FRAGMENTS OF A CORPS SIGNALS WAR DIARY (Sgt. Booker?)

[From Ride Private Papers, Norway]

Corps Signals was mobilized on 7th December 1941, and the Mainland Detachments were deployed early on that Sunday afternoon.  By the time the Japanese struck at Hong Kong on the Monday morning, the Armoured Column was already in action and D/Rs were assisting the Field Engineers to pack explosives into the forward bridge demolitions.  Half way through the Mainland battle, Royal Signals had difficulty with their Brigade wireless station.  An Armoured Car, equipped with wireless, quietly eased up into position and took over the station until things could be sorted out.

Despatch Riders were in the saddle practically continuously until the withdrawal from the Mainland, when they returned for a short but well earned rest.  Line and Operating Sections were fully occupied all over the Island as the shelling and mortaring of positions intensified.  We would have given anything for a few 88 or 31 sets!!  There was constant improvisation.  The detachment at Stanley went into the attack with the Scottish Company at Chung Am Kok.  It was necessary to call down covering fire.  There were no wireless sets, and no line!  Company HQ fixed up a Lucas Lamp on the corner of a partially demolished building and keyed it from a distance of some hundred yards.  The signalers with the attack --- but the following extract from the War Diary tells the story far better:

        “I sent off another message (by V/T) asking for MG fire to cover the valley where the enemy were advancing.  This was acknowledged and the MGs from Stanley opened up. --- tried several times during the night to contact HQ by lamp until finally my lamp was shattered by fire from a Japanese automatic gun just below us.  I located its position by its burst of orange flame and tossed down two grenades which put it out of action”.

Another example of improvisation deals with two Armoured Car operators who were sent through the lines to retrieve the last remaining wireless set from a disabled car, for use at West Brigade HQ.

“Mortar and Sniper fire from Blacks Link making things uncomfortable.  Also air attack.  Was attempting to mend the driving seat when a direct hit from mortar blew hole in the side of car and damaged petrol tank.  Got pieces of chewing gum and stuck up tank --- waited until dark and managed to bring battered car and wireless set back ---.”  Both operators were wounded.

It was a Corps Signals Officer who wrote out the surrender order and it was Corps Signals D/Rs, weary and worn, who drove through the lines carrying this order to all Units in the field, with their blue and white armbands reversed and white flags tied to their handlebars.  For some unaccountable reason the Japanese allowed (?) these D/Rs to continue to run a service round all concentration areas for 4 days after the surrender, during which time most vital information was circulated.  When it became known that the enemy was about to choose this service down, machines were smashed up and pushed down storm drains - a sad end for trusty steeds.

A final gesture!  Signals trundled a baby’s pram along the long road to the POW Camp at Shamshuipo.  In this pram there were some 700 letters which could not be delivered to men in the field during the last days of fighting.  Practically all of them were eventually delivered.  These brought happiness to some and tragedy to others, but Signals had discharged their last organized duty.

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