Wartime: Hong Kong in the Second World War

Submitted by David on Fri, 08/16/2019 - 14:55

Work in progress: this page summarises the resources on Gwulo that cover this period.

  • Before the fighting - preparing to defend Hong Kong

    • The Historic Military Buildings in Hong Kong page lists many of the artillery batteries and other military buildings that were built around Hong Kong in the decades leading up to the war. Around 1940, many pillboxes were built to supplement the larger batteries.
    • As war seemed ever more likely, preparations were made to protect the civilian population. The government built air raid shelters around the city -  either ARP tunnels if the land was hilly, or pen shelters if the land was flat. Outside the city, shelter areas and food stores were set up to house and feed refugees from the city.
    • Out in the waters around Hong Kong, minefields were created to prevent enemy ships from reaching Victoria Harbour.
  • December 8 - 25, 1941: The fight for Hong Kong
    • You can follow events as described by the people who lived through them. Read their diary entries from December 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
  • 1941-1945: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
  • Japanese surrender
    • TO-DO
  • Post-war

This video uses photos from the 1930s-1950s to show how the war changed Hong Kong.

Imperial War Museum Film Archives has quite a few original Army films taken during the Japanese surrender.  Some of the annotations may be useful in identifying individuals.

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/35119
@3.50 shows Colonel Tokunaga leaving Peninsula Hotel under armed guard.

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/19832
16 September 1945 Surrender Ceremony at Government House.