1936 - Gen. Two Gun Cohen & Dr Sun Fo at Kai Tak Aerodrome

Thu, 11/21/2024 - 11:03

Michael Alderton notes that the above image is a low resolution rendition of a Hong Kong newspaper photo of Gen. Morris Cohen (centre), Dr Sun Fo (right), and Hon. Comdr. G.F. Hole (left), taken at Kai Tak Aerodrome on Oct 23, 1936. Hong Kong newspaper articles of the day reported that: Clipper Makes History. Huge Crowd at Kai Tak. When the seaplane ‘Philippine Clipper’ made a graceful descent on the waters of Kowloon Bay opposite the Kai Tak Airport at 4p.m., she completed the first stage of the return trip of an epoch-making journey between America and Hong Kong. Among the crowd present was General Morris Cohen. PHOTO shows Dr Sun Fo, president of the Legislative Yuan at Nanking and Chinese Minister of Communications, and General Morris Cohen, Counsellor to the Military Headquarters at Kwangtung, chatting with the Hon. Comdr. G.F. Hole at Kai Tak Aerodrome. They were amongst the many who went out to greet the ‘Philippine Clipper’ upon its arrival here from Macau.

For some historical context relating to General Morris Cohen’s ongoing interest and involvement in early aviation promotion, see Gwulo colleague ‘IDJ’s’ revealing contribution relating to General Cohen’s connection with the Canton Air Ministry and the Canton Air Force some dozen or so years earlier back in August 1923:

M.A. Cohen with Minister of Aviation, Eugene Chen (Chen Youren) dedicating the aircraft named ROSAMONDE | Gwulo

Prior to this, during October 1920 and while still in Canada, it was officially revealed that Morris Cohen had “money invested in aeroplanes at the Keng Wah Aviation School at Saskatoon” – an aviation school which, according to a Canadian Air Board intelligence report, was “financed and managed by the Chinese Nationalist League (Dr Sun Yat-sen’s representative organization in Canada), for the purpose of training Chinese pupils as pilots.”

Date picture taken
23 Oct 1936