CO129-591-4 Situation in enemy occupied Hong Kong 7-1-1944 - 21-11-1944 — Page 22

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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duty at 10 p.m. Thursday, which gave me the day clear. wife employed as private secretary to the Manager, Green Island Cement Co. Ltd., (taxen over by zilitary) continued working as she had not been eslled up for duty on the staff of the Auxiliary Nursing Service in xowloon owing to the fact that the Kowloon Magistracy - her allocated post - had not been opened. All other wives of Police officera residing in Kowleon were evacuated about 5 Be De Thursday, December 11 the I accompanied my wife to hong Long at about 10 am on the same morning to arrange for her nursing duties and billeting on the Island. After completion of arrangements, we endeavoured to return to Kowloon at about 2.30 p.m. and found that the evacuation of dowloon civilians was in progress.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of operatione at the ferry wharf instructed me to report to the anchal Division immediately, and I took post subse- quently in anchal Gap in charge of 70 Police Reservists.

Thus my wife, posted to the war Memorial Casualty Clearing Hospital, and myself had only the clothes in which we stood, aøver again to return to our home.

Duties allocated to my post included the provision of guards for A..P. tunnels, and patrols in the immediate vicinity in order to maintain internal security. Fifth Column was very active and vo vere sniped at frequently. in saition, there was a good deal of signalling from the hillside to the apanese Foross in Zowloon,

Attached to our post were 30 Royel joots under the leadership of a certain ut. Feirbura, who were on patrol duty at night, returning at dawn sach day for rest. Significant is the fact that half-an-hour after these men were billeted we were under constant shell and mortar fire, together with bombings, until our final evacuation.

Japanese troops landed at North Point at approximately 10 p.. on December 17th, and continued landing day and aight until ultimate surrender of the Jolony on December 29th, 1941.

It became necessary to evacuate our post on „soember 22nd, owing to concentrated fire from Japanese forces, coupled with the fact that we had no protective covering, with water and power lines severed since December 18th, and our consequent inability to maintain communications.

Upon my return to Police Hemdquarters (then in Gloucester Hotel due to direct hit on Central /oliee Station) I was posted in charge of a waterfront patrol comprised of membore of the ussian and Indian contingente.

At the surrender of the Colony all olice wore recalled to the above-mentioned Headquarters until final occupation by the Japanese the following day, when all @quipment including arms and ammunition were formally handed over.

All Water Police craft were mouttled during hostilities, but have been salvaged by the Japoneae; several units having been seen later on patrol duty off Stanley.

Also scen on speed trials were the ex-H.. 3. "Thracian" or "Thanet", a gunboat of the "oth" class, K.V. "Hin seng" (formerly owned by Mesars. Jardine, Entheson & Co.), 3 Liberty ships, and many ex-H..N.V.R. craft.

The

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