Pillboxes in Hong Kong | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Pillboxes in Hong Kong

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Submitted by David on Thu, 2009-05-14 08:09

As the map below shows, pillboxes were built in many places around Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories. For more information about a pillbox, either click its name in the list, or click its red marker on the map. Your are welcome to add another place - just remember to give it the tag pillbox so that it shows up on the list and map below.

Place name Author
Japanese (?) Pillbox in HK Park [????- ] Rusty
Japanese Pillbox at Diamond Hill [????- ] David
Japanese Pillbox at Pak Fu Shan [????- ] David
Japanese Pillboxes at Luk Keng [????- ] Rusty
Kennedy Town PB 1, Kennedy Town [1940- ] Unknown user (not verified)
Kennedy Town PB 2, Kennedy Town [1940- ] Rob
Kennedy Town PB 3, Kennedy Town [1940- ] Rob
Lei Mun Gap PB, Sai Wan [1940-????] Rob
Line-of-Gaps / Kennedy Town PB 4 / LPB 19, Kennedy Town [c.1941-????] Rob
Mystery fort and mini tunnel [????- ] H Lo
Pillbox 001, Sha Wan [1939-????] Rob
Pillbox 002, Pok Fu Lam [1939-????] Admin
Pillbox 003, Kong Sin Wan / Telegraph Bay [1939-????] Admin
Pillbox 004, Kong Sin Wan / Telegraph Bay / Cyberport [1939-????] Admin
Pillbox 005, Kong Sin Wan / Telegraph Bay [1939-????] David

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Comments

Submitted by moddsey on Sun, 2012-01-08 19:29.

The captioned article can be viewed online from the Public Library. It tells of the failure of the German pillbox system on the battlefields in WWI from a British perspective.

On the subject of pillboxes. I have lost the reference but I did read from the newpapers from the 1920s  that the earliest pillboxes in Hong Kong were built in the NT, one on the Lo Wu side of the border, another on the Fanling to Sha Tau Kok Rd and last one in Sha Tau Kok Village.

1928 PWD Report confirms the newspaper article

At the request of the Military Authorities, the following pillboxes were erected:

a) a large pillbox near the Shum Chun River at Lo Wu halt;

b) two small pillboxes at Sha Tau Kok Police Station and

c) a large pillbox at the terminus of the road at Sha Tau Kok

The structures were completed in August 1928 and handed over to the Military Authorities.

Submitted by moddsey on Wed, 2012-06-13 15:23.
As spoken. The original NT pillboxes.

Submitted by David on Fri, 2012-06-15 12:22.

Thanks Moddsey. I wonder if there are any photos of them remaining? I guess even if there are, there's a good chance whoever owns them won't realise what they are!

Regards, David

Submitted by David on Tue, 2012-06-26 14:25.

Several Hong Kong pillboxes are described in this publication from the HK Institute of Surveyors: http://www.hkis.org.hk/hkis/general/journal/SBEvol21b.pdf.

Thanks to Moddsey for the link.

Regards, David

Submitted by Rob on Wed, 2016-12-14 13:51.
Unknown BDU, showing effectiveness of camouflage..jpg
Unknown BDU, showing effectiveness of camouflage..jpg, by The National Archives UK

Submitted by Rob on Wed, 2016-12-14 14:00.
Unknown Beach PB..jpg
Unknown Beach PB..jpg, by The National Archives UK

 

Submitted by Rob on Wed, 2016-12-14 14:02.
Unknown Beach PB under construction..jpg
Unknown Beach PB under construction..jpg, by The National Archives UK

Submitted by Herostratus on Thu, 2018-08-30 07:29.
HK Island Pillbox Map
HK Island Pillbox Map , by Herostratus

Submitted by moddsey on Sun, 2019-05-12 21:16.

HK Sunday Herald 23 February 1947

Another reminder of the war years will shortly disappear, the many pill-boxes which stand in various parts of the town. Yesterday's Government Gazette contained a notice for tenders for the demolition of 28 pill-boxes and similar structures at various sites on the island.

Submitted by Rob on Mon, 2019-05-13 08:24.

Thanks Moddsey, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Only when I re-read the date did the palpitations cease

Submitted by Rob on Wed, 2021-02-24 16:14.

Much of the information on the map of pillboxes shown above comes from Rob Weir.

Rob has an article in the latest issue of The HKIS journal: Surveying & Built Environment, Volume 30, describing how he learned about Hong Kong's pillboxes. He takes us back to his first discoveries, when he knew little to nothing about Hong Kong's military defences, and how he pieced together his discoveries over time. A lot of the research was done on the ground, sometimes literally!

On one occasion the ground slipped away underneath me, and I started an uncontrolled slide into a valley. Fortunately, I ended up entangled in a bush which stopped my progress. It gave me a fright, and I was yelling at myself for being so careless when I noticed Tito, the Labrador, sitting watching me. I am certain to this day that he was slowly shaking his head.

You can download a copy of the journal from www.hkis.org.hk/archive/materials/category/HKIS_SBE_Vol30_website.pdf, and you'll find Rob's article from page 107 onwards.