Description
Object description
British civilian financial executive officer with Financial Advisors and Army Audit Staff, War Office in Hong Kong, 1939-1940; staff officer served with Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps in Hong Kong, 1940-1941; prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po and Argyle Street Camps, Hong Kong, 12/1941-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as financial executive officer with Financial Advisors and Army Audit Staff, War Office in Hong Kong, 1939-1940: background to posting to Hong Kong; character of voyage from GB to India; journey across India; mining and sinking of SS Sirdhana off Singapore, Malaya, 13/11/1939 including evacuation of ship by lifeboat; arrival in Hong Kong; initial impressions of Hong Kong; learning Cantonese and social activities; awareness of events in Europe and effects on garrison; presence of Japanese on border of territory; description of Gin Drinkers Line; Hong Kong Garrison forces.
REEL 2 Continues: volunteer artillery units. Recollections of period as staff officer with Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps in Hong Kong, 1940-1941: background to joining corps and appointment as staff captain; training and duties; work on evacuation plans for service families; implementation of service family evacuation plans; arrival of Canadian forces and changes in defence plan; condition of Gin Drinkers Line; untrained character of Canadian troops; importance of laundry; Royal Air Force and Royal Navy presence in colony; Battle Headquarters; lack of emergency forces; news from China; expectations of war with Japanese.
REEL 3 Continues: Japanese espionage in colony; morale in Hong Kong; attitude towards Japanese. Recollections of operations as staff officer wtih Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps during Battle of Hong Kong, 12/1941: lack of warning of outbreak of hostilities 12/1941; duties to sort out logistics; opinion of 1st Bn Middlesex Regt (Duke of Cambridge's Own); how 5/7th Bn Rajput Regt were driven from pillboxes by intense shellfire; development of Japanese attack; effectiveness of Japanese stealth tactics; Japanese use of mortars; evacuation of mainland; opinion of 2/14th Bn Punjab Regt; Japanese invite to surrender; duties with Battle Headquarters Defence Force; mortar casualties; deployment of Battle Headquarters Defence Force; question of Battle Headquarters Defence Force mentality; Japanese attack on Hong Kong Island; behaviour of civil population; sight of attack on Japanese vessels by 2nd Motor Torpedo Flotilla, 19/12/1941; question of senior officers staying in Battle Headquarters.
REEL 4 Continues: communications by line from Battle Headquarters; re-supply; opinion of Major General Christopher Maltby and his brigadier; reaction to surrender 25/12/1941; collection of clothes from lodgings and move to barracks in Kowloon; attitude of troops of 2nd/14th Bn Punjab Regt to combat; behaviour of Eurasians in action. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-4/1942: state of barrack accommodation; sleeping arrangements and rations; scavenging and salvaging items including dismantling of buses; Japanese reaction to dismantling of buses; importance of discipline amongst prisoners of war; effect on morale of imprisonment; effect on smokers of imprisonment; Japanese guards attitudes and deterioration in their quality; move to Argyle Street Camp, 4/1942.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Argyle Street Camp, Hong Kong, 4/1942-5/1944: reasons why escapes not encouraged; black market; failure of camp committee; working for money; construction of bakery; supply of sugar; use of human waste to grow tomatoes; creation of official fund to break camp racketeers; construction work; use of persuasion on Japanese; Japanese attitude towards prisoners of war and sickness; Japanese discipline; accommodation in camp; construction of illicit radio; dissemination of news; Japanese discovery of illicit radio; Japanese interrogation of suspects; fate of group of five officers in contact with resistance group; camp security.
REEL 6 Continues: treatment by Japanese guards; division of food rations; duties as hut messing officer; shortage of food and fuel; construction of operating table, lights and water heater; supplies of tea and vegetables; state of health and effects of deficiencies; treatment of sick; types of people most likely to die; daily routine; education; receiving news of Japanese decline. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 5/1944-8/1945: move to camp; camp governance; hearing news of dropping of atomic bombs and change in Japanese behaviour, 8/1945; news of Japanese surrender; visit to Hong Kong and acquiring radio; visit to naval medical party; getting glasses repaired; lack of mail; prior recollection of Swiss Red Cross inspection of Argyle Street Camp, late 1942.
REEL 7 Continues: confusion after Japanese surrender. Aspects of return to GB via United States of America, 1945: condition of HMT Empress of Australia; stay in Philippines; voyage across Pacific aboard American troopship; train journey across United States of America; crossing North Atlantic in HMT Queen Mary; effects of availability of rations; medical checks; psychological effects of captivity; physical recovery; impressions of GB; reporting for duty and leave; attitude towards captivity in Hong Kong.
