Rosary Hill - Hong Kong
Convento de San Alberto Magno

The following information was supplied by Ron Bridge of the FEPOW
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1. Rosary Hill, which according to the British Government to shamefully avoid the "Ex-gratia" payments to POWS, declared that it was not an Japanese Internment camp falsely stating that there were no guards and inmates were free to go but they had nowhere to go. By late 1943, western/white people were not allowed to wander freely in China or anywhere the Japanese ruled. Rosary Hill was "technically" not under the jurisdiction of any Japanese Government authority (either military or civil) and the funds to run it were provided by the Red Cross.

From former POW, Edith Badger, we learned, "In early 1943, according to IMTFE #14754 - 90, 14846 - 83 records the Brits and the Japanese met in Geneva Switzerland. The Brits complained to the Japanese over the treatment of POWs and Civilian Internees. After this discusssion according to IMTFE 27181 the Japanese agreeded to the Ratification but refused to sign the Document. They agreeded to comply with the articles of the conventions and that is why the Dependents of the HKVDF and Colonial Service were ordered to a Civilian Internment Camp, Rosary Hill." [See additional commentary by former internee]

2. Its proper name was Convento de San Alberto Magno built by the Spanish. Dominicans in 1935 at 41B Stubbs Road Overlooking Happy Valley. The buildings, having once been a monastery, contained numerous small cubilcles which were generally allocated one per family.

3. In 1943 it became a Red Cross internment camp for a large number of Filho de Macau and other Eurasian and third national families whose fathers,brothers and sons had been serving in the British HK Volunteer Defence Force and who had been made prisoners of war either in Shamshuipo Camp in Kowloon or taken to Japan. The families thus were effectievly destitute with no money coming in. There were isolated cases of others with family members who were put in the Stanley Civilian Internment camp but the Japanese considered that the individuals were "not British enough" to warrant internment and they were temporarily left to there own devices. With no earner in the family they had to rely on the Red Cross and were ordered into Rosary Hill. The diet was not brilliant but food throughout the colony had become more difficult with shipping being harrassed by US submarines and the land connecions cut inetremittently by Chinese guerillas. Many moved themselves to Macau when they could find the money, where the British Consul was able to help in some cases.