InJuly1940,thewivesandchildrenofBritishfamiliesinHongKong,militaryandcivilian,werecompulsorilyevacuated,followingaplancreatedbytheHongKonggovernmentin1939.Thatplanfocusedexclusivelyontheprocessofevacuationitself,butissuesconcerninghowthewomenandchildrenshouldsettleinthenewcountry,communicationwithabandonedhusbands,andreunitingfamiliesafterthewarwerenotconsidered.Inpractice,fewwouldeverbeaddressed.Whenevacuationcame,3,500peoplewouldsimplybedumpedinAustralia.
Theexperienceoftheevacueescanbeseenasathree-actdrama:deliverytoAustraliacreatestension,fiveyearsofwaranduncertaintyintensifyit,andresolutioncomesaswarends.However,thatdrama,unliketheevacuationplan,didnotdevelopinavacuumbutwasembeddedinacomplexhistorical,political,andsocialenvironment.Basedonarchivalresearchofofficialdocuments,lettersandmemoirs,andinterviewsanddiscussionswithmorethanonehundredevacueesandtheirfamilies,thisbookstudiestheevacuationwithinthatentirecontext.
KONG SCALE BRITISH AUSTRALIA WOMEN HONG
