Green island

David
Tue, 09/23/2014 - 07:58
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Green island

I took this from Victoria Road this morning. As I was walking along I noticed that the building for Green Island searchlight #2 can be seen down at the left edge of the island. It looks to have its iron shutters still in place.

Date picture taken
10 Sep 2014
Gallery
2010s Hong Kong photos
Shows place(s)
Green Island DEL 2, Green Island [1939- ]
Green Island [????- ]

Comments

David,

Expand your first photograph above and then look into the trees just above the structure that you mention - (may still be shuttered).

There is an identical concrete slab roof and a smigeon of wall showing. Look hard and you will see it.

In the late 1990's I talked with a man who had been in the RNR in HK post war and he once mentioned that circa 1949 the Government / Military were worried about the Communists invading Hong Kong via the sea lanes. As a result naval booms were laid to prevent willy-nilly access to the harbour.

In support of these booms there must have been landside anchorage points and vessels to open and close the booms. I suspect that somewhere along the line the searchlights must have had a supporting role to illuminate the booms at nightime.

This contribution may expand the study into the searchlight aspect.

Moddsey,

Do you mean the building just above the boat in your photo? I think that's the same one we see in this photo, searchlight #2.

Dave,

Well spotted, I hadn't noticed that building in the trees. It may well be the other searchlight, but we'd need to get a closer look to be sure.

Interesting to hear about the booms in 1949. I hadn't heard of those before - hopefully other readers can tell us more about them, and whether any of the searchlight sites were re-used at that time.

Regards, David