Francisco Xavier Soares

If any descendant of Francisco Xavier Soares, the HSBC banker who played such a courageous role during the Japanese occupation, is reading this, I would be grateful if they could contact me about permission to quote from Mr Soares’ archival letters.

Two letters home immediately after liberation

One

Undated, but perhaps September 2nd, when the first air mail service left Hong Kong:

H. K. Hotel
Room 321
Dear Mum and all
Great to be free again Lena & I are fit sorry no time to write any more have only just heard we can send this
Love
Lena & Ooke

Two

Room 321 Hong Kong Hotel

Hong Kong

4-9-45

Dear Mum and All,

How is everybody? my last letter I received from you was August 1944 but in (terms – added above line) Stanley that was a recent one. Lena & I have pulled through alright, lost a bit of weight but still alive & kicking, although the Japs done their best to get us down but they never succeeded. We are hopelessly out of date. We are both longing to get home & if there is any good opportunities to stay home. Am terribly busy at present as I am still O/c {presumably Officer commanding} Bakeries (nothing is ever mentioned about salary & at present I am too busy to ask. hope to see you all as soon as possible

love

Lena & Ooke

Note: This is transcribed accurately, except that my father had a habit of pepperring his letters with apparently random full stops, and these I have omitted.