118
Paragraph 0.
This Paragraph deals with the Colonial
ecretariat
and reads "Gimson. North. Alabaster and secretaries, (with the exception of Misa Harrop) were brought into internment About 15.3.42. Previously no contact between Fraser at Stanley end Secretariat for aome weeka".
Paragraph 11. I have typed on a separate piece of paper with extra copies in case you consider it advisable to let the Dutch and American Embassies have copies.
Peregraph 12
-
Persona not interned. Thompson's notes read "Very few - Dr. and Mrs. Selwyn Clerk (Dr. Selwyn Clerk is Director Medical Services in Hongkong or was) were still out when we left but reported that he was anticipating early in- ternment at Stanley. I must mention the splendid work Selwyn Clark has been doing. We have to thank him for a regular if small ration of bread daily. Also for outside news earlier on, before the Japanese closed down on him visiting the Cemp. Algo for the work he and certain doctors and health officers have been doing to clean up Hongkong - The men in North Point Camp have to thank frined Dr. George Ingram Show for the work he did cleaning up the fly menace in that area - Selwyn Clark has worked magnificiently - I wish I could say the same for all Heads of Departments. Apart from Selwyn Clark there are a few officers of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and National City Bank out still. I know nothing of their circumstances except that they are confined in some Chinese Hotel and marched to and from Office daily,"
my
Some of the Chase Bank Steff as well are also · out and I understand all the Bankers not interned are in the Sai or Mee Chow Hotel I am not quite sure of this name but it sounds like that. Thompson goes on to say "Dr. Mackie and one or two other doctors are out - I cannot recollect their names. #ynne Jones and four or five BW men are also at liberty I don't know why or how Arthur Lay is with ynne Jones",
Paragraph 13 - Conditions of Europeans since fall of Hongkong.
I will give you Thompson's notes here, I have written quite a lot but I, after being turned out of the building in which I was by the Japanese, went off up the Feak as I did not like the idea of going into a Chinese Hotel particularly as they told me I was to go in with forty other women and I understood the Japanese Army was in the next building but one. At this time it was not compulsory to go into the Chinese Hotels it was just a case of finding somewhere to go when you found yourself sitting with your baggage in the street.
Thompson's notes which you will recall are addressed in letter form to me read "For the first week nothing much happened we more or leas stayed where we were. The Police Force as you will recollect was in the Gloucester Hotel - then orders came to report et Murray Parade Ground with "What you can carry" -e stayed put but the British etc. who went were marched off in droves to Chinese Hotels elong Connaught Road. Conditions in these Hotels were disgraceful. 5.6 and 7 people to a small cubicle, men, women and coildren all mixed up no exercise permitted; food revoltingly cooked and very short. People slept where they could, and got in extra food from outside according na they could afford it. They were without bed ing and most without beda no effort was made to supply the common decencies of life. About 3/1/4 the Police Force was marched off 123 of us to the Luk Hoi Tung Hotel, the rest elsewhere. We had the foresight to take ea much 99 we could with us in the way of food clothing and bedding with coolie assistance at prohibitive rates. There we were incarcerated for three
weeks.