1950: Military sites around Hong Kong

Submitted by David on Sun, 07/24/2016 - 02:52

Several of Gwulo's readers first visited Hong Kong on military service, and will remember the sites listed below.

If you can add any photos or memories, they'll be gratefully received.

Regards, David

 

HONG KONG ISLAND.

 

(1) Stanley Fort - Map & Notes, Photos

1997 St. Barbara - Garrison Church of Stanley Fort
1997 St. Barbara - Garrison Church of Stanley Fort, by Moddsey

(2) Cape Collinson Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(3) The War Memorial Hospital - Map & Notes, Photos

1930s War Memorial Hospital
1930s War Memorial Hospital, by Admin

 

(4) The Bowen Road Hospital - Map & Notes, Photos

Military Hospital, Bowen Road
Military Hospital, Bowen Road, by bermuda97

 

(5) Lyemun Fort - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(6) Causeway Bay Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(7) R.A.F. Unit Billets, No. 1 Calder Path - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(8) Victoria Peak Wire­less Station - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(9) Chung Hum Kok - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(10) Mt. Davis Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

RAF Mount Davis
RAF Mount Davis, by Gerard Wallwork

 

KOWLOON

 

(11) Whitfield Barracks - Map & Notes, Photos

Rawson HK 2.jpg
Rawson HK 2.jpg, by Gemma W

 

(12) Gun Club Hill - Map & Notes, Photos

1910s Chatham Road looking towards Gun Club Hill
1910s Chatham Road looking towards Gun Club Hill, by moddsey

 

(13) Railway Hotel - Map & Notes, Photos

1960 Middle Road Car Park (Open Air)
1960 Middle Road Car Park (Open Air), by eternal1966e

 

(14) Military Hospital, La Salle College La Salle Road - Map & Notes, Photos

Rawson HK 4.jpg
Rawson HK 4.jpg, by Gemma W

 

(15) Telephone Company’s Building, Kowloon - Map & Notes, Photos

1950s HK Telephone Building
1950s HK Telephone Building, by eternal1966c1

 

(16) R.A.F. Explosives Area. - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(17) Ordnance Depot and Camp, Kowloon Tsai - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(18) Argyle Street Camp No. 2 - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(19) Argyle Street Camp Nos. 3 & 4 - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(20) Officers' Mess, Kai Tak - Map & Notes, Photos

1950s RAF Kai Tak Officer's Mess
1950s RAF Kai Tak Officer's Mess, by moddsey

 

(21) Chatham Road Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

1960s Chatham Road
1960s Chatham Road, by m20wc51

 

(22) R.A.S.C. Anchorage, Shamshuipo - Map & Notes, Photos

 

NEW TERRITORIES

 

(23) Fanling Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(24a) Fan Hill Camps (a) - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(24b) Fan Hill Camps (b) - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(25) Quarry Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

QUARRY CAMP PING SHAN
QUARRY CAMP PING SHAN, by jon birch

 

(26) Far East Farm Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Far East Farm Camp
Far East Farm Camp, by jameswjacobs2@btinternet.com

 

(27) Erskine Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

1961 Doug Brentlinger's photos
1961 Doug Brentlinger's photos, by Admin

 

(28) Tai Lam Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(29) Volunteer Slope Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(30) Kwan Ti Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(31) Tam Mi Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(32) Queen’s Hill Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Queen's Hill Barracks in Lung Yeuk Tau. = 龍躍頭皇后山軍營 1964
Queen's Hill Barracks in Lung Yeuk Tau. = 龍躍頭皇后山軍營 1964, by eatsee7

 

(33) Hill 29 Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(34) Greenville Amuse­ment Park Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(35) Sek Kong Camp Area - Map & Notes, Photos

British Army Camp at Sek Kong 1950
British Army Camp at Sek Kong 1950, by Bill Griffiths

 

(36) Beas River Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(37) San Wai Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Kwanti Racecourse-San Wai Camp-1936
Kwanti Racecourse-San Wai Camp-1936, by IDJ

 

(38) Pak Yuen Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(39) Lo Wu Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Sign at Lo Wu Saddle Club
Sign at Lo Wu Saddle Club, by 70s kid

 

(40) Dodwell’s Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

1964 55 Bty, 49 Field Regt. RA stationed at Dodwell's Ridge Camp
1964 55 Bty, 49 Field Regt. RA stationed at Dodwell's Ridge Camp, by Widzy

 

(41) Ho Tung Farm Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(42) Dill’s Corner Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Army Housing site. Dills Corner Camp 1975
Army Housing site. Dills Corner Camp 1975, by 70s kid

 

(43) Cafeteria Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(44) Arculli’s Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(45) China Light & Power, Taipo - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(46) Tate’s Cairn Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(47) Norwegian Camp - Map & Notes, Photos

Norwegian Farm Camp/Cassino Lines 1952/53
Norwegian Farm Camp/Cassino Lines 1952/53, by Trojan_Llama

 

(48) Tat Tak - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(49) Shing Mun Road - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(50) Clearwater Bay Peninsula - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(51) Crest Hill Observation Post - Map & Notes, Photos

Tai Shek Mo / Crest Hill
Tai Shek Mo / Crest Hill, by mad1941

 

(52) Sandy Ridge Observation Post - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(53) Pak Fu Shan Observation Post - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(54) Naval Station, Chik Chau - Map & Notes, Photos

Military-built footpath at Port Island
Military-built footpath at Port Island, by wvmarle

 

(55) Naval Station, Cheung Chau - Map & Notes, Photos

 

(56) Naval Station, Tai 0 - Map & Notes, Photos

NAVAL SIGNAL STATION TELESCOPE
NAVAL SIGNAL STATION TELESCOPE, by Admin

 


1940 vs. 1950

Here are the same locations plotted on a 1952 map of Hong Kong:

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It's interesting to compare them with a map showing the British pillboxes in 1940: http://gwulo.com/taxonomy/term/82/places-map

Then the defensive line was further south, in the hills just north of Kowloon. In 1950 we see that the British forces were placed much further north, close to the border with China.

What's missing?

The locations listed here are taken from the document "Military Installations Closed Areas (Amendment and Consolidation) Order" [1], dated 17th November, 1950. It isn't a complete list though, as it's missing some major military sites, including Victoria Barracks and HMS Tamar.

First I thought it was because the list only shows sites that were taken over for military use after WW2. But it includes old sites like Whitfield Barracks and Stanley Fort, so that isn't true. There must have been other lists of military sites in addition to this one.

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who has contributed photos and information about these sites. Special thanks to Moddsey for introducing us to the 1950 list of closed areas, and to Tymon Mellor who both provided the 1952 map shown above, and also provided the locations of the sites that weren't already on Gwulo. Tymon has many more maps of Hong Kong available to enjoy at his website, http://www.hkmaps.hk

Again, if you can add any photos or memories of these sites, we'll enjoy seeing them.

Regards, David

References:

  1. Military Installations Closed Areas (Amendment and Consolidation) Order: http://gwulo.com/node/30494

Also on Gwulo.com this week:

Comments

Submitted by on
Thu, 07/28/2016 - 21:39

I found another list in "Protected Places Order" in Chapter 260 of the Laws of Hong Kong.  The schedule in the 1950 version lists 22 locations including H. M. Dockyard, The Combined Services Headquarters Area (i.e. Victoria Barracks and Murray Barracks), Stonecutters' Island, etc.  In the Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online database, the 1950 version of the order is included the ordinance (http://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/23c190341ca6555463ff1a369ad4eda…), and the 1964 version is a separate document.

One little known (unknown?) military camp I've recently stumbled over working on Rennie's Mill and its 1950s/60s use. This followed the collapse of Mr Rennie's enterprise in 1908 and happened before government bought the site in 1925 and before the buildings were demolished in 1935. I am uncertain of the exact dates (to the week, that is), but from early 1912, not long after their arrival in HK, through to sometime towards the end of 1914 the 26th Punjabis were quartered in Rennie's Mill. I also note that amongst the subsequent potential uses for the site  (which had included a quarantine station and an isolation hospital, neither of which seems to have happened), during a surge in the numbers of British troops in HK in 1927 (trouble in Shanghai, much exaggerated - see https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1927/mar/08/despatch…) the use of Rennie's Mill as a barracks again was bruited about, though it seems to have remained unused.

StephenD