In the early days of flying, there were no paved runways, just large flat areas allowing take-off and landing to suit the prevailing wind conditions. Initially there was little interest from the Hong Kong Government to identify a suitable site within the territory for an aerodrome as flying was seen as a niche interest with little practical use. In 1911 […]
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Tymon Mellor: Hong Kong International Airport handles over 1,000 aircraft movements a day, a long way from the first Hong Kong airfield at Sha Tin, where at 5:10pm on 18th March, 1911 Charles Van den Born, a Belgian undertook the first powered flight in the territory. Flying a 1910 Farman Mk II bi-plane named “Wanda”, he made a short flight […]
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Roy Farrell co-founded one of Asia’s most successful airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, with the Australian Sydney de Kantzow and was one of the first Westerners to recognize the post-war potential of China as a trading partner. An American from Texas, he had originally intended to establish a trading company supplying China with badly needed goods at the end of […]
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Hugh Farmer: Elizabeth Ride has sent another part of 1945 BAAG report on a variety of subjects in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in WW2. This time the report covers: Motor Bus Services – the removal of most buses from HK, bus services post Sept 1942 Ferry Services – Harbour and Island/NT/Aberdeen, use of auxiliary junks, fuel […]
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HF: IDJ has kindly sent the following newspaper article. I have retyped the original article to aid clarity and site searches: MR. A. HARPER DEAD Well-Known Figure We regret to record the death of Mr. Andrew Harper which occurred at his residence in Kowloon yesterday. Mr. Harper came to the Colony in 1922 as a mining engineer, but returned to […]
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Many thanks to IDJ for sending in the following newspaper article. HF: I have retyped the original article to aid clarity and searches on the website. Thanks to SCT for proof reading the retyped copy of the original article. THE CULMINATION OF A GRAND ENGINEERING FEAT THE BEACON HILL TUNNEL REPATRIATED CHINESE MINERS ENTER MALARIAL DISTRICT BRITISH PLUCK TRIUMPHS (By […]
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Tymon Mellor: At 11.39pm on the 3rd August, 1972 Mr M. McMillan, a construction superintendent became the first member of the public to drive from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon through the new cross-harbour tunnel. The tunnel project was a first, not only for connecting Hong Kong to Kowloon, but also for using private capital to finance the project under a […]
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Elizabeth Ride has sent a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) report from 1st March 1945, An Outline of Conditions in Occupied Hong Kong which was compiled in early 1945 for use by the Civil Affairs Committee which was to take on the rehabilitation of HK after the planned allied invasion. HF: The report is lengthy so I am going to divide it […]
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Graham Wood has kindly sent the following newspaper article. HF: I have retyped the article… The Wing, which comprised 90 per cent of “Shield” Force, was at sea bound for Okinawa and ultimately the Japanese mainland, with airfield construction as its primary objective on the invasion route to Tokyo, when news was suddenly received of the Japanese surrender. At the […]
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IDJ has sent the following newspaper article. I have retyped the original article to aid legibility and searches on the website. Thanks to SCT for proofreading the retyped article. A railway journal at any time is most interesting. To the young people it is an object lesson not learned in the classroom. To the more mature persons, it affords much […]
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