I took this from Victoria Road this morning. As I was walking along I noticed that the building for Green Island searchlight #2 can be seen down at the left edge of the island. It looks to have its iron shutters still in place.
Green island
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Submitted by David
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Gallery:
Connections:
- Green island shows Place Green Island DEL 2, Green Island [1939- ]
- Green island shows Place Green Island [????- ]
Comments
Re: Green Island Searchlight
Just wondering - is the other searchlight below the former lighthouse keeper's quarters as seen here ?
You may have missed it
David,
Expand your first photograph above and then look into the trees just above the structure that you mention - (may still be shuttered).
There is an identical concrete slab roof and a smigeon of wall showing. Look hard and you will see it.
In the late 1990's I talked with a man who had been in the RNR in HK post war and he once mentioned that circa 1949 the Government / Military were worried about the Communists invading Hong Kong via the sea lanes. As a result naval booms were laid to prevent willy-nilly access to the harbour.
In support of these booms there must have been landside anchorage points and vessels to open and close the booms. I suspect that somewhere along the line the searchlights must have had a supporting role to illuminate the booms at nightime.
This contribution may expand the study into the searchlight aspect.
Green Island Searchlight
Moddsey,
Do you mean the building just above the boat in your photo? I think that's the same one we see in this photo, searchlight #2.
Dave,
Well spotted, I hadn't noticed that building in the trees. It may well be the other searchlight, but we'd need to get a closer look to be sure.
Interesting to hear about the booms in 1949. I hadn't heard of those before - hopefully other readers can tell us more about them, and whether any of the searchlight sites were re-used at that time.
Regards, David
Re: Searchlight et al
Yes, I was referring to the larger structure just above and to the left of the wheelhouse of the boat. From later comments received, perhaps not.
I have seen photos of the booms at Lyemun from the 1940s. Here is the website.
1937 Harbour Boom
Booms
That's an interesting read about the indicator loops.
A search for boom at HKGRO turns up several announcements from 1939-41 advising shipping how to pass though the boom, eg
http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/G1939/599695.pdf
Regards, David