Hong Kong Internment, 1942 to 1945 Life in the Japanese Civilian Camp at Stanley Geoffrey Charles Emerson Hong Kong University Press 14/F Hing Wai Centre 7 Tin Wan Praya Road Aberdeen Hong Kong www.hkupress.org © Hong Kong University Press 2008 First paperback printing 2011 ISBN 978-962-209-880-0 (Hardback) ISBN 978-988-8028-53-5 (Paperback) All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue copy for this book is available from the British Library 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Printed and bound by Condor Production Ltd., Hong Kong, China Contents List of Illustrations ix List of Abbreviations xii Maps xiii Foreword xvii New Preface xix New Introduction 1 Stanley Internment Camp, Hong Kong, 1942–1945: 31 A Study of Civilian Internment during the Second World War (M. Phil. Thesis, University of Hong Kong, 1973) Preface 33 Introduction 35 1. Politics 55 Governing the Camp — Repatriation — Executions 2. Life in the Camp I 79 Food — Clothing — Medical Matters — Diseases — The Red Cross — Accidental Deaths — Sex 3. Life in the Camp II 131 Education — Religion — Entertainment 4. Life in the Camp III 151 The Black Market — Crime — Escapes — The Tiger 5. The Final Months and Liberation 165 6. A Summing Up 177 A Note on Personal Interviews 181 viii Contents Appendices 183 Additional Appendices 217 Bibliography 227 Additional Bibliography 231 Index 235 List of Illustrations 1. Bishop R. O. Hall, 1948 (courtesy of St John’s Cathedral) xx 2. Bishop and Mrs. Hall, 1966 (St John’s Cathedral) xx 3. Jean and Billy Gittins’ wedding, 1929 (courtesy of Elizabeth Doery) 2 4. Jean and Billy Gittins’ wedding, 1929 (courtesy of Elizabeth Doery) 2 5. Jean and Billy Gittins (courtesy of Peter Hall) 2 6. Dorothy Jenner’s police pass (courtesy of Ure Smith) 8 7. Dorothy Jenner’s shoes and diary (courtesy of Ure Smith) 8 8. Surrender ceremony, 1945 (Imperial War Museum, SE 4993) 17 9. Franklin Gimson, 1945 (Imperial War Museum, CI 1674) 17 10. Sir Franklin Gimson in Singapore (courtesy of Judy Snowden) 17 11. Sir Franklin Gimson in Singapore (courtesy of Judy Snowden) 17 12. The Hongkong News, 5 January 1942 (1972 – all 1972 and 2007 photographs were taken by the author) 37 13. Hotel where internees were put in 1942 (1972) 37 14. Stanley peninsula (1972) 39 15. St Stephen’s College Hall (1972) 40 16. Bungalow E (1972) 40 17. Block 10 (1972) 41 18. Block 11 (1972) 41 19. Main road into the prison grounds (1972) 42 20. Central Recreation Room (1972) 42 21. The Dutch Block (1972) 43 22. The Mosque (1972) 43 23. The Indian Quarters (1972) 44 24. Tai Tam Bay (1972) 44 25. The garages and the Married Quarters (1972) 45 26. The American Quarters (1972) 45 27. The Superintendent’s House (1972) 46 28. The Doctor’s House (1972) 46 29. The Cemetery (1972) 48 30. The Cemetery (1972) 48 x List of Illustrations 31. Tweed Bay Beach (1972) 48 32. The landing site, Stanley Bay (1972) 50 33. Internees’ room (Imperial War Museum, A30548) 51 34. American Community officials (courtesy of Greg Leck) 56 35. The Reverend Watanabe Kiyoshi (courtesy of Tim Ko) 58 36. Repatriation ships (1972) 69 37. Sir Vandeleur Grayburn (courtesy of the Hongkong and Shanghai 72 Banking Corporation) 38. The Ration Distribution Centre (1972) 79 39. Sketch: The Kitchen Committee (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 80 40. Sketch: A Food Queue 80 41. Sketch: Gingles, American Cook 80 42. Sketch: The Rat in the Rice Bag 81 43. Sketch: Crickets in the Veg 81 44. Sketch: This Ration Question 86 45. Sketch: Rooftop Garden (courtesy of Elizabeth Doery) 90 46. Food Chart (courtesy of Elizabeth Doery) 90 47. Sketch: Parcels and Rations (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 91 48. Canteen List (author’s collection) 93 49. Sketch: Miss America 1942 (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 95 50. Sketch: Dorothy Jenner 97 51. Tweed Bay Hospital (1972) 100 52. The Sanatorium (1972) 100 53. Sketch: Tweed Bay Hospital Nurses (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 102 54. Sketch: Camp Dentist 103 55. Breeding pools for mosquitoes 108 56. Internees with beriberi (Emerson, Thesis, p. 149) 111 57. Internees with malnutrition (Emerson, Thesis, p. 152) 111 58. Internees grinding rice (Emerson, Thesis, p. 162) 116 59. The rice grinder (courtesy of St Stephen’s College) 116 60. Gravestones – Engdahl and Gill (1972 and 2007) 118 61. Bungalow C (1972) 120 62. Gravestones – Air raid victims (1972) 120 63. Sketch: Wanchai Lil in Action (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 121 64. Sketch: Ain’t Love Grand (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 121 65. Sketch: Foster Fathers 1943 (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 123 66. Sketch: Foster Fathers’ Milk Queue (courtesy of the late Alan Birch) 123 67. Stanley Camp children (courtesy of Peter Hall) 135 68. Peter Hall and Gerald Rose (courtesy of Peter Hall) 135 69. Peter Hall’s school report (courtesy of Peter Hall) 137 70. E. S. Atkins (courtesy of St Stephen’s Girls’ College) 137 71. Cigarette packet (courtesy of Elizabeth Doery) 140 List of Illustrations xi 72. Cross in St Stephen’s College (1972) 142 73. Smuggling cigarettes (author’s collection) 151 74. The tiger (1972) 161 75. The Hongkong News, 16 August 1945 (1972) 168 76. Internees after liberation (Imperial War Museum A30507) 171 77. Gimson meets Harcourt (Imperial War Museum) 171 78. Flag-raising, 30 August 1945 (Imperial War Museum A30506) 172 79. Flag-raising site 2007 (author’s collection) 172 80. Harcourt greeting internees (Imperial War Museum) 173 81. Internees after liberation (Imperial War Museum) 174 82. Internees in Central (Imperial War Museum SE 4971) 174 83. Sergeant Jackson’s grave (2007) 175 84. Two photographs from the Hongkong News (1972) 185 85. Two photographs of Santo Tomas Camp, Manila (author’s collection) 207 86. The Day Joyce Sheet (courtesy of Greg Leck) 219 87. John Hayward’s passport (courtesy of Robin Hayward) 220 88. Postcard to C. M. Faure (courtesy of David Faure) 221 89. Two photographs of Zetland Lodge (courtesy of the Trustees of 223 Zetland Lodge) 90. St Stephen’s College Chapel window (courtesy of St Stephen’s 225 College, Stanley) 91. Memorial gravestone, Stanley Cemetery (1972) 225 92. St Stephen’s College Chapel (2007) 226 93. Sir Mark Young, the Governor (Hong Kong Public Records Office) 226 94. Dr. Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, Director of Medical Services (courtesy of 226 Mary Seed, his daughter) New Introduction Soon after I began my research in 1970, I read in a Hong Kong newspaper, the South China Morning Post, that a lady who had been interned in Stanley Camp was in Hong Kong from Australia for the publication of her autobiography. The lady was Mrs. Jean Hotung Gittins, daughter of Sir Robert Hotung, well-known philanthropist and multi- millionaire businessman.1 The report said that Mrs. Gittins would be signing copies of her autobiography, Eastern Windows — Western Skies. As she signed my copy of the book, I mentioned to her that I was interested in Stanley Camp and said I would like to talk with her. She readily agreed, and our subsequent meeting was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. I spent a lot of time with Jean on several of her visits to Hong Kong from her home in Australia, and I visited her twice in Melbourne before her death in 1995. She had an excellent memory and was usually able to answer without hesitation my many questions about Stanley Camp. Furthermore, she was forthcoming, very certain of herself and strongly opinionated. Some of the former internees I interviewed were clearly hesitant at times to answer my questions; Jean never was. She also involved me with her extended family in Hong Kong, and from them I also learned a lot about the war years. As a Eurasian, Jean did not have to enter Stanley Camp. As far as I know, no other member of the large Hotung family did so. Jean did so voluntarily in January 1942. Her father, Sir Robert, went to Macau and spent almost all the war years there. Jean’s decision to enter Stanley Camp was remarkable because in most other places in the Far East, such as China, Singapore, The Philippines and Indonesia, people entered internment only because they were forced to do so. Jean’s unusual decision reflected the common thinking in Hong Kong, namely that the war would not last long and internees would be treated, if not well, at least satisfactorily. In her book she explained the several reasons why she entered Stanley Camp. Her husband, Billy Gittins, had fought with the Hong Kong Volunteers against the Japanese and was imprisoned in a POW camp in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon.2 Jean had made three very difficult attempts to visit him, but only on one occasion had she even seen him, in the distance, and they were unable to communicate. These attempts were harrowing and exposed her to danger, so she decided it was useless to try. She thought that if she went into Stanley Camp, there was the possibility of an New Introduction 3 exchange of prisoners and she might be able to join her two children, who had been sent to Australia in May 1941. Jean Gittins was an inspiration to me. Another lady who influenced my writing more recently is Bernice Archer, though I did not meet her until 1991, when she visited Hong Kong to research Stanley Camp.3 At that time Archer was preparing a special study which she wrote in 1992 as part fulfillment of a B.A.