- 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. |