On December 8, when war was declared in the Pacific, the nurses moved to St. Albert's Convent. Within three days, they had established an Auxiliary Military Hospital at the convent and relocated all patients there. That same day, the first bombing of Hong Kong occurred, with the hospital taking seventeen direct hits. On Christmas Eve, rumors circulated that the colony had unconditionally surrendered to the Japanese forces and on Christmas day the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began. On December 19, the St. Albert's Military Hospital was taken over by the Japanese. Though they were prisoners of war, the sisters continued to care for the patients under their charge until they were sent to Stanley Internment Camp in August 1942. After fourteen months of captivity, Waters was repatriated in 1943 to Canada.