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Built in 1937 to house Mainland Chinese fleeing the Japanese, then used by the Japanese as a stable North Point had been badly damaged during the fighting. It was then stripped of its plumbing and was filthy. To make matters worse a mound of dead animals and Chinese were left to rot at the east end of the camp. Wrote one person, "... a fearful stench pervaded the area from corpses left outside the perimeter wire." This became home to the Canadians on December 30, 1941, and for many months to come.

The "Prince Robert" was the ship that carried part of "C Force" to Hong Kong. During the war it had served as a submarine attack ship and had sunk at least one German sub. The Prince Robert returned to Hong Kong at the end of the war to pick up the Canadians. Life is full of odd twists and turns.