Stanley Gap
I was sent this photo, which I believe is a still from a film produced by the Japanese after the fall of Hong Kong probably in late 1941 or early 1942. The question was - where was it. There is no doubt about the location because the wartime structures are stil there. The long rectangular building with three doors is actually two sets of splinter proof shelters. The original steel doors although badly damaged are still intact albeit sealed to prevent entry. These splinter proof shelters was used as an accommodation block for the battery personnel. The buildings higher up the hillside were part of the Battery HQ for the 3.7-inch AA gun battery. These HQ buildings are still there - albeit badly damaged. The hillside behind the Battery HQ is Jardines Lookout devoid of trees and shrubbery except low vegetation. The steps to the left of the splinter proof are still there and lead up to the Battery HQ. Today there is an additional flight of steps running beside the access road and to the left of the original steps. Near the Battery HQ a splinter proof toilet block still remains which would have been for the use of the HQ personnel. Although not clear in the pic there is a deep gulley in front of the accommodation block. It all looks very different now because of trees and shrubbery obscuring the view of the Battery HQ and the hillline at the top of the wartime pic.
The accommodation shelters at the 3.7-inch AA Battery at Stanley Gap
Courtesy: Adrian Cung and sourced from www.nihongun.jp
The pic below is taken from war crimes trials files (UK National Archives) and labelled by me. I believe it was taken around 1947 and shows the two shelters that make up the battery accommodation and the surrounding military structures. In the accommodation block the men slept on retractable bunks attached to the back wall and two sde walls. The bunks could be unshipped and used as stretchers during battle. The pic shows part of the Battery HQ (aka Command Post), the gun road leading to the AA battery, the magazines and the store shelter. Above the store shelter is the concrete floor of the Mess Hut. The mess hut had wooden walls and a wooden roof. Prisoners of war captured in the area were crammed into the mess hut. It was overcrowded, no water, no food, and no sanitary provision and many of those that went in never came out alive. The square concrete structure on the mess hut floor is thought to be the cooking range and although damaged still remains mostly intact. The mess hut became known as the black hole of Hong Kong because of the appalling conditions in which the men were held.
UK National Archives
The location is Stanley Gap as it was then called. It is at the brough of the hill where today there is a small car park shown in the pic below. The small car park is immediately before the access steps to the Hong Kong Trail leading to Jardines Lookout. This is about 100 metres from Park View.
The small car park at Stanley Gap
The store shelter is beside the car park. In 1941 the road was called Stanley Gap Road today it is called Tai Tam Reservoir Road.
This area around Stanley Gap was the scene of much fighting, many deaths, including deaths from war crimes committed at the stores shelter and at the mess hut. The fighting in this area took place mostly on Friday 19 December 1941. The fighting is covered in detail in Chapter 8 of my book Battle for Hong Kong December 1941.
Gallery
Steps leading to the Battery HQ
Sealed up entrance door to Battery HQ and a blast wall for protection of those entering or leaving
Store Shelter by the small car park at Stanley Gap with rusted but original steel shutters.
The Gun Road and the Magazines at Stanley Gap
The accommodation shelters today
The new steps beside the slope to the left and the original steps to the Battery HQ on the right
One of the two AA guns captured by the Japanese early in the morning of 19 December 1941. You ca see Jardines Lookour behind.
Another view of the accommodation block and Battery HQ. Here you can see a bit of the gully
Japanese artist rendition of the capture of the two AA guns at Stanley Gao
