IDJ has sent the newspaper article below. Though the article’s headline refers specifically to Kowloon Dock, several other Hong Kong dockyards are covered. It’s a little confusing sometimes to understand which dockyard is being referred to. The images included below, and on the Home page, come from our article, Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock – WW2 bombing – the aftermath, […]
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Our article about Harry Long working for the Kung Lee Steam Ship Company mentioned that “he was a superintendent and engineer on boats taking cargo upriver from Canton. It was a dangerous job and he often had to use firearms to fend off pirates.” This prompted Stephen Davies to recall an incident near Samsui (aka Samshui) where the HK, Canton & […]
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HF: Hong Kong has several locations where there are still clusters of small shipyards. Stonecutters Island, Ap Lei Chau and the north coast of Tsing Yi spring to mind. Another is Tam Kung Temple Road which lies between the Shau Kei Wan MTR station and the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence. Its couple of hundred yards contains about dozen […]
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IDJ has sent a series of articles about managers at Taikoo Dockyard: “John Finnie, the present Manager, was born at Greenock in 1897 and served his apprenticeship with Scotts’ Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Ltd. He came to Taikoo Dockyard as Ship Draughtsman in 1924, became Assistant Manager in 1930, and was appointed Manager in 1937 on K.E. Greig’s retirement. The […]
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HF: The Indo-China Steam Navigation Company Ltd (ICSNC), was established in 1873 as a subsidiary of Hong Kong based Jardine, Matheson & Co. With the advent of steam, Jardines became concerned that it might lose its former advantage in operating fast clippers. As a result, the company became seriously involved in steamships in the mid-1850s servicing the Bengal – China trade. […]
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HF: Sent in by IDJ and posted here 81 years to the day after first being published in 1939. I am a little unsure of the spelling of one shipping company mentioned, indicated by [?] and would be grateful to be informed of any errors I have made in retyping the original article. Hongkong Shipyards Among World’s Busiest THE TOTAL […]
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HF: While on holiday recently in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK, I came across this memorial photograph of Able Seaman, C Williams. The ‘Hongkong Dockyard’ could refer to either of the two large shipyards in 1910, Taikoo, or HK and Whampoa. However the latter was more usually known as Kowloon Docks so I am guessing AB Williams died at Taikoo on HK […]
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Stephen Davies provides further information about the history of Waglan Island lighthouse, its link to another in NE China and to two European companies. And a Swede who was awarded the Nobel prize for Physics for his invention regarding the illumination of lighthouses. SD: The light was built by Paris lighthouse makers Barbier, Bénard & Turenne as one of two identical lights for the […]
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HF: In my article, Universal Dockyard Ltd, Yau Tong I suggested that a fenced area to the immediate East of Universal was Yau Wing Shipyard whose main building had been demolished but which ran along Ko Fai Road. A map also indicated that there were slipways running from this building north into the sea. I have revisited the area and […]
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List of Japanese ships arriving and departing Hong Kong during the Japanese Occupation WWII Introduction Peter Cundall: Immediately prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War Hong Kong was a major commercial port, with Allied and neutral shipping using the port as a trading location free of Japanese control and a safe-haven for Chinese ships that would otherwise be seized. […]
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