What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:
General
- Thank you for the donations of historic material I've received over the last few months, including old Hong Kong newsletters, articles, slides, photos, and a massive scrapbook from the 1960s. The clocks are about to change here in Wales, which brings the long, dark evenings. I plan to use the extra indoors time to start sharing this new material on Gwulo.
- New books:
- Allan Bartley writes about Francis Woodley "Mike" Kendall in his book Beyond Operation Oblivion - A Canadian Spy Before, During, and After the Fall of Hong Kong, 1941. Readers may recognise Kendall from his appearances in the wartime diaries as the leader of Z Force, and his part in the Christmas Day escape with Admiral Chan Chak. But as the book review shows, there's much more to his story.
- Joseph Paul Terry's new memoir covers Hong Kong’s military, aviation, and social history in the mid-1960s, with a detailed, ground-level account of RAF operations, athletics, and local life across Kowloon and the New Territories. RÁIMÉISING: From East Cork to the Far East—and Home Again (A Ten-Year Adventure)
- Allan Bartley writes about Francis Woodley "Mike" Kendall in his book Beyond Operation Oblivion - A Canadian Spy Before, During, and After the Fall of Hong Kong, 1941. Readers may recognise Kendall from his appearances in the wartime diaries as the leader of Z Force, and his part in the Christmas Day escape with Admiral Chan Chak. But as the book review shows, there's much more to his story.
- For readers in ...
- UK
- The Friends of East Asia are hosting a talk by Philip Cheung in London on the use of the Chinese writing script, on 31 Oct: How to live with a non-phonetic writing script: China and her neighbours from ancient to modern times.
- The Friends of East Asia are hosting a talk by Philip Cheung in London on the use of the Chinese writing script, on 31 Oct: How to live with a non-phonetic writing script: China and her neighbours from ancient to modern times.
- US
- I can send book orders to the US again. With the changing tariffs, deliveries to the US have been on hold for a long time, but now the Royal Mail is accepting parcels to the US again. The full set of my books (Volumes 1 -5) costs £96.90 (appx US$130), including shipping to a US address and the 7.5% tariff because the books are printed in China. Please get in touch if you'd like to order a set.
- I can send book orders to the US again. With the changing tariffs, deliveries to the US have been on hold for a long time, but now the Royal Mail is accepting parcels to the US again. The full set of my books (Volumes 1 -5) costs £96.90 (appx US$130), including shipping to a US address and the 7.5% tariff because the books are printed in China. Please get in touch if you'd like to order a set.
- UK
- Thank you to everyone who came along to my recent talks in Cheltenham and Exeter. I can recommend both venues if you want somewhere that is affordable and has good audio and video: The Chapel in Cheltenham, and the Rougemont Room in Exeter Library.
-
Cheltenham talk 2026 -
Exeter talk 2026
-
- Recent news in the wartime diaries:
- 1942
- 18 Oct 1942. The bankers T. J. J. Fenwick and J. A. D. Morrison begin their escape from Hong Kong, aided by the BAAG and communist guerillas.
- 1943
- 19 Oct 1943. Men and women involved in resistance to the Japanese go on trial at Stanley Prison. The trial doesn’t include any meaningful defence, as the outcomes had already been decided. Many of the defendants will be sentenced to death.
- 1944
- 16 Oct 1944. US bombers conduct a large raid on Hong Kong. They attack the Kowloon Docks at Hung Hom, but many bombs miss the target and fall on the dockworkers houses nearby. Many civilians are killed or injured.
- 17 Oct 1944. John Charter explains the ‘Canteen’ system in Stanley Camp, which was a formal system allowing internees to buy food and other necessities – if they had money.
- 16 Oct 1944. US bombers conduct a large raid on Hong Kong. They attack the Kowloon Docks at Hung Hom, but many bombs miss the target and fall on the dockworkers houses nearby. Many civilians are killed or injured.
- 1942
- Readers ask:
- Was Betty Kendall a Clandestine Operative?
- Do 'Arriving Passengers' lists exists for flights into Hong Kong in the late 1930s? My mother and two very young siblings flew to Hong Kong in late 1938 or 1939. They were to join my father who had started an engineer's job with Imperial Airways.
- Can anyone shed any information on the Malaria Unit number 7 of Mess 24?
- Looking to contact family members of architects active in Hong Kong c.1850-1950.
- Was Betty Kendall a Clandestine Operative?
Places
(Click a Place's link below to visit its page - you'll see all the photos we have for it, and can add your memories of the Place to its comments.)
- Kowloon
- Hong Kong Island
- Fung Sin Koo Temple [????-c.1982]
- Japanese tunnel opposite Parkview [????- ]
- Junction of Queen's Road Central and Li Yuen Street East [????- ]
- Junction of Queen's Road Central and Peel Street [????- ]
- Kennedy Town Kai-Fong Welfare Association Building [c.1976- ]
- Nam Ping Hotel [????-????]
- Seen Keen Terrace [????-c.1963]
- Sincere Company (First Location) [1900-c.1909]
- Fung Sin Koo Temple [????-c.1982]
- New Territories
- Outlying islands
- Luk Keng Pier \ Yam O Public Pier [????- ]
- Luk Keng Pier \ Yam O Public Pier [????- ]
Organisations & People
(Click a Person's link below to visit their page - you'll see all the photos we have for them, and you can add any memories of the Person or extra information in their comments.)
- Charles Alfred BOREHAM [c.1839-1921], arrived in Hong Kong in 1871, then lived in Asia for the next 50 years until his death in Hong Kong in 1921.
- George William GREENE (aka Will) [1894-1960], missionary
- Sincere Company (先施百貨) [1900- ]
- WW2
- Stanley Camp
- RIP Julia YOUNG (née BONNER) [1927-2026]
- HKVDC
- Joseph Albert COTTON [????-????], gunner. Pre-war an engineer.
- Mitchell Joseph HARKINS [????-????], Battery Quartermaster Sergeant, 1st Battery
- Joseph Albert COTTON [????-????], gunner. Pre-war an engineer.
- Stanley Camp
Photos
Click to see all recently added photos.