I was thinking about how people could communicate before the internet and one question just popped into my head: what was the last broadcast from any radio in Hong Kong like before the capitulation? I dug in and found nothing related to the soundtrack. I wonder if that still exists. The latter part is the extension of the question.
It would be great if I could have some insights on how to find the answer!
The book places the story of HMS Tamar into the larger pictures of the expansion and decline of the British Empire and, in the post-war period, of the after effects of that empire, especially in the post-colonial era. It also places the Tamar in the context of a unique and little studied, 50-year experiment in which the Royal Navy designed and operated troopships as commissioned warships, and developed early systems of amphibious warfare that were not subsequently built upon.
Extracts from the diaries of Major John Monro MC RA
Mary Monro is author of Stranger In My Heart (Unbound, 2018), which gives the eye witness account of her father, John Monro MC RA, who fought at the Battle of Hong Kong, was interned by the Japanese at Sham Shui Po and escaped 1200 miles across China to reach Chongqing. There he was made Assistant Military Attaché and spent the next 18 months supporting and trying to liberate the POWs he'd left behind. Mary retraced her fafther's escape route across China and the book also includes her journey of discovery.
My mother, 6 month old sister and grandmother moved to Mongkok in 1939 from Toishan. They fled back to their village in Jan 1942 shortly after the British surrender of the Battle of Hong Kong. Does anyone have any knowledge of what it would have been like, first hand or otherwise, to undertake this escape?
"A Voyage to War: An Englishmans's Account of Hong Kong 1936-41" by Hugh Dulley
A brief description of the book:-
Hugh Dulley’s father (Peter Dulley) and mother (Therese Sander) met in Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve 1935. Four years later at the outbreak of war, Peter, a weekend sailor, was called up in the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He eventually graduated to command an ocean-going tug of 500 tons from Hong Kong to Aden. En route he called at islands still enjoying pre-war peacetime and navigated across the Indian Ocean using a sextant.
I was doing some extensive exploring today and just generally checking out some areas when I came upon a cool find. After wandering up some gutters to the top of the ridge above the first bend on Deep Water Dr. I came accross a couple distinct pits/embankments (which I strongly believe to be firing pits) , and the ruin of an unidentified structure.
The current site of the Hong Kong Tennis Centre on Wong Nai Chung Gap. This site was mentioned as being adjacent to West Brigade HQ, in multiple sources such as not the slightest chance. It is described as the Winnipeg Grenadier's Original HQ, at the time of the Battle of Wong Nai Chung Gap, it was manned by HQ staff and attachements, as well as a company (D if i am correct) of grenadiers. It is possible that the NCO bunker ( http://gwulo.com/node/32842 ) was part of this complex.
Just before the gate at the end of Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, next to the Watchman's Cottage, is a partially destroyed bunker along the very side of the road. It seems fairly isolated, but not far from the other previously cited bunkers ( http://gwulo.com/node/4337 ) and a pillbox ( http://gwulo.com/node/13192 ). It somewhat resembles the bunkers mentioned and possibly a Type 2? splinter proof shelter.
