1950s Map of Wanchai Gap & Mount Cameron

Thanks David,  

Given that Kennedy-Skipton lived in 565 The Peak in the position Deputy Controller of Foods, where would the likes of the Colonial Secretary, Attorney General, Financial Secretary etc, have resided during this time frame ie:1938 to 1941?

rgds - Michael

Michael, I don't have an answer for your regarding where the top government officals resided from 1938 to 1941.  It seems the government sold 565 The Peak not too long after this map to American Express.  I found the following from the 1948 Telephone Directory:

546 Boissezon, Mrs. N
549 Moller, C.B.
550 Oliver, A (industrial sales mgr residence, cannot see company name)  

556 Jennings, P.H. (director of audit, cannot see company name)
561 Armstrong, H.J. (Editor-in-chief, 1956 directory)
563 Wong, C.Y.
564 Mackenzie, Cmdr, A. A. (J.D. Clague's residence in the mid-50s)
565 Fieth, F.P. (American Express Co. Vice President & General Mgr residence)

566 Anderson, Robert E.

* 545 and 562 may be listed on Pg. 100 of the 1948 directory, but I could not see the snippet of it on my search. 547 is listed as well, but only the number and not the resident.

Can anyone identify the individuals that resided on Middle Gap Rd at this time?  I believe C.B. Moller was part of the Moller Group of Companies that owned 6 Middle Gap Rd.

____________

From the following source:

Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941 by Tony Banham

It seems these three valiant soldiers were buried at 562 The Peak.

Damant, Robert - Signalman, RCCS
Greenberg, Hymie - Signalman, RCCS,
Sharp, Charles - Sergeant, RCCS

Later on it the book it lists: Spink, George - Signalman, Royal Corps of Signals, HK Sig. Coy. as being buried at 562 Coombe Rd, The Peak.  Is there a difference between the two addresses?

Out of interest I looked at the Jurors lists for 1938 to 1941 and unless my eyes have gone I could not find any Juror listed as living in any of the houses in that area ie:545 to 566 The Peak.

I note that 557 is shown as Govt. Quarters. Could it be that most of these residences were originally built for senior colonial officers.

If someone can prove me wrong, I will be most elated.

Lots in the 300s though.

rgds - Michael

Hi Compradore - Here's one: See the following summary and detailed bios of Lt Cdr Angus A Mackenzie.  I was just surfing through the web, so not 100% sure if this was the gentleman who lived in No. 564 in 1948.  But the "circumstantial evidence" looks reasonably strong:

Summary: http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNR_officersM.html
Detailed: http://www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk/Mackenzie.html

-  Rank, initials and surname all match with the telephone directory (the Holywell bio also specifically mentions that his surname should be spelled with a small "k").

-  Arrived in Hong Kong in Oct 1945 whilst serving in the Royal Naval Reserve.  Left the navy in Jul 1946 but stayed on in HK and became a businessman (perhaps not that likely for a junior/middle ranking officer in the forces to have his own house on the Peak, but a businessman/taipan - which was what he's become by 1948 - may well have had one).

Moved to Japan a few years later.  Sounds like he had a most interesting and colourful career.

Hello David.

I believe the colonial secretaries residence was that which was on the summit of Leighton Hill.

It was reduced to a shell during the battle between the Middlesex & the Japanese but was still visable in the sixties & seventies from the Hong Kong box @ happy vley 

Hi David.

The colonial secretary at the time was F.C.Gimson(arrivedHK 

December 7 1941 (bad timing )

regards

Gary

Good morning David

This may help you out.

Government departments in Hong Kong 1841-1966

G.S. Hamilton

government printer Hong Kong 1967

all the best

Gary Liddell

It may be easier to search for Norman Lockhart Smith who was Colonial Secretary from 1937 to 1941. Gimson was only there a week before the Japanese attack.

regards - Michael

Greetings David & michael.

The plot thickens.

colonial secretary 1936-1941 Wilfred Thomas Southorn

acting administrator sept-nov1935

Wilfred Southorn

acting admin april october 1937 Andrew Aldecott

Hi David / Michael

acting administrator 6-10 september 1941 Geofry alexander Northcott

regards

Gary Liddell

Norman Lockhart Smith was appointed Colonial Secretary on 26 November 1936.  He was replaced by Franklin Gimson who arrived in Hong Kong on the day of the Japanese attack on Hong Kong on 8 December 1941. See also here

It would now appear that 565 The Peak or what is now 19 Middle Gap Road was actually originally owned by George Kennedy Skipton who purchased the 11,700 sq ft lot for HK$1,904.00 on 24th April 1934 to build a bungalow..

My Grandfather Mr R A Wickerson designed 545a The Peak and lived there in the 1950's

He was MD of China Provident at the time and was apparantly responsible for the North Point Redeveopment

Prior to this he was a Civilian Internee at Stanley Prisoner of War camp

If anyone could point me in the direction of any old images of 545a I would be very grateful

Thankyou

Mark Watson

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply

I have some old photos of the house from the 50's which I can email/upload

My mother also has quite a few old family photos from that era which I will try to get copies of

For your info my mother was born in China where her father had a business before the war

Theymoved to Hong Kong and were then evacuated to the Philipines and the Australia

My grandfather stayed in Hong Kong for business etc

After the war my mother moved back to Hong Kong in about 1948 and lived there until the late 50's I beleive then moved back

to England, my grandparenst stayed in Hong Kong until the mid 60's

My wife has also lived in Hong Kong in the late 70's when her father was stationed there with the British Army

he was in the Green Jackets.

They lived at Repulse Bay and Stanley Camp

Regards

Mark

I will attempt to upload a couple of photos I have of the house in the 1950's

Regards

Mark

546 Boissezon, Mrs. N
549 Moller, C.B.

Mrs. N Boissezon's full name was Nancy Rosalie Blechynden (Moller) Boissezon, a daughter of Nils Eric Amelon Moller. Nils was the owner/executive manager of Moller Line Ltd. After surviving WW II imprisonment in China and loss of his Shanghai' businesses, he moved to Hong Kong. Nils Moller died 13 Mar 1954 at the old Kallang Airport in Singapore following crashing landing of an incoming BOAC flight from Australia.

C.B. Moller's full name was Christopher Blechynden "Chrys" Moller, a son of Nils Eric Amelon Moller. Chrys died in South Africa in July 2006.

On July 8th, 1939, the SCMP gave the address of the Secretary of the Left Book Club, Joan Staniforth, as 557 the Peak. She was Hilda Selwyn-Clarke's 'domestic assistant' and secretarial helper, so I think this almost certainly means that's where the Selwyn-Clarkes were living. As Dr. Selwyn-Clarke was the Director of Medical Services, this supports the idea that the houses in this sequence were built for senior government officials.  Staniforth left Hong Kong on June 6, 1940 and became secretary to Robert Lim of the Chinese Red Cross. She seems to have been replaced as Mary's 'governess' by a Chinese nurse called Miriam.

On June 19, 1935 the SCMP reported on page 9 that Mrs H. F. Crapnell of 557 the Peak had been bitten by a dog belonging to E. L. Lammert of No. 556. It seems that Mr Crapnell was NOT a government official but secretary of the Star Ferry company.

The Selwyn-Clarkes lived 'first on Mount Cameron, 800 ft above the sea and with wonderful views, and later among the cooler breezes of the Mount Kellet area of the Peak, 400 ft higher still'.

Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, Footprints, p. 55.

We lived in the Moller buidling on Mt. Cameron in the 1950s and the address was 519 The Peak.  This was a 6 floor apartment block with some open garaging.  My father worked for Mollers and several of the families there were connected with Mollers but I don't think all of them were.