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vitally needed concentrates as shark's liver oil, marmite, yeast, drugs like sulfapyridine, thiamine, micotinic acid, and biologicals like diphtheria anti-toxin.
Through the same underground channels, I was able to send funds into the camps which the medical officer in charge would utilise in purchasing through Japanese and Formosan sentries, essential additions to the meagre rations, as, for example soya beans, groundnuts, onions. Diet kitchens so organised by the medical staff, helped to augment the rice diet which produced marked malnu- trition in several hundred of the inmates. Considerable numbers suffered agonising pain, 'electric' feet, and so forth which often produced severe insomnia, and even mental symptoms.
Serious interference with visual acuity amounting to actual blindness was another manifestations of the ill-balanced and inadequate ration.
Frequent instances came under notice of beri-beri heart with syncope following even slight exertion.
Kot
That many more lives were lost in the prisoner of war camps in Hong Kong and that a remarkably high level of morale was maintained constitute a lasting tribute to the devotion of officers and others (especially the members of the R. A.M.C., I.M. S. and Naval Medical Service), responsible for the camp welfare.
On the 4th January, 1942, that is to say, ten days after the surrender, the Japanese interned the majority of the British European, American and Dutch civilians. About 2,500 were crowded into a dozen insanitary Chinese boarding houses, taking with them whatever belongings they could carry by hand. This accommodation was chosen by the Japanese with a view to destroying what little remained of British "face' or prestige. The rations issued out at that time consisted of 6.4 taels or 8 ozs. of rice per head per day, occasionally a portion of water buffalo, rarely any salt or oil, and no vegetables. Pine logs were used as fuel. It will probably be agreed that this was rather a Spartan diet for those accustomed to European food.
In order to mitigate these hardships, efforts were made by those of us still at liberty to distribute to these boarding houses all manner of supplies. The Japanese somewhat reluctantly permitted me to operate three Red Cross trucks with the aid of six stalwart Americans who rendered extremely valuable service until repatriated six months later. As a result of the internment of prisoners of war and civilians, an immediate problem had to be solved, namely, the care of their non-interned wives, children and dependents of Chinese, Portuguese or mixed race.
The Red Cross was not permitted to function in this connection for over a year after the surrender. It was necessary; therefore, to establish an informal welfare committee. This committee raised funds, under cover, from sympathisers with the allied cause. The funds enabled assistance to be given in the form of monetary grants, food, clothes, shoes, medical care, and so on.
The same committee did its best to meet the
multitudinous needs of prisoners of war and interned persons.
After numerous strong protests against confinement in the Chinese boarding houses, the Japanese eventually agreed to the transfer of civilian internees to Stanley Peninsular situated on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
Permanent reinforced buildings, with large open spaces for vegetable gardening, were available and access to the beaches was allowed during six months of the year.
Here, too, overcrowding and a complete lack of privacy were a sore trial, but general living conditions were
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