CO129-590-23 Situation in Hong Kong 25-4-1905 - 25-4-1905 — Page 205

17th Jan. 1942.

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Fhid a visit to Gloucester today. Many of the Chinese boys recognised me and came to talk to me. Told me there are 70 of them still employed, they are not being paid any wages but are being supplied with food. They are not very happy. Men are busy repairing the damage which was done by bombs. Hotel now under new management.

Filth and dirt still abounds everywhere and nothing is being done to clear it up.

Dead bodies are being picked up all over the hills but are too decomposed to be able to recognise them. Parcel of discs broug t in by D,M.S. but the smell is so bad we have had to send them back to be disinfected.

Had a talk to C.J. this mornirg strtes he has been to Stanley with a Jap. official and they havo a ked that we be given the gaolas accommodation, but we have been refused as the Japs say it will cause repurcussions at home.

18th Jan. 1942.

Had long discussions with Fujita and Wano regarding proposed feeding and housing of internees and Chinese. Fujita told me that it was their plan to force the Chinese back to their native villages. Shortly the whole colony would be run by the navy Dept. The military and some of the gendarmerie will be leaving. Large numbers of military have already left. This is òbvious as many of the buildings where they were housed have now been evacuated. Transports have been seen in the harbour for the last few days. There are also a large number of Jap. merchant ships lying at wharves and towards Green Island, awaiting convɔy.

here are still certain sections of the city without light and few people are on the streets after dark. Smaller streets between the main roads have built double bamboo barracades which are closed and locked at night to prevent armed robbers of which there seems to be quite a large number. Shots are heard quite frequently at night. and today I saw a man being beaten by the Jap. Gendarmes. Supposed to be a looter. He had every appearance of being dead when I last saw him.

Very heavy explosion today at 1.30 pm. sounded almost like a bomb or a big shell. There is still an unexploded bomb lying in the road outside Princes building.

19th Jan. 1942.

Today for the first time since 10th Dec. I was allowed to return to my flat. He had no difficulty in getting there and were not stopped by sentries. The locks on every door had been smashed, and I was not surprised to find my own door standing wide open. I have never seen anything like the completeness of the looting in my flat. Everything had gone, including my cooker and Frig. There was not a torn piece of paper of a broken glass left. It was like walking into a new flat for rent. Whilst I was there a Naval officer came in and asked me who I was. I said "this is my flat" to which he replied in excellent English, "It was your flat it isn't any longor". From the flat went up to Rosary Hill and the soldiers told me the explosion yesterday was the result of a Jap. Cruiser going down in Deep Water Bay. Took me up the hill and showed me three funnels which were showing out of the water.

Üver dinner again got into conversation through E. with some Jap. officers. One said "we know we shall lose in the long run but if anything happens in H,K. there will be nobody left to talk about it. we shall see to that".

20th Jan. 1942.

Rumours are about the town regarding internees being sent to Stanley. They have been told by the Japs. that they will be leaving in a few days but nothing seems to have been settled as to which buildings are to be used. There is still a lot of argument going on. Several hundred people have been brought over from Kowloon from places of interment on that side and have been taken direct to Stanley.