19th October - Free talk at HK Observatory about HK POW's diary | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

19th October - Free talk at HK Observatory about HK POW's diary

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Submitted by Admin on Sat, 2015-10-03 21:37

Remembering Graham Heywood...

History, Heroism and Heritage - Wartime Memories of Graham Heywood, Director of the Royal Observatory, Hong Kong, 1946 - 1956.

Speakers:  

  • Veronica Heywood will talk about her father and introduce the book "It Won't Be Long Now - The Diary of a Hong Kong Prisoner of War" published in October 2015 by Blacksmith Books, HK.  
  • Shun Chi Ming, current Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, and Geoffrey Charles Emerson, a local historian with special interest in the history of the internment camp at Stanley, will talk about the background leading to the publication of the book.

Mr Heywood was captured by the Japanese on 8 December 1941 and subsequently spent three and a half years in Shamshuipo POW Camp.

Following the talk, discussion and tea, a memorial service will be held in St Andrew's Church, next to the Observatory.  All are welcome to both events.

Date:    19 October 2015, Monday.

Place:     Conference Hall, Centenary Building, Hong Kong Observatory, 134A Nathan Road, Kowloon.

Time:     3:00 p.m. for the talk, and 5:00 p.m. for the memorial service.

There is no charge, but please contact Geoffrey Charles Emerson to reserve your place - emerson@netvigator.com, Phone: 6012 0700.

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Submitted by David on Mon, 2015-10-05 15:28.

Graham Heywood was the first prisoner-of-war captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong in 1941. Tony Banham writes:

Most people imagine that, at surrender, the garrison was taken prisoner en masse. In fact, prisoners were taken from the very start of the fighting, with Graham Heywood of the HKVDC being first (he was checking rain gauges on the border when the Japanese crossed).

Submitted by moddsey on Tue, 2015-10-06 04:33.

There is a write-up in the China Mail dated 7 August 1950 about Heywood as seen here. G. Heywood and his assistant, L. Starbuck were captured at Au Tau trying to recover some instruments from the magnetic station located there. For record, the magnetic station was erected in 1927 and located in proximity to the Police Station but not in line of sight. The difficulty in accessing the site was mentioned in the 1927 Royal Observatory's Annual Report.

1930s Au Tau and Ping Shan Police Stations Map
1930s Au Tau and Ping Shan Police Stations Map, by moddsey

 

Submitted by David on Tue, 2015-10-06 18:07.

Henry Ching writes:

G.S.P. Heywood and L. Starbuck, both of the Royal Observatory, were probably the first two prisoners taken by the Japanese on 8th December, 1941.  Heywood was a private in the HKVDC and eventually became a POW in Sham Shui Po Camp. He was later sent to Japan.  But Starbuck remains a mystery.  Both were moved from the Combatant Group to the Key-posts Group in the Defence Reserve as recently as September, 1941.  Apparently, Heywood remained in the HKVDC notwithstanding this, and was presumably in uniform when he was captured.  But I have been unable to find out anything about Starbuck, who seems to have been neither a POW nor an internee. He continued to work in the Royal Observatory after the war. I wonder if you have any information on his whereabouts during the war?

I see CM Shun's blog has an entry that says both Heywood and Starbuck spent the war years as POWs in Shamshuipo Camp: http://www.hko.gov.hk/blog/en/archives/00000136.htm

Regards, David

Submitted by cmshun on Sun, 2015-10-11 21:44.

Thanks a lot to David for posting the book talk announcement on Gwulo.  Mr Starbuck was indeed interned at Shamshuipo according to Heywood's diary.

Indeed the HKVDC records did show that a Mr Heywood was sent to Japan.  But either this record was incorrect or he was a different Heywood.  Mr GSP Heywood remained at Shamshuipo throughout the war.

I am also not so sure if Mr Heywood was in uniform when he was captured at Au Tau, as he was carrying out a duty of the Royal Observatory to dismantle and retrieve the geomagnetic measurement instruments there, not carrying out HKVDC duty.

Hope to see some of you at the book talk on 19 October.

CM 

Submitted by brian edgar on Mon, 2015-10-12 00:43.

Was Mr. Heywood the first prisoner captured on land in the entire Pacific War?

Submitted by David on Mon, 2015-10-12 13:01.

CM, thanks for the update. I've made a page for Leonard Starbuck and posted some more information at: http://gwulo.com/node/29248

Regards, David 

Submitted by philk on Wed, 2015-10-14 23:15.

Hi David,

It should be "Blacksmith Books" rather than Blacksmith press.

Submitted by David on Thu, 2015-10-15 14:16.

Thanks Phil, corrected now.

Regards, David