My father, Tony Griffiths was part of the last military service deployment to HK in the late 50s, returning early 60s. Exact dates aren't known.
He was originally in the REME, I believe as Lance Corporal, and had a connection with the medical arm, I understand issuing medicines within the army.
Having spent an afternoon in the company of then Captain (Ret'd Major) Richard Emmett (61-64 in HK), I'm encouraged that there's still an active body of the Army who spent their youth there who might offer up any stories or even perhaps memories of my father. If there's an appreciation for these things, I'd be very happy to upload pictures that have recently come into my possession, which include Admin Parade (Nov 1959), No Man's Land border, and many more places / events that might mean something to someone !
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Please do upload the other
Please do upload the other photos, and we'll see what we can identify. (I recommend you upload a few at a time to get the best results.) I've made a new gallery, "1950s-60s Tony Griffiths's photos" for you to use so that all the photos are kept together.
You might want to request a copy of your father's service records to get a clearer picture of where he went and what he did.
Regards, David
Information about Tony Griffiths
I was browsing through the articles on this Gwulo site (new to me) when I came across a photograph of your father Tony Griffiths and your article asking if anyone had any information about him. Wow, it's a small world. Your father and I both lived close to Rolls Royce in Derby and we both went to the same junior school (Nightingale Juniors). In fact I remember your father coming to my birthday party in the late 1940s !! If I remember correctly your father passed his scholarship to Bemrose Grammar School along with many others of us in the class. In later years I served in Hong Kong with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and just by chance I remember bumping in to him in Kowloon, probably around 1960/61. It was a great surprise for both of us as I had no idea he was in Hong Kong but with a different regiment. I can't remember seeing him again until the 1970s when I think he worked for the Derby Trader newspaper. You will know more about that than I do. I was sorry to hear of his early death as we were good friends in our school days. I was Derby born but have lived in the Derbyshire countryside for nearly fifity years. I hope this may have filled in a few gaps for you. Best regards, Bill Holmes.
Chance meeting
Bill
Indeed a small world. Many thanks for getting in touch and spending the time recounting your memories. I've shared with family and await to hear whether Janet, my aunt, recalls your name! You may both have been at that same birthday party! You've prompted me to look through an album he created, though sadly didn't make many notes on the backs of the pictures. You don't recall if your photo was taken do you?
You're right that he worked at the Trader which he started with Lionel Pickering and another friend famously in the attic sitting at a round table taking turns passing the one phone they had around!
Since beginning this reply, I just received a call from my Mum who was reminded that she met you a few years back, in a supermarket car park having coincidentally also bumped into John Pollard! She passes on her best. You've reignited my endeavours to find out more about that period, particularly Hong Kong and hope your memories are as happy as those my father had of that time.
Best,
Simon (xgriff@gmail.com)