First landing party on a wrecked pier/bridge wrecked bridge

Sun, 08/30/2015 - 21:41

Source: http://www.hillmanweb.com/rcn/hk/03.html

 HMCS Prince Robert made fast at Holt's Wharf. (see also http://gwulo.com/node/28372)

Date picture taken
30 Aug 1945

Comments

I believe that this might be Holt's Wharf at the eastern tip of TST just past the Peninsula Hotel.  Holt's Wharf was actually three wharves, which ran out into the harbor where they were crossed by a much larger dock running parallel to the shore.  Photos taken by US aircraft late in the war show that all three of the piers running out into the harbor had been severed by American bombing, though the large outer pier was intact.  This all matches up with the photo above, as does the large slab-sided godown in the background of the photo.  It would be interesting to know whether the camouflage was a British or Japanese paint job.  --Steve Bailey