Marksman unit | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Marksman unit

Marksman unit
Submitted by raycarpenter
Tags: 
poetic in a way

About 1976, when the MTR (mass transit system) was being built, the Japanese consortium won the Nathen Road/Harbour contract. They started digging and found this, a Japanese HE bomb all live and ready to go, dropped by them on HK during the war. They stopped work and called us in. Eric Worswick arrived with some of us in tow and this is the actual bomb Eric and myself worked upon for 2 days from its render safe to eventual disposal at sea later. Location? At the back of Nathan Road nearly ouside the Sikh Temple (Haiphone Road)? We also had to guard it in case someone nicked it for the metal and explosives inside.

Gallery: 
1970s RHKP Marksman Unit
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Submitted by David on Mon, 2013-09-09 11:18.

The buildings in the background are still there today:

2008 Nathan Rd in TST

It's the junction of Nathan Road with Haiphong Road, just next to the Mosque. There's a big MTR entrance there today, which I guess is what they were excavating for.

Regards, David

Submitted by raycarpenter on Tue, 2013-09-24 02:41.

Near to the above location, mid morning, crowded, baddies had left a suspect device in a bank doorway. On the top written, words to the effect, 'Comrades keep clear'. The device was approached for render safe. Cat 1 disposal on site. Approached the bomb, attempted render safe and the bomb MOVED a few inches. I now suspect remote control or wire pull to activate or some action to get me in a position to  shoot me. Another approach and the bomb moved again. Request Markman Unit anti sniper cover in case some one does take a shot. Eventually the bomb, live, was defused. The bomb was dynamite sticks, fuse, battery and the timer was a rat. 4 feet thro the bottom of the box, secured by elastic bands and the activation switch was a clothes peg with cotton dipped in beef fat. Method; starve the rat, place the box. pull out a divider so the rat can eat the cotton, the peg closes and bang. 20-30 min timer. Fault; The rat wasn't measured for the distance to the cotton, he was too far away to eat, so he became the donkey with the carrot in front, food always there but just out of reach. So he would hobble after the food- just out of reach, hobble - out of reach etc. Close thing, allowing for soak time it would had gone off just as I got there. The device being organic would leave little for labs to work on. Metal bits etc.