52
thorities. Notices to evacuate the hospitals were usuall extremely short - thus the fueen Mary hospital which at the t had about 1,000 patients, military and civilian, was given les than one day to transfer everybody partly to the St. Stephen's Girls College buildings and partly to other hospitals.. By the end of March the following hospitals were left - Military hospital on Bowen road (Hongkong) where the military wounded from the Kowloon Military hospital, St. Albert's, Queen Mary's and War Memorial hospitals were concentrated. Till the middle of February visitors were allowed and parcels with food, cigarettes etc., were permitted. Later, however, this hospital was declared part of the military internment system and all visiting was disallowed. Also the hospital personnel (sisters, doctors) who were allowed to go out of the hospital in Janua y, were kept strictly within the hospital compound. In Kowloon the former St. Theresa's hospital (Prince Edward Road) was made into the hospital for the military prisoners of war. British doctors and nurses were brought from St. Albert's hospital and some others. The Kowloon, Queen Mary's, War Memorial, Matilda, St. Albert's, Tung-Hwa Eastern
(Kowloon Military - I. M. S. during the war), and the British Naval hospitals were taken over and run by the Jep nese Army and Navy.
The Red Cross under Dr. Selwyn-Clarke continued its good work under very trying conditions.
Hongkong Harbour as viewed from a ferry.
By the end of March a number of old ferry routes were in operation (Star Ferry service was resumed some time in January) and the ferries utilized were one or two Yam ti ferries (small ones), the Chungchao island ferry, and two original Star ferries. Two ferries were scuttled on each side of the Hongkong Ferry wharf which made the sides of the wharf unapproachable, the end of the wharf being used for the purpose instead. The vehicular ferry service was out of action. One vehicular ferry was scuttled at the wharf, another near by.
Parts of some scuttled ships could be seen in the harbour especially near the Hongkong site of the Kowloon Bay. About ten merchant vessels were scuttled in the harbour during the hostilities. Movement of junks in the harbour was apparently restricted there were only a few to be seen anywhere in the harbour.
-
"Life Back to Normal" this slogan was headlined by the "Hongkong News" shortly after the surrender. At this time there was no transportation, side streets were packed with refuse, not a single shop was open, gambling joints sprung like mushrooms and were operating openly, etc. and the rice
queue s
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.