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- Dark Side of the Sun -



George Palmer's Journey From Prince Edward Island to
Hong Kong and the Omine Camp in WWII


His Story
    Chronology     Capt. Wilson Interview     Dr. Gingras Interview
November

17 - Landed at Kowloon yesterday.  We have the Winnipeg Grenadiers with us and the Royal Scots. (Imp)
18 - The bed bugs are terrible, also red ants and termites.
19 - Found a tarantula near my bed.  There are also centipedes and scorpions.
20 - We also have the 5th. and 7th.  Royput, tough looking fellows.
21 - Over to Hong Kong looking over the defences.  It is well fortified.
22 - Battalion orderly Sgt. and it keeps a guy busy.  Was promoted to L/Sgt. on November 16th., 1941.
23 - Cool today, not much going on except that I'm Company Orderly Sgt.
24 - Went to Hong Kong, we are way up in the mountains staying in dugouts.
25 - Setting up barbed wire, making sketches of the place.  We are at Obelish Hill.
26 - Came back to Shamshuipo, marched all the way back.
27 - Saw a lot of old Chinese graves, they bury dead on hill tops.
28 - In charge of fire Piquet, waiting for fire to start.
29 - Clean up, also getting rid of bed bugs.  The Japs seem to be getting saucy, will get hurt pretty soon.
30 - Church parade this a.m. Reg. is C.B. on account of Japanese situation.

December

1- We are manning the positions over on Hong Kong, digging pits and placing barbed wire.
2- At Obelish Hill placing barbed wire in case they come.
3- Working on wire and digging more positions.  Raining all day.
4- Working on wire again today.  Very hot.
5 - War expected at anytime, looks very bad.
6 - Rest of the Regiment came out to the position today.
7 - Lots of excitement - working very hard.
8 - War declared.  Japanese planes overhead all day bombing.
9 - Bombed all day, also long range shelling, guns never stop.
10 - Planes overhead all night, the battle goes on - everything looks bad.
11 - H.M.S. Prince of Wales and Repulse sunk by enemy planes - looks worse.
12 - Can't sleep.  The shells are bursting all over the place.
13 - Japs tried to land, but were driven off by our fire.  Some enemy snipers were caught at Titan today.
14 - Bombs falling.  Big guns roar night and day.
15 - Plane shot down, can't sleep in all this noise.
16 - Heavy shelling all day - expect attack at anytime.
17 - Japs have landed at Fort Lymoon and heavy fighting is on.
18 - We have reinforced there, but we are getting the worst of it at Mount Parker.
19 - At Stone Hill fighting is terrible, being driven back all the time.
20 - Too terrible to say anything about.  Japs good fighters.
21 - At Sydney Mound lowering the volley.
22 - At Bridge Hill, very sharp encounter, two of our men killed.
23 - On Stone Hill, bad place, snipers all over - can't move.
24 - At Stanley Peninsula, almost played out - can't stand it much longer.
25 - We attacked Cemetary, were almost wiped out.  I escaped unhurt.
26 - A truce has been made and we are now prisoners of war.
27 - We are cleaning up the debris caused by the shelling and bombing.
28 - Sunday.  Still cleaning up the debris caused by the shelling and bombing.
29 - Burying the dead - some terrible sights.
30 - Marched to Victoria and are in the concentration camp.
31 - Conditions are awful.  Dead bodies lying around all over.
1941 - LANCE ROSS (R.R.C.) DIARY

1941
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