HF: You may not have come across this UK Channel 4 five part series narrated by Tony Robinson. Jobs featured are: bridge-builder, canal tunnel legger, soap boiler, glass blower, knocker up, bone cleaner, presser, saggar maker’s bottom knocker and child mine hurrier… I wonder what Hong Kong’s “worst” occupations were (are)…hand- dug caisson excavator, lead mining, textile dyeing, ship-breaking, oyster […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent a sample of BAAG reports from 1942 to 1944. These cover mainly commodity prices and supply in Hong Kong during this period plus snippets about currency, utilities, transport, trade syndicates and the Canton Army Commissariat which operated factories in Canton producing for the Japanese army. File 11 mentions four HK companies. HF: I have given each […]
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HF: This extract from a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) report from 1944 provides brief details about four companies during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War Two. 1) The Green Island Cement Company Green Island Cement Company – stunning photos Green Island Cement – manager late 1920s to 1949 indentified + photos of earlier manager’s house? Green […]
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Elizabeth Ride: BAAG agents sometimes made outline sketches of shipping seen in HK harbour. Here are six dated 15 Sep 1944. Hugh Farmer: Straying somewhat from the industrial history of HK I thought however it would be of interest to find out a little more about these ships. A couple have a closer connection to HK that just being spotted […]
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HF: IDJ’ s article The Oyster Beds of the Wang Cha area is a reminder of how much areas of Hong Kong have changed since it was written in 1961. I am very familiar with Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Lau Fau Shan having been on numerous walks in this area since the early 1990s. A comparison between the 1961 map […]
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Tymon Mellor has sent the following report published on 11th April 1939 on Labour and Labour Conditions in Hong Kong. The author was Mr HR Butters. Sessional Papers 1939, Papers laid before the Legislative Council of Hongkong 1939. HF: The Hong Kong Memory Project introduces this report with the following: – The 65-page report was prepared by the first Labour Officer in […]
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IDJ: Kwanti racecourse and the nearby military San Wai camp were used by The Hong Kong Volunteers during their training exercises. The following image shows one of their borrowed aircraft simulating an attack on troops who have their rifles raised to the firing position at the bottom of the frame. The text attached comes from the Volunteers Year Book for 1935 […]
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HF: Publicizing Hong Kong in London . The source says in 1949. “A Government which is interested in helping merchants to maximise their turnover.” And the “centre and natural distributing depot of the world’s largest potential market.” The latter is presumably a reference to China (and possibly other Asian countries). I wonder if this was composed with an understanding […]
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Eric Spain has sent a reminder about the following: HK Royal Asiatic Society Lecture, Hong Kong and the Rice Cooker: An Oral History Wednesday • 4 June 2014 The rice cooker was possibly the first “Made in Japan” product to be embraced by the people of Hong Kong. In the 1960s, it was a symbol of modern lifestyle in the territory. The […]
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HF with thanks to Mike T: The excellent website wrecksite lists 26 ships built at the HK & Whampoa Docks which were subsequently permanently disabled/sunk during World War 2. At the time of their demise these ships were Australian, British, Dutch, German, Japanese, Norwegian or Thai. The ships were lost because of:- “air-raid, foundered, gunfire-shelled, mined, ran aground (wrecked), scuttled […]
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