Amanuensis Monday - letter from Bill Hudson to Peggy November 6th, 1941.

My grandfather Bill Hudson worked as a prison officer in Hong Kong from 1921 to 1941. He was still in Hong Kong in December of 1941 when the Japanese invaded and occupied the colony. My grandmother Peg and my father Peter had been evacuated to Australia in July 1940. Peg kept the last couple of letters Bill wrote from Hong Kong prior to the Japanese invasion, along with the letters he wrote immediately after liberation.

Most of the letters are long, so I'm going to serialise them over the next few weeks.

The first letter is dated Thursday 6 November, 1941, just over a month before the Japanese invaded Hong Kong.

This is page one.
Page 2 is here.

Page 3 is here.

Page 4 is here.

Thursday 6.11.41
No 3


Sweetheart,


To-day has been a red letter day for all of us, as I think everybody had a letter, the first mail to arrive for over a fortnight. I had two lovely ones, posted 20th and 27th Oct, No 3, the 27th was unnumbered so it must have been No 4. You bet I was pleased to have them. I also had a sea mail letter, and a "Rix", the one containing Peter's school Book which I think very good indeed. I will write him a sea mail next week in answer to his, that was in your letter, which you wrote on Oct 5th.


I only wish I could have had your letters yesterday, it would have saved me the trouble of seeing the Boss, re the move from here. Anyway, it's too late now, the result being that I can stay here, if I have the phone moved at my own expense, I had to argue a long time before he would give way. He said they were senior officers Qrs, and should be occupied as such. I mentioned that Ryan and Plumb were senior to Spoors, yet they had not to go. Anyway I had to say that I was fed up with moving, and when he heard from me, that this would be my fourth move in 4 years, he sympathised with me, so I promised to pay for the phone being moved. Now I find out that he intends to put Pile up there, only he can't apply for a phone for Pile, because officially I am there, and not allowed a phone here. Anyhow Jew Boy said he would try and fix it for me, if he can't I will have to move over. Q must have been getting onto Pat, because he asked how I posted my letters, and on saying  via Rangoon, he said but isn't that route closed. He never knows Peg, he never buys a paper, now has he got a Radio. 


Anyway Darling, Q will be getting news as quick as you now, because he says he must write Rangoon way now, it will break his heart to pay extra postage. I was going to buy you another £10.0.0, only I hear there is very little Australian money in the colony, and what there is, is $11.90 for a pound, I thought I would buy this, and let my teeth wait, I also have a new suit to pay for, so that will take my acting pay of £60, which I hear today, I got paid up from 15.9.41, so in {...} I drew $90, very nice too in these hard times.