Hong Kong, post-Japanese Occupation

[Ashley Pomeroy]

Not so much an aviation question, although when I think of Hong Kong the first thing I think of is Kai Tak. I'm off to Hong Kong in October for the first time and I've been reading about its history. I didn't realise the modern version of Kai Tak - the runway stretching into the bay - didn't exist until the 1950s, and that the landward side was built up by the Japanese during the war. I learn that there was an imaginary money called Japanese Military Yen that became instantly worthless when the Japanese surrendered, but lots of people kept theirs after the war in the hope that the Japanese government might compensate them, but they never did. I learn from this very website that flights from London to Hong Kong had to divert around Russia and China, and also that lots of British people in Hong Kong sent their kids home to boarding school in Britain, so there were entire flights filled with kids. There was a "junior jet club". Fascinating stuff.

My question - Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt popped along with a naval taskforce on 29 August to accept the surrender of the Japanese forces, but what happened in the intervening fortnight? Presumably the Japanese still had de facto control of the place, but did they hand over their arms to the police, or did they remain as an independent garrison, awaiting relief from Britain? It's odd to imagine that they simply stood around for a fortnight until Britain returned, but that is what appears to have happened. I suppose they didn't have much choice.

There isn't much about the period on the internet, ditto Norway at the end of the Second World War, although there's a great website called gwulo.com that has tonnes of first-hand information about the place. The Japanese were cut off, so they had no way of stripping the place for valuables, and I assume it was in their interests not to provoke the local population in case they were lynched. The Chinese government doesn't appear to have tried to retake Hong Kong. It recovered quickly and became a commercial titan in the next couple of decades so whatever damage was done wasn't permanent.

When I go I'll try and visit the site of the former Kai Tak airport. Judging by Google Street View it's mostly still a construction site. I assume the financial crisis of 1998 didn't help.

[Dan Winterland]

One could assume that the Japanese being Japanese, they did maintain an element of control and order until the British Forces turned up and took over. It was likely that there was not anarchy largely due to the rapid pickup of the economy once the British regained control. There was one unfortunate incident during those two weeks at Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) on Lantau. Japanese soldiers responding to a 'guerrilla attack' after the surrender arrested 300 villagers. Many of the victims were beaten and tortured and nine were killed, some by beheading. This was treated as a war crime and twelve of the soldiers involved were sentenced, three to death. This indicates there was some for of control being exerted by the Japanese during the handover period.

The Japanese currency used in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupancy does turn up on the antique stalls in the markets. I saw some for sale about a year ago in the Wanchai street market. You can also buy Victorian Silver dollars there. Much nicer!

The old airport is largely un-built on, but that is not due to any financial problems. The Government own the land, as they do nearly all Hong Kong. Land is at a premium and attracts huge prices - the Government restricts the supply to keep prices high. Land sales and stamp duty make up a large proportion of government income. This makes Hong Property very expensive (currently the most costly in the world) but it keeps income tax rates at around 15%. The checkerboard, which was the aiming point for pilots before turning finals is still visible on Lion Rock, but is only just. The HK historic aviation society wants to restore it.

[Fareastdriver]

a suburb of Vancouver, has so many Chinese, remarkably even the street signs are in Mandarin. In many enclaves of Richmond, B.C., the first language is Mandarin, NOT English.

Being picky, I would have thought that it would be Cantonese. That is the language spoken by natives of Hong Gong and Guangzhou. Mandarin is the official language and the only one taught in Chinese schools.

[evansb]

Cantonese? You are probably correct. So sorry.

[Barksdale Boy]

Being picky, I would have said that the street signs are in Chinese.

[renfrew]

I vaguely remember reading about a RAF POW hitching a lift out of Hong Kong on one of the first flights which came in via China.
It would be interesting to know the date and type of aircraft.

[skydiver69]

Originally Posted by Dan Winterland

The Japanese currency used in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupancy does turn up on the antique stalls in the markets. I saw some for sale about a year ago in the Wanchai street market. You can also buy Victorian Silver dollars there. Much nicer!

My Dad was an avid stamp collector and built up a collection of Japanese occupation stamps from the WW2 era. Most were British stamps over stamped with Japanese numerals.

[aloominumtoob]

Fragrant Isle

I know a great Chinese restaurant there.
alt

[Load Toad]

If you are on Farcebewk then search The Battle of Hong Kong and Old Hong Kong (both Groups - you probably have to request to join) - they will know everything you could possibly need to know - I'd suggest also Gwulo: Old HKG

[Load Toad]

and I forgot - lots of books here on the subject: Blacksmith Books

[Dora-9]

Load Toad:

I had the privilege of flying with Rob Weir (Cathay B747 FE) on many occasions; he contributes to the Gwulo site and is probably the world's expert on the Gin Drinkers Line (a line of fortifications across the Kowloon Peninsula).

[mcdhu]

While in HK 1957 to 1959 I went to KGV Grammar School. I seem to remember that the school buildings were used by the occupying Japanese as a hospital. I have a book about this somewhere which I will seek out and report back if anything relevant emerges.
mcdhu

[Spooky 2]

If you can worm your way into the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club bar scene you learn so much more than just from books on old Hong Kong. As I recall, its up at the top of Ice House street. A real Star Wars bar if there ever was one.

[Asturias56]

At the end of most wars there are places that have been left behind, not targeted , forgotten and people have to wait for the winning side to turn up

Most of SE asia was like that withe french and Dutch dependent on the Brits to take back control

in some places the Japanese remained in control - who else was there - but normally with some liaison with freed administrators

In others they basically withdrew to the barracks and handed things over the the local Liberation Movements (Vietnam, Indonesia)

The basic principal seems to be that law & order should be maintained - thus the UK police were ordered to co-operate locally with German forces in the event of a successful invasion - it was NOT their job to fight but to keep things under control

[Jetset 88]

CHEQUER BOARD
When you go, find your way north of the old airport and try to find the old ‘Chequer Board’ hill-face which we all had to look for, aiming at it before the tight right turn at about 700 ft to land on RW13. I think it’s largely overgrown with plant life now but is still visible from a park area at its southern edge. Pics are available of it on the internet.
The 1950’s Kai Tak pax terminal was designed by former WW1 OC10 Sqn Major Keith Murray, MC who became a famous ceramic designer for Wedgwoods and designed a new factory for them at Barlston, Stoke in the late 1930s. He went back to architecture after WW2 and designed the old BEA buildings at Heathrow, the old Brunei Airport Terminal as well as many other buildings in the UK.
He’s not to be confused with a modern day American rap singer of the same name!
Happy Days.
Enjoy HKG.

[Dora-9]

One surprising aspect of Hong Kong, particularly given the spectacular post-war development still going on there, are just how many of the pre-war fortifications still exist today - if you know where to look. In exploring these, I was greatly assisted by Rob Weir (see Post #11) and also an excellent little book, "Ruins of War - A Guide to Hong Kong's Battlefields and Wartime Sites" by Ku Tim Keung and Jason Wordie (ISBN 962.04.1372.5). The book even includes directions of how to get there in Chinese (so you can show the cab driver).

And, not to be forgotten, the massive pillbox (I suspect of British origin, though some sources claim it was Japanese) discovered when they cleared away the shanty town at Diamond Hill around 1996. It was positioned to cover the northern boundary of the original (wartime) Kai Tak airport site.

[megan]

While in HK 1957 to 1959 I went to KGV Grammar School

Until 1948 it was known as the Central British School, and was used as a military hospital by the Japanese as you cite mcdhu.

what happened in the intervening fortnight

From Wiki Ashley,

Immediately after the unconditional surrender on 15th August was made, the Japanese authority had to continue to maintain the order of Hong Kong as the Allies were still on the way to take over. However, all the prohibitions and regulations set by the Japanese were entirely lifted and abolished instantly. On the other hand, on the eve of the surrender of Japan, the British Ambassador to China, Sir Horace Seymour, had already tried to make contact with Gimson from Chongqing, urging him to exercise the sovereignty on behalf of the British government. Although Seymour's order arrived late on 23 August, Gimson had declared himself "acting governor" and had started to prepare for a "provisional government" on 16 August after knowing Japanese had surrendered. Receiving Seymour's order on 23 August, Gimson and other internees left the camp and took over the authority from Japan. Gimson was sworn as acting governor by Chief Justice Atholl MacGregor. He and other former colonial officials set up the headquarters of the provisional government in the Former French Mission Building. On 27 August, Gimson made a further announcement through radio, stating the provisional government had been established. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the provisional rule, the government had to rely on the Japanese troops to maintain the order of Hong Kong since the power of the administration was limited.On 30 August 1945, Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt and his warships entered Victoria Harbour. Since Harcourt was asked to form a military government by London, Gimson transferred the power to him and the military government was officially formed on 1 September. Harcourt himself became the head of the military government and Gimson was appointed lieutenant governor by him. Yet, the creation of the office of lieutenant governor was deemed unsuitable by the Colonial Office and therefore Gimson was soon replaced by a chief civil affairs officer and his team sent from London on 7 September. Gimson himself was in fact in poor health as a result of more than three years of internment. For health reasons, he left for the United Kingdom on 16 September. On the day before his departure, he commented in a radio programme that Hong Kong should undergo political reform in the future

Worked for a while with an avionics chap who was interned in a Hong Kong camp as a very young boy (probably about 5YO), along with the rest of his family, father worked for the local airline. Commented how happy they were for the food and supplies air dropped following the surrender.

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