This talk shows how the war changed Hong Kong, using a selection of photos from the 1930s-50s.
It is a re-recording of a short talk I presented at the Royal Geographical Society's Gala Dinner in October 2022.
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Here are links to more information about the topics covered:
- Harrison Forman's photos of Hong Kong in 1940-41
- Pillboxes in Hong Kong
- Air raid shelter tunnels in Hong Kong
- Pen Shelters in Hong Kong
- Japanese War Memorial
- Kai Tak Airport History
- Government House (1st generation) [1855-1942]
- Government House (2nd & current generation) [1944- ]
- Leighton Hill Government Quarters (1st generation) [1921-1941]
- Leighton Hill Government Quarters (Blocks A & B) [1948-1999]
If you'd like more photos and stories of old Hong Kong, you're welcome to subscribe to my free weekly newsletter. I've also collected some of my favourite photos and stories, and published them as a series of books.
The main speaker at the gala dinner was Philip Cracknell, talking about the battle for Hong Kong, and the Japanese occupation that followed. Philip's second book has recently been published, The Occupation of Hong Kong 1941-45.
The Royal Geographical Society in Hong Kong has a very active calendar of events, including talks, special events, dinners and field trips.
These are the photos I used in the talk:
