1. The History
The Pak Sha Wan battery, meaning White Sand Bay in Chinese, is located on the north-east cost of Hong Kong Island. It was built by the British Army stationed in Hong Kong to strengthen the defence of the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island and formed part of Eastern Fire Command. When first completed in 1903, the battery originally accommodated 4 x 12-pounder Quick Firing (QF) guns. However, in 1910 these were replaced with 3 x 6-inch breech-loading (BL) guns. See plan from a year later in 1911:
PICTURE SOURCE: (C) The National Archives UK (UKNA WO78/5351)
Key:
A – Emplacement 3
B – Emplacement 2
C – Emplacement 1
D - Battery Observation Post
E – Oil Store
F – Main Barracks
G – Engine Room
The three gun emplacements all had magazines below along with a Battery Observation Post (BOP) located to the south of emplacement no.3 (also referred to as the Battery Command Post). Then, in 1937, one of the 6-inch guns was removed from the middle (No. 2) emplacement and reportedly replaced by a dummy gun.
And a plan including the barracks:
PICTURE SOURCE: (c) The Guns & Gunners of Hong Kong - Dennis Rollo
The battery played an important part for the Battle for Hong Kong during the Second World War. Prior to the Japanese invasion in December 1941, the battery was manned by No. 4 Battery Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, which numbered three officers and 94 men, under the command of Captain Kenneth Barnett. On 13th of December the battery, and the surrounding area, came heavy artillery and aerial bombardment from the Japanese army. This was repeated the following day with the battery sustaining nine fatalities. The 15th saw a failed landing attempt where 100 Japanese soldiers tried to cross the Lei Yue Mun channel in an array of different craft. It was successfully repelled with the battery firing 58 rounds in a 30-minute period. However, the Japanese made a successful landing on the night of the 18th with six battalions. The landing was exposed by the battery's search light and heavy casualties were inflicted on the Japanese. However, the Battery Command Post and all internal communications were destroyed and the Battery Commander was wounded. The whole area was then over-run, with battery no.1 finally surrendering two days later, on 20th December, 1941
Post-war picture of Battery 1 (with no.2 in the background):
PICTURE SOURCE: The Guns & Gunners of Hong Kong - Dennis Rollo
Post-World War II, the battery was abandoned. In 1987, the British Army handed over Lei Yue Mun Barracks, the Lei Yue Mun Battery, West Point Battery, and Pak Sha Wan Battery to the Hong Kong government. Some of the barracks were converted into Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village. Today the ruins of the battery are closed to the public and lie within a fenced-off area due south-east of the Coastal Defence Museum.
2. The Explore
This was on both our radars and @drhowser had previously visited and wanted to go back. Hence this was a no-brainer to check out. After walking up the side of Route 4, past the Coastal Defence Museum, we disappeared off into the undergrowth along a winding trail. We then soon popped out in the barracks complex. The barracks and associated buildings are in relatively good condition, but empty. After looking round them, we then moved on to the battery itself. Battery one is in decent condition but 2 is in pretty poor condition. We couldn’t see a way of getting down to the subterranean room though. We then moved on to emplacement 1 which is in the best nick. There is stuff to see her in terms of the underground magazine. However, there was no way down and the ladder we could see was pretty much rotten, so sadly we didn’t see this bit. We then battled through the undergrowth to look at the Battle Observation Post and the oil store. After we’d done, we then moved on to the lido and the nearby munitions stall (see previous reports HERE and HERE). Overall, a very enjoyable explore.
3. The Pictures
First to the barracks and Building No.39, formerly used as a Barracks room, linked with Block 40:
A boot scraper. Very British!
Pretty empty:
Nice old signage:
Next up, Block 38, formerly used as an outdoor Latrine of the barracks:
Block 40. Formerly used as a Barracks room, linked with Block 39:
Block 45, The Hall-Fire Room. Formerly used as a Barracks Room for the Lyemun Barracks:
There were some underground bunkers behind the main barracks and signs of a firefight:
The good Doctor is in there!
Some quick toilet action:
Something sticking out the museum’s storage area:
The Pak Sha Wan battery, meaning White Sand Bay in Chinese, is located on the north-east cost of Hong Kong Island. It was built by the British Army stationed in Hong Kong to strengthen the defence of the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island and formed part of Eastern Fire Command. When first completed in 1903, the battery originally accommodated 4 x 12-pounder Quick Firing (QF) guns. However, in 1910 these were replaced with 3 x 6-inch breech-loading (BL) guns. See plan from a year later in 1911:
PICTURE SOURCE: (C) The National Archives UK (UKNA WO78/5351)
Key:
A – Emplacement 3
B – Emplacement 2
C – Emplacement 1
D - Battery Observation Post
E – Oil Store
F – Main Barracks
G – Engine Room
The three gun emplacements all had magazines below along with a Battery Observation Post (BOP) located to the south of emplacement no.3 (also referred to as the Battery Command Post). Then, in 1937, one of the 6-inch guns was removed from the middle (No. 2) emplacement and reportedly replaced by a dummy gun.
And a plan including the barracks:
PICTURE SOURCE: (c) The Guns & Gunners of Hong Kong - Dennis Rollo
The battery played an important part for the Battle for Hong Kong during the Second World War. Prior to the Japanese invasion in December 1941, the battery was manned by No. 4 Battery Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, which numbered three officers and 94 men, under the command of Captain Kenneth Barnett. On 13th of December the battery, and the surrounding area, came heavy artillery and aerial bombardment from the Japanese army. This was repeated the following day with the battery sustaining nine fatalities. The 15th saw a failed landing attempt where 100 Japanese soldiers tried to cross the Lei Yue Mun channel in an array of different craft. It was successfully repelled with the battery firing 58 rounds in a 30-minute period. However, the Japanese made a successful landing on the night of the 18th with six battalions. The landing was exposed by the battery's search light and heavy casualties were inflicted on the Japanese. However, the Battery Command Post and all internal communications were destroyed and the Battery Commander was wounded. The whole area was then over-run, with battery no.1 finally surrendering two days later, on 20th December, 1941
Post-war picture of Battery 1 (with no.2 in the background):
PICTURE SOURCE: The Guns & Gunners of Hong Kong - Dennis Rollo
Post-World War II, the battery was abandoned. In 1987, the British Army handed over Lei Yue Mun Barracks, the Lei Yue Mun Battery, West Point Battery, and Pak Sha Wan Battery to the Hong Kong government. Some of the barracks were converted into Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village. Today the ruins of the battery are closed to the public and lie within a fenced-off area due south-east of the Coastal Defence Museum.
2. The Explore
This was on both our radars and @drhowser had previously visited and wanted to go back. Hence this was a no-brainer to check out. After walking up the side of Route 4, past the Coastal Defence Museum, we disappeared off into the undergrowth along a winding trail. We then soon popped out in the barracks complex. The barracks and associated buildings are in relatively good condition, but empty. After looking round them, we then moved on to the battery itself. Battery one is in decent condition but 2 is in pretty poor condition. We couldn’t see a way of getting down to the subterranean room though. We then moved on to emplacement 1 which is in the best nick. There is stuff to see her in terms of the underground magazine. However, there was no way down and the ladder we could see was pretty much rotten, so sadly we didn’t see this bit. We then battled through the undergrowth to look at the Battle Observation Post and the oil store. After we’d done, we then moved on to the lido and the nearby munitions stall (see previous reports HERE and HERE). Overall, a very enjoyable explore.
3. The Pictures
First to the barracks and Building No.39, formerly used as a Barracks room, linked with Block 40:
A boot scraper. Very British!
Pretty empty:
Nice old signage:
Next up, Block 38, formerly used as an outdoor Latrine of the barracks:
Block 40. Formerly used as a Barracks room, linked with Block 39:
Block 45, The Hall-Fire Room. Formerly used as a Barracks Room for the Lyemun Barracks:
There were some underground bunkers behind the main barracks and signs of a firefight:
The good Doctor is in there!
Some quick toilet action:
Something sticking out the museum’s storage area:
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