47
Date
District.
Time
20.
Western.
3.
Gough Hill & Upper Levels.
4.
East ern.
5.
Western.
6.
Western.
7.
Aberdeen.
8.
Shaukiwan.
9.
Police H.Q.
10.
Gough Hill.
15.30
11
Police H. Q. & Central.
16.00
12. Central.
13.
Emergency Unit Hong Kong.
14
Western.
19.00
32.
15. 12.41
Kennedy Town Market was hit by a shell or bomb causing heavy casualties.
Japanese planes damaged Mount Austin barracks. During the raid Mr. Wright Nooth at Upper Levels saw a helio- graph signalling from Lugard Road. The Military were informed and arrested two Chinese males there. Police party under Sub Inspector Tålor from the National Paint & Lacquer Factory at 704 King's Road Dispersal Point aided the Military to destroy the bathing matsheds at North Point. The same party later quelled a food riot at the Ritz.
The district west of Western Street again came under heavy shell fire.
As a result of raids, break downs in the telephone to Pokfulam and Aberdeen frequently occurred and des- patch riders had to be used.
Telephone became unreliable, breaking down every two
hours.
The district was under continuous shell fire during the day. Pill boxes in Taikoo Docks were destroyed. Police were busily engaged in attending to numerous casualties.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Defence, commenced daily casualty lists of Police killed, wounded or missing during the war.
Two houses near the Hon. Colonial Secretary's resi- dence were destroyed by bombs. As the result Police Reserve posted at the Colonial Secretary 's residence, H.18 Vital Post, deserted.
The
Police Headquarters and Central bombed. A stick of bombs was dropped hitting each of the following points:- (1) Old Bailey and Caine Road junction, (2) The Gaol Clearing Station (with no casualties), (3) The grating outside the Deputy Commissioner of Polic office, (4) Pottinger Street and Hollywood Road junction, (5) Wellington Street, (6) Central cells. The ground floor and basement offices of Police Headquarters were wrecked. Inspector Hopkins, Offi- cer in Charge Traffic, was killed and Mr. Thompson, Superintendent of Police and Inspector Saunders were wounded. Two Chinese drivers were also killed. kitchens and food store at Central received consi- derable damage. A good deal of food was rendered unservicable. The water supply had to be cut off. About twenty cars in the compound, including the Police Loud Speaker Van which had just been complet- ed ready for service for propaganda purposes, were set ablaze and only extinguished with some difficul- ty. The spread of the fire to other cars was pre- vented by the action of L. S. A. 142 Kinloch and others in driving the latter away. As the result of the wounding of Mr. Thompson Mr. Bidmead, Superintendent of Police, took over charge of Hong Kong stations. As the result of the bombing the Chinese cooks all absconded.
The Unit was called to Queen's Road and Jubilee Street junction where looters were found looting premises damaged by bombing and were dealt with drastically. Similar action had to be taken in the case of a Money Changer 's shop in Queen's Road opposite the Central Market.
Several reports re Fifth Columnists signalling to planes were received during the day but none were substantiated on investigation.
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