Sample pages
" ...it was not until the news of the sinking of the battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse off Singapore on the 10th December 1941 was flashed to Hong Kong that the fate of these capital ships presaged our fate, devoid of air cover. Our faith in our requirement to hold out for 90 days was based on our relief by such ships, and now they were gone, it began to dawn even on the most optimistic of us that our position was hopeless. It was against this background ... that the…
On Sunday 14th December there came an urgent message from General Maltby for the setting up of a fortress observation post on the north face of the Peak which could dominate the mainland. Information regarding the movements of the enemy was vital and the post came under the direct control of General Maltby himself and his GSO1.
((Source - a dramatization of the history of the Hong Kong Volunteers, which was broadcast over Radio Hong Kong on 31st May 1954 as part of the HKVDC…
"The night was the darkest I have ever seen. ... overcast, cloudy, rain at intervals, otherwise mostly drizzle. In addition, the enemy had set alight the oil tanks near North Point, and the smoke drifted over the island. ... Three landings were made, each in two waves, and seven battalions, or about 7000 men, landed in all during the night. On the East, Colonel Tanaka with two battalions landed in the Shaukiwan area. He sent one battalion against Lyemun and Sai Wan, the other over Quarry…