It seems like it must be Happy Valley because of the wide open spaces, but I can't spot any landmarks I recognise in the distance. Can you identify any of the buildings?
Regards, David
PS Nona writes:
The date of the photo is June 8, 1952, and my mother was in the the HK Regiment. There was a parade and the Governor did his thing, walking up and down. I put an arrow showing where my mother was, standing to attention :)
The photograph is of the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force Annual Review in 1952. The review took place on the sports ground in the centre of the race course. The posted photo was taken facing north – i.e. towards Sports Road. There is another image of the review on page 106 of “Serving Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Volunteers” produced by the Museum of Coastal Defence, 2004 which was taken looking east towards Wong Nei Chong Road – I think Nona’s mother is at the extreme right of that image.
The officers are wearing black arm-bands, I think because of the death of King George VI earlier that year.
The male officer standing to attention is most likely the Commandant, Col L.T.Ride. The small white building behind him is, I think, the headquarters of the RHKDF in Sports Road.
The exact unit Nona's mother served with is a bit of a mystery - Nona writes: "I found her Forces ID card and all it said was that it was the HK Regiment." But Henry says as far as he knows there weren't any women in the HK Regiment. He identifies the women nearest the camera, "wearing forage caps instead of berets" as serving in the HK Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, then the women to their left, wearing berets, as with the HK Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps.
Comments
Happy Valley.
Photo look like taken at Happy Valley.
Photo location
Hi Moddsey,
It seems like it must be Happy Valley because of the wide open spaces, but I can't spot any landmarks I recognise in the distance. Can you identify any of the buildings?
Regards, David
PS Nona writes:
The date of the photo is June 8, 1952, and my mother was in the the HK Regiment. There was a parade and the Governor did his thing, walking up and down. I put an arrow showing where my mother was, standing to attention :)
There are some similar photos in the article about Nancy Griffiths: http://gwulo.com/node/11657
Re: Photo location
One is looking north west towards the remnants of Morrison Hill which is being flattened. The houses I guess would be on Morrison Hill Road.
1938 Happy Valley Parade
Thanks Moddsey, that hillock
Thanks Moddsey, that hillock on the left of Nona's photo must be the last remnants of Morrison Hill.
Regards, David
re: HK Regiment Parade
Henry Ching writes:
The photograph is of the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force Annual Review in 1952. The review took place on the sports ground in the centre of the race course. The posted photo was taken facing north – i.e. towards Sports Road. There is another image of the review on page 106 of “Serving Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Volunteers” produced by the Museum of Coastal Defence, 2004 which was taken looking east towards Wong Nei Chong Road – I think Nona’s mother is at the extreme right of that image.
The officers are wearing black arm-bands, I think because of the death of King George VI earlier that year.
The male officer standing to attention is most likely the Commandant, Col L.T.Ride. The small white building behind him is, I think, the headquarters of the RHKDF in Sports Road.
The exact unit Nona's mother served with is a bit of a mystery - Nona writes: "I found her Forces ID card and all it said was that it was the HK Regiment." But Henry says as far as he knows there weren't any women in the HK Regiment. He identifies the women nearest the camera, "wearing forage caps instead of berets" as serving in the HK Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, then the women to their left, wearing berets, as with the HK Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps.
Regards, David
1930s Happy Valley North
HK Regiment parade
I got the date of the photo wrong - it was taken on February 24, 1952.
I found more photos of that parade and put them up on this page ...
http://pio-ulski.com/lila-parks-1948-1953/
Here's my mother's ID card that shows she was with the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force: