6.
196
Situation looks hopeless. They seem to be everywhere and are still making landings. Battles are reported at Tytam and Stanley. We are reported to be polding our own, but I fail to see how we can in view of the large numbers of enemy troops on the island. We are vastly outnumbered.
Looters are rife. Wherever enemy troops have been looters have followed and stripped everything. Telephone communications also interrupted. Lines down and telephones to private houses have been cut off to facilitate connections to military and necessary essential services.
Streets downtown and Central market district machine guned by planes and rice queues machine guned.
23rd December. 1941.
L.L. appeared today. Reports she was stranded at A.R.P. post in Happy Valley Tells me Ah Sze has leen killed and amahraped. 14 people in Tangs flat bayonettedincluding Lam Min Fan and Lam's eldest sor. 40 people killed altogether in our house including Leung (from 42c) of Chugaking Govt. Wong (Ministry of Communications.) also seriously wounded. She also reports that looters have broken into flat and stripped it of everything, there is nothing left. Mafoos from Jockey Club appear to be largely to blame for looting. Ah Sze's death confirmed by Felix Mody.
Reports from L.L. of raping of women at Race Course Emergency Hospital. C.G. escaped by fainting. Miss H. raped three times and is in serious condition.
Recaptured Mount Cameron and situation once more reported in hand. although further landings are reported at Repulse Bay and Stanley.
Cannot confirm story of wholesale killing at B,P, Road. Tang reported safe qt Eu Tong Sen's house.
Late this evening con acted Tang who told me the story. A party of several (No. unknown) enemy troops arrived at house at about 10.0 pm. Thinking they were looters Tang refused to open the door. Troops broke open door and entered. Lined up women on one side of the room and men on the other. Marched the men outside and lined them up (facing the nullah which runs alongside the house) and used bayonets on them. No shots were fired. Tang fell into the nullah and managed to crawl inside it where he stayed until the troops had left and then managed to make his escape. The women were all raped including his wife and my amah. His wife and my amah many times. The same thing happened at Hsu's house in the next block. Mrs, Hsu however was saved by her chauffeur who claimed her as his wife. Cannot find amah.
24th December, 1941.
Xmas Eve and what a thought. Bombings and shelling all day. M.K. came in today and the plans for certain events were discussed in my room between M,K, and S,K,Yee. (Details of this cannot be written down). The police have suddenly had their militia status cancelled. I hear due to the fact that several of the Supers. have objected and sent in a petition they do not want to be treated as troops and refuse to fire on Japs. Do not wish to be treated as combatants. Special order from The Gov. changing their status back to normal. Great deal of discord and disaatisfaction amongst them.
25th December. 1941.
Something strange, after the first early morning bombing there has been quiet. No shelling or very little. About 11.30 Peggy Sharp came in and told me there was a two hours armistice. nobody sems to know the reason. Just after lunch somebody brought in a Chinese baby which had been abandoned at No. 2 police station. They evacuated the station today for the second time. They have held it for several days. but have been ordered to leave it today. Went down to find woman to take care of child