Introduction
Lance Ross's diary was copied from a defunct GeoCities website that hosted Michael Palmer's Book Dark Side of the Sun. It has been published by HKVCA on our site to ensure that it remains in the public domain. For other details on Lance Ross, please visit our 'C' Force site and view his individual report.
November 1941
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.