Ron Claricoates
Ron Claricoates was a medical orderly in the diphtheria hospital in
ShamShuiPo. He was a quiet, unassuming fellow, and one of the most
dedicated and hard-working of the kind and gentle men who risked their
lives to provide comfort for those of us who needed it.
ShamShuiPo. He was a quiet, unassuming fellow, and one of the most
dedicated and hard-working of the kind and gentle men who risked their
lives to provide comfort for those of us who needed it.
As stated elsewhere in this rambling account, I was a patient in the "Dip"
hospital. Next door to our room was a fellow who was very sick and
wasn't expected to survive.
hospital. Next door to our room was a fellow who was very sick and
wasn't expected to survive.
One night I awoke with the urge to go to the bathroom down the hall.
The hallway was dimly lit, and as I came out of our room I saw a figure
lying next to the wall, and covered up over the head.
The hallway was dimly lit, and as I came out of our room I saw a figure
lying next to the wall, and covered up over the head.
I assumed that poor old Joe had passed on, said a little prayer over him
and continued on to the bathroom. When I returned, two minutes later,
the corpse was gone!
and continued on to the bathroom. When I returned, two minutes later,
the corpse was gone!
As the Englishman would say, "That shook me rigid!" What had
happened? I crept back to my mattress looking over my shoulder..
happened? I crept back to my mattress looking over my shoulder..
The next morning I found out. Ron had taken forty winks, lying down on
the floor with a blanket over his head. When I was in the bathroom he got
a call and left and took his blanket with him! Mystery solved.
the floor with a blanket over his head. When I was in the bathroom he got
a call and left and took his blanket with him! Mystery solved.
Electric Cigarette Lighter
In the Jubilee Building that was used as a diphtheria hospital during the
epidemic of 1942, there was still electrical power available.
epidemic of 1942, there was still electrical power available.
Tobacco was scarce. When we were lucky enough to get a cigarette, it
was carefully broken into four pieces, and the tobacco was rolled into four
small fags, using the brown toilet paper that was issued to us.
was carefully broken into four pieces, and the tobacco was rolled into four
small fags, using the brown toilet paper that was issued to us.
The toilet paper was a good substitute for the real thing, but even that
became scarce in due time.
became scarce in due time.
But this story is about a cigarette lighter. As mentioned in the story about
the punk box, even a light was sometimes hard to find, However, mere
prison life could not thwart the ingenuity of the dedicated smoker!
the punk box, even a light was sometimes hard to find, However, mere
prison life could not thwart the ingenuity of the dedicated smoker!
Some bright lad had invented a lighter using a tin can full of salt water, a
shard of glass with a wire attached to it, and another wire attached to the
can.
shard of glass with a wire attached to it, and another wire attached to the
can.
When the wires were plugged into the wall socket, they would glow red,
providing a light for your cigarette.
providing a light for your cigarette.
Bright lad that I was, I decided to make a cigarette lighter. I got everything
ready. One wire attached to the can, one wire attached to the sliver of
glass in the can of salt water, both wires plugged into the wall.
ready. One wire attached to the can, one wire attached to the sliver of
glass in the can of salt water, both wires plugged into the wall.
Perfect! The wire glowed red, and my experiment was a success! Bright
lad that I was, I grabbed the can with my bare hand to set it back out of
the way.
lad that I was, I grabbed the can with my bare hand to set it back out of
the way.
POW! I got an electric shock that threw me halfway across the room!
That was the end of my cigarette lighter! I was lucky that nothing worse
had happened.
That was the end of my cigarette lighter! I was lucky that nothing worse
had happened.
I could have been killed, or if the Japs had found out about it, I would
have received a royal hammering.
have received a royal hammering.
Yeast is Yeast
In ShamShuiPo, the Japs used to take a miscreant to the old tennis court
to beat him up. This became known as "a tennis courting".
to beat him up. This became known as "a tennis courting".
In the early days at ShamShuiPo, many ideas were tried to stave off the
effects of malnutrition. One of the ideas that was tried was the drinking of
yeast. Yeast is self-generating as long as flour and water are added to the
existing batch.
effects of malnutrition. One of the ideas that was tried was the drinking of
yeast. Yeast is self-generating as long as flour and water are added to the
existing batch.
Every day we lined up and received a dollop of the foul-tasting stuff. At
that time we were grasping at straws to find anything that would fend off
beri-beri and pellagra.
that time we were grasping at straws to find anything that would fend off
beri-beri and pellagra.
Over the pot some wag had placed a sign admonishing us not to waste the
stuff. It read, " Yeast is Yeast and Waste is Waste, and never the twain
shall meet", paraphrasing a line of Kipling's poem, "The Ballad of East and
West."
stuff. It read, " Yeast is Yeast and Waste is Waste, and never the twain
shall meet", paraphrasing a line of Kipling's poem, "The Ballad of East and
West."