I was expecting the pillboxes around Aberdeen to have been demolished already, so I was very pleased to get this email from Thomas:
I think I have bumped into one of these in March and didn't realise it. Here is an old photo of the location.
Now the location is boarded up for slope maintenance.
I was only able to take a peep from the opening of the hinge.
Let's hope the pillbox would still be there when the maintenance is done.
Let's hope so indeed, and thanks again to Thomas for sending these in.
The wartime map shows this pillbox on the old shoreline, before the Tin Wan Praya road and associated land was reclaimed.
The map also shows a barrier was built across the mouth of the harbour - it is marked 'Boom (sunken river boats)'. Coincidentally, today's sea wall touches the coastline just about where the wartime boom touched land.
If you have any memories or photos of pillbox 8, or any of the pillboxes around Hong Kong, please get in touch.
MrB
Comments
Pillbox 008
Thomas sent in this update. Doesn't look like there's much of this pillbox left to see, and there's a good chance it will get concret
ed over when they shotcrete the hillside.
Pillbox 008 update
Hi there,
I walked by the location earlier today and took these two composite photos. The structure is already half-buried in dirt. I wonder would it be cleared up, or be covered by cement after the slope work is concluded.
T
PB / LL8
T, Thanks for updating us on the state of this one.
From the curved front, it looks as though this is the old Lyon Light shelter. I wonder where the pillbox was?
Re PB / LL8
Hi there,
Some more updates. The slope works appeared to be in it's final phase and the boardings both up the slope and besides the location had been removed. I am posting two recent photos here again. I believe the BP/OP is half-burried by previous landslides. I wonder what was the concrete structure by it's right with a little brick work with the trees on top.
I wold also try to take some photos from Pokfulams Road above next time.
Best Regards,
T
re: PB/LL8
T, Thanks for keeping us updated. It looks as though they have survived the work on the slope.
The structure on the left is the Lyon Light shelter, so I wonder if the wall to the right marks the location of the pillbox?
Re: PB/LL 8 - two more photos from the top side
Hi there,
Two more photos from the top side. I guess it really takes a dig to uncovery what's behind this but that might endanger the slope further.
Best Regards,
T
Rob's notes
Year completed is: Approximate
Condition at last visit: Demolished
Date of last visit: Jan-1998
Ref: ROB-00607
Other:
Re: PB8/LL8
Looks a bit more buried when visited today, but still there. Already some workers with a bulldozer clearing some areas immediately around it.