[
    {
        "id": 211693,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1989",
        "page_number": 108,
        "title": "RAS-1989",
        "content_text": "83\n\nMartin (H.M. Consul-General at Chungking) died on April 6th. Mrs. Martin fought the Japanese tooth and nail to keep him and herself out of the internment camp and she got her way though she was nearly put up against a wall and shot for her pains. They were allowed to remain in Queen Mary Hospital till the Japanese took it over on January 21st. They were then moved to one of the temporary hospitals (St. Stephens Girls College) in charge of a Chinese doctor, and there he died. The Japanese then again wanted to send Mrs. Martin to Stanley but she threatened to commit suicide, and the Japanese were so impressed that they allowed her to live in the French Hospital till she was sent away with the American repatriates on the strength of her American nationality of origin.\n\nThere are two questions which I am always being asked: (1) How is it that Hongkong was captured so quickly? and (2) How did the Japanese behave?\n\nAs to (1) the exasperation of the civilian population found vent in the bitterest after-the-event criticism of the conduct of affairs by both the Hongkong Government and the Defence Forces. Probably most of this criticism is ill-informed and it would be dangerous to pass it on particularly as I had no opportunity of learning the official explanation. There are however certain definite impressions left on my own mind, and these are that our troops were quite inadequate in numbers to hold the Colony against a determined enemy, that the anti-aircraft defences were completely ineffective and that both the military operations and the civilian organisation were sabotaged by Wang Ching-wei Chinese. I saw nothing of the close range fighting, but I was repeatedly told that our troops were completely bewildered by the apparent ubiquity of the enemy, as they were being fired on from all sides at once, and that, with their heavy equipment and army boots they were no match in the hills for the lightly clad and rubber shoed Japanese who clambered about as agilely as monkeys. I was also told that we lost heavily in the fighting in the New Territories, that there were no reserves to fill the gaps and that it was due to our troops being utterly exhausted by continuous fighting that the Japanese were able to effect a landing on the island so easily.\n\nI believe our forces claim to have brought down 6 Japanese planes during the eighteen days fighting, I watched the Japanese bombing Mt. Davis Fort, Stonecutters Island, Mt. Austin barracks etc. For the most part they flew at low altitudes and made no apparent efforts to dodge",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1989.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8336pm92h",
        "rank": 0
    },
    {
        "id": 214767,
        "series_id": 26,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-rashkb-journal-engine",
        "series_title": "RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊",
        "series_use_hku_proxy": false,
        "document_key": "RAS-1999",
        "page_number": 182,
        "title": "RAS-1999",
        "content_text": "146\n\nJust as I was congratulating myself on a good day's work, a Jap officer came up and ordered me back into the lorry. Whimpey and Frank got off. He directed me by hand signs to drive to Courtlands Hotel which had been taken over by the Japs. The few remaining residents looked pretty scared. More troops piled in and, after a very trying drive through Kennedy Town, we finally reached the St Louis Industrial School where they all got out. We had passed hundreds of troops and the streets were littered with dead Chinese. I was beginning to think my work was done when several officers started arguing and kept pointing at me and looking aggressive. Suddenly one of the officers whipped out his sword and I thought they had decided to bump me off but to my amazement he produced a bottle of beer, nipped the top off with his sword, and handed me the bottle. I was then given a loaf of bread. Apart from one or two soldiers, they had treated me very well. My wings seemed to fascinate them. By now I wanted to call it a day but another officer got in the lorry and off we went back to the hotel. He had some beer with him and handed me the bottles to open. I stopped the van and wedged the tops off on the mudguard. This seemed to amuse him and he tried to do the same on the dashboard with drastic results. Once more the van is loaded up with troops. Another officer takes over who is not so pleasant and I get half an inch of bayonet in my bottom for being too slow. Back to the School where another terrific argument starts. I want to go back with the van but two officers decide to drive me back in a Ford Ten. They don't use any lights and we have several narrow escapes from hitting lamp posts. Suddenly I see we are heading for one of the islands in the middle of the road and shout a warning. Too late and there's a terrific crash and we finish up on our backs. By now I am fed up so, bowing politely, I leave them and walk the two miles to China Command.\n\nSaturday. Five of us sleep in a small office. All our water has to be drawn from a stream nearby. No one knows what is going to become of us and everyone tries to guess at our future destination. Some Jap officers inspect us.\n\nSunday twenty eighth. More troops arrive from Stanley and report that Japs raped and bayonetted nurses in St Stephens hospital, also killed the wounded. Colonel Smith, whose wife was one of those killed, goes nearly mad and tried to get at the nearest Jap. Several atrocity stories come to light and atmosphere becomes very tense. Two destroyers",
        "txt_file_path": "txt/dfo323lmgvd/RAS-1999.txt",
        "external_url": "https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/s178b887x",
        "rank": 0
    }
]