in Shanghai, in 1937 new. So incongruous along- when I was in the Shanghai
side the clothes which be Volunteer Corps. It seemed as If I was watching something of
longed to a former life. which I was not a part. It was But that was just'a pause on Hice witnessing a drama rather than being involved in it,"
.
Francis Carey says that there was no violence as far as he was concerned when the Japanese. entered the Dockyard. Salutes were exchanged, courtastes, were extended, and then for the time
being they were left alone,
the Dockyard. They had been shelled from Kowloon and were firing. back the Christmas Day angle into his story. His answer; "I waa with
one four-inch gun quite unvare that manned by the Royal Christmas Day." Marines, Lieutenant Carey
At this point, I reminded Francis I was anxious to get
was with a party who were blowing up Dockyard equipment to save it from falling into the hands of the Japanese.
Ominous rumours were pour- ing in, so that was the reason why BERTIE BATEMAN from Jardines, now a Lieutenant Royal Naval Reserve was in charge of a section manning a Lewis Gun which was on the water front pointing towards Wanchi.
was
the way A stop in the long journey which brought me in Hongkong to meet the people whose Christmas Day 1941 to described above.
JACOBY BRIDGE
IN
third seat the opening bid But out on Shouson Hill, one of three is the same as in British Officer had decided to first or second seat-primarily bold out on his own. It was an attempt with a weak hand MAJOR DEWAR, and he had to make it hard for the op- placed himself at the head of ponents to find their best con- his party in the cave ammuni- | tract, tion dumps, and threatened to The opening bid of four hearts blow them up if any tried to or spades is primarily defen- get at him. Now the point la, sive also, but it can be made had Major Dewar blown up with a pretty strong hand. those dumps, half the island would have gone up with the explosion.
Francis Carey continues: "The Japanese approached us.
Mr Carey takes over: "At A ...I think it must have been about 3.15 pm, a tremendous the same evening... and ask-
ed if silence seemed to fall around,
some volunteers would and then Bertie said, 'My God drive out with the Japanese to inform Major Dewar that ..the Ensign 飘 Coming down. It was, and later Hongkong had surrendered.
we "We drove
out in trucka sa10 some fellows burning the covered in white sheets, I was flag to save it from further dis-
at the wheel honour" coming along, it was difficult to
But with no definite orders Morris. get a picture of what was hap
that followed pening, and all seemed strange and unreal to Lieutenant Carey.
Surrender
East's four heart opening is one of those strong bids and it paid unexpected dividends.
South knew that his four spade bid was a gamble, but people who don't
ever take
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For instance, "At five o'clock, "We entered with a loud. shelling started up again, and hailer. Then Major Dewar ap- we went to the liquor stores peared with a revolver, and tolā:
them. to destroy
us not to and started
approach any nearer. Gin, run, and whisky were There was no violence but nego- flowing down the drains. None tiations were certainly carried of our party know for certain
gun-point, that we had surrendered.” And then a strange thing happened,
at least it seemed strange to bot 80 much hone he felt Four spades was really Francis Carey at that moment. about surrender, but that sur- slaughtered. South managed "Suddenly, a party of Royal render was the decision arrived to gather in five tricks. Three
out. at
chances seldom win at bridge
"In the end, we were able to and he was not going to be onince Major Dewar in oas shut out.
To see the British flag lowered Marines marched into the Dock at by the Governor in the best in trumps and one each in.dia-
yard.
As I understood it, they interests of the survivors of the monds and clubs. In defeat. The quiet an the were not really combatant campaign. shells ceased to fall around. The humiliation and the uncertain to- morrow or this Christmas even- ing when the Japanese soldiers
arrive.
Darkness come and the long shadow of the Peak fell across Victoria far below. Down there, they knew Up here was un- certainty. The long night had begun. And Aileen and Dorie Woods were alone among a lonely group who had carried on until the flag was lowered. And then on the morning found cour- age again to carry on until the flag waved again in freedom.
our
In addition the 1,400 penalty troops, but had been forward to "Eventually Major Dewar de- was all profit. East had Morrison Hill to help reinforce cided that it wo beat to face opened with one heart he the resistance there. They facts, and we returned together." probably would have wound marched in as if they were on So Christmas Day ended in up playing Your hearts, South porade, and then their Com- Hongkong as a hopelessly out-would have opened the king manding officer, Captain. Far numbered force was battered of spades, and while the de
fence might
have slipped enough to give East his con- tract the chances are that he would have gone down one or two tricks.
♥÷CARO Sense**
Q-The bidding har bems.**
Benth West 1.
Pue
Pans
rington addressed them: Thank into surrender. you very much chape for a jolly The Marines fell good show." out as if it
were just another parade. It is one of the vivid In London, our Christmas recollections of
that day."
Day was over also. I went Francis and I were having a coffee in Central Building when
to my room where a small fire burned in the grate. I he told me this. He put down looked along the rows of his cup and in reference to the
books which I had left so Royal Marines, sald, *** remem- ber much later when we had
long ago. The old familiar been taken to North Point,
titles which recalled the Japanese General, wearing the summer of 1939 welcomed World War I medal ribbons, had me like old friends.
of Royal Marines wandered this party
over to the paraded.
wardrobe. Flannels, [8] blazer, a tennis racket in its press, all the odds and ends of an ordinary chaps life. What would it be like in the years to come? Sup Blackwood bid with five spades.
迎
In London it was time to open Christmas presents. There was not much about that Christmas. But the wrappings and the ribbons, the silver stars and the benevolent bearded Santa Claus were
small the same
After 08
viewing this
through an ever. There was even a company he said
interpreter, "But surely there cracker or two. Afterwards was a battalion of these."
Drama
we sat around the fire and Francis Carey continues: talked of a future we could "The Japs came into the Dock-
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