Nostalgic meetup in Siu Sai Wan, Hong Kong - 367 Association or other members of Little Sai Wan RAF veterans

Submitted by Roger Ho on Thu, 04/28/2016 - 15:43

I currently live in SiuSaiWan and work voluntarily with a local district councilor in trials to recommend local government in hoping to re-vitalize the living quarter (now ruined but still there) of Collinson Anti Aircraft Searchlight (AASL) to become a meaningful historical and recreational facility. 

From all I could remember when I used to look up, some webpage information, they show that some members of 367 association (or other RAF veterans etc..) might have regularly meetup here in Siu Sai Wan (promenade ?) nowadays (latest one 2015 as I could recall ?). Would anyone know about this and help.  Thank you.

Hi Roger

If you go to View Map and click on the red pin for that site you will see recent photographs of the AASL building. The PB 37 pin also has links to some correspondence relating to both these WWII installations and one or two of my old photographs taken at the Point.  I don't know about any recent visits to Siu Sai Wan but in 1987 I visited the old camp just before its demolition - see my photographs in my 1987 gallery and I also returned briefly each year 2001 to 2006 to follow my interest in WWII ruins and also to enjoy a nostalgic visit each time to sit on the rocks round the Point and recall my youth!  In 2007, I made my last visit to Hong Kong when I led a small group of 367 Association members and wives to Hong Kong and we visited Siu Sai Wan.  Most had not been back to Hong Kong since the 1950's.  Some of us walked all the way from the bus stop at the Shek O, Cape Collinson road junction along the latter road, visited the War Cemetery above Chai Wan and eventually down the old camp road (now of course a popular walk route for the people of Siu Sai Wan). We all met up, with those who had arrived by bus, near the public toilets, roughly where PB 37 had been.  In  September(?) 1957 this had been washed onto the foreshore during typhoon Gloria(?).  None of my friends could reconcile the modern Siu Sai Wan with 'our' Liitle Sai Wan but I explained that we were standing on the site of the camp's 25 yard firing range.  I then took the more agile old men round the end of the promenade wall and along to the flat rocks where we as young men had sunbathed and enjoyed our swimming.  Maybe that visit is the one to which you refer. Afterwards, I led the fitter friends back up the road and up over the path to Big Wave Bay for a welcome swim.  We all enjoyed that nostalgic walk but it was tougher than when we were in our late teens! I doubt whether any of us old guys have been back since then.

Personally, I have never visited the AASL building.  In 2004 or 5 I tried to get to it but gave up because of the dense vegetation!

I hope that you are successful in getting a path cleared to it and having the old building saved for future generations to see.

Best wishes Andrew

Hello Mr Suddaby,

I noticed that someone visited there early this year and post photos as folder (below).

http://gwulo.com/node/30794#15/22.2648/114.2525/Map_(ESRI)-Markers/0

I reckon he (or she) followed some drainage (new the brick-wall face as you see in the photo uploaded (now pending for admin approval) to be under this tag

Collinson Anti-Aircraft Battery Searchlight Shelter [????- ]

Primary tabs) and made successful visit to this disused quarter.

(As you might have heard, now I am gathering information for local district councillor to present local government for the consideration of restoring this ruined quarter to be kind of historical and recreational (part of this present area of "dragon leap path", as the present name for "well lit camp road" as you wrote)

Regarding my enquiry on the gathering, short time ago I made some leisure search in the internet (probably Gwulo or other webpage) and noticed that there used to be some gathering (reunion) in SiuSaiWan 2015 (unfortuately I did not save that information)....

Thanks.

Hi Roger,

I was not aware of any visit by ex R.A.F. men to Siu/Little Sai Wan in 2015, the last organised visit probably being the one that I led in 2007.  So, I looked 'Siu Sai Wan Re-union 2015' up on Google and see that it was a meeting of the Hash House Harriers.  I don't think that this group was formed until well after my time in Hong Kong in 1957/8, although on a visit to Hong Kong in 1981 I saw a group of men wearing Little Sai Wan Hash House Harriers t shirts when I was visiting the Ocean Park place up on Red Hill, so the club was definitely up and running then.   However, I suspect that the Hash House Harriers do not have any information to help you with in your search for more information about the A.S.S.L. building at Siu Sai Wan.  The most knowlegeable person is almost certainly Rob, who has done a great deal of research into all the WWII military structures.  He is a regular contributor to Gwulo.

Best wishes

Andrew 

Hi Roger,

Another good friend in Hong Kong is Ko Tim Keung.  Tim wrote a very good book 'Ruins of War', which gives very detailed descriptions of some of the bigger WWII military ruins. It has nothing on the Siu Sai Wan ASSL site but until recently Tim was a member of the Antiquities Board and he might be able to offer you some advice on this topic.  He is a very nice guy and also a big friend of Rob.  I gave most of my 1958 Hong Kong photographs and some maps to him a few years ago.

Good luck with your attemps to get that building protected.

Best wishes Andrew