I haven't read of any battery on Signal Hill in the 1930s before, so this photo and its title are interesting to see.
Signal Hill, 18-pounder battery
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Submitted by Admin
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Wednesday, January 1, 1936
Gallery:
Connections:
- Signal Hill, 18-pounder battery shows Place Signal Hill - Blackhead Point [1907- ]
- Signal Hill, 18-pounder battery shows Place Signal Hill Battery / Blackhead Fort [????- ]
- Signal Hill, 18-pounder battery shows Place Blackhead's Hill/Signal Hill Lighthouse [1909- ]
Comments
Re: Signal Hill
I was more interested in the Signal Hill Lighthouse. Apparently, an Aga Flash Light was installed on Signal Hill in 1916.
This photo on Flickr may show the Lighthouse on Signal Hill in 1960:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65603462@N03/6368645919/in/photostream
Having said, I don't recall seeing photos of a Lighthouse next to the Time Ball Tower before.
I had read that gun salutes were fired from Signal Hill and Murray Parade Ground on ceremonial occasions.
lighthouse
HI, I've seen that before, looking at the other photos of Signal Hill it was there until the 1960s at least.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65603462@N03/6311038999/in/set-72157627862524205
http://gwulo.com/node/2736
Re: Lighthouse
Thanks for the 1960 photo. Perhaps an optical illusion with the lighthouse appearing very close to the Time Ball Tower when viewed from the ground up.
Signal Hill gun battery
I'd wondered if it was for ceremonial purposes too. But today's photo shows they had a range-finder with them at the top of the tower:
So maybe they were there for an exercise, or maybe it was a short-term defensive measure in response to Japanese attacks in southern China?
Regards, David
Re: Signal Hill Gun Battery
Nice photo of the range finder.
re Signal Hill
from a 1999 KCR assessment of the site:
On top of Signal Hill and sloping to the west there are also several structures, sites and objects of cultural interest including:
i. two pre-World War II brick structures west and downhill of the Tower;
ii. four concrete gun emplacements within the arc of the former battery;
iii. an historic iron winch, uncovered and located behind a modern steel fence to the east of the Tower;
iv. several other significant remnants (e.g., bolts, anchors and concrete slabs) associated with the masts, guide wires and hoisting operations that historically occurred at the site;
v. two stone cubes inscribed with “W.D.L. 64”, indicating evidence of the site’s historic status as “War Department Lands”; and
vi. several remains of foundations, as well as brick and concrete rubble from demolished, historic outbuildings.
http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/executive/english/eia_036/r0561282.htm
gun emplacements inside the battery
Taken before they demolished the New World Centre. I guess the view from the battery now is as open as it was when it was operational!
Range Finder
Jim's notes state their job was to record the movement of all shipping entering the harbour,bearings and ranges to all foreign and british men of war plus height and markings of all aircraft.
Not sure if I have also sent the photo of him using the external range finder on its stand at signal hill certainly have the Gun Detachment of the HK Singapore Bde RA Mohamudhans stood in front of it on the ramparts, a more usual range finder that has one fixed prism and the other moves and when the two images top and bottom are aligned a scale shows the range.
re: Range Finder
Thanks for the extra information about what they were doing up here. Can you recognise whether the guns in the top photo are just for ceremonial use, or were regular artillery for that time?
Here's the view of the range finder on its stand:
The concrete platforms arranged in a star shape look the same as the ones in Phil's 2009 photograph above.
Regards, David
Re: Signal Hill Battery
It was also known as the Saluting Battery as the Royal Salute was fired on ceremonial occasions. Signal Hill was also known as Blackhead Hill and Blackhead Fort.
Death of King George V and Accession of New King - Hong Kong Telegraph 22 January 1936
18 Pdr
Interestingly 2 guns are MkIIs and the far right a MkI. The Mk I sufferred from recupertor springs breaking due to poor design (recuperator returns the ordnance to the firing position, the buffer absorbs the recoil)and loss of oil. The gun was safe but then had to be manually pushed home to the forward run out position, heavy work which obviously slowed the rate of fire. The mk II had a lighter sleeved barrel, easier to replace, and the distinctive armoured recouperator extra oil reservoir at the end.
Signal Hill Battery
Hi Moddsey,
Any chance that the battery's guns were also used for signalling typhoon?
CM
Re: Signal Hill Battery
Don't think so. If one delves through the HKO archives, three explosive bombs were fired at ten second intervals at the Water Police Station (TST) and repeated at the Harbour Office (Central) when winds of typhoon force were expected. The Black Cross would also had been hoisted at Signal Stations at the same time.
Typhoon Gun