New Territories 4.

Thank you Masang. You might be correct.  My only concern is that on the 1952 map the single building shown as  Nim Wan overlooking Deep Bay is quite a long way from Kong Wei where Gordon would be at work.  It is not likely that he would have time to walk there after his work shift as the transport would be waiting to take him back to Sek Kong.  The other photographs in that sequence do not look as though they are quite in the same area - mainly of paddy fields.  Is it possible that this photograph and the others might have been taken further to the Easr, perhaps somewhere near Fung Kong Tsuen.  That is on the road from Kong Wei and would have been more accessible.  The other photographs of paddy fields, etc., might fit in with a walk from Kong Wei to wherever Gordon took this photograph.  Any thoughts?  Best wishes, Andrew

Hi Masang,

I think that somewhere on the higher ground near Fung Kong Tsuen is about as close to the spot as we're going to get.  At a rough calculation, on what I believe would have been the old road, it would have been about 2.5km from R.A.F. Kong Wei, which would have been well within walking distance.  The other photographs in that sequence could very easily have been taken anywhere along that road from Kong Wei.  If you are happy with Fung Kong Tsuen, I'll add a pin for this image.  Best wishes, Andrew

Thank you Masang and Peter for your help in locating several of Gordon's photographs.  Your comparison and analysis of the photographs with the 1952 map is very good and I think that those hills just to the South West of Fung Kong Tsuen would have been a very likiley place from which Gordon took most of the photographs in this group - the combined 2 and 3 in 4 and also nos. 5, 6 and 7, with him pointing his camera both further to the North East and then the East for 5,6 and 7 - if I've got them in the right order!  Using the 1952 map, I'll add a pin on the suggested hill and hope that it ties in neatly with the modern Google Earth. I strongly believe that no. 1 could have been taken somewhere on the road much closer to R.A.F. Kong Wei.  On that point, I inserted an accurate pin on Google Earth and also on the 1952 map in the very small triangle beside the river and the bridge,  If you have a copy of the Hong Kong in Old Times book published by the Lands Department in June 2007 (a great help to me over the years, because that's how I remember everywhere being) you can see this and the small circles showing the three D/F huts on page144, as well as the area  covered by Gordon's photographs on another page.  No, Sek Kong Wei, is not R.A.F. Kong Wei.  As with several place names in Hong Kong, there are several names similar to Kong Wei.  Years ago when I started to be involved in these historical things, I found that there seemed to be many 'Sai Wan' and 'Chaiwan' places - sometimes used alternatively for the same place.  Perhaps that was due to the historically not always accurate translation of Chinese names into English!  Off to work now, but I'll check out Kai Pak Ling later today. Thank you both again for your excellent detective work, and best wishesa, Andrew

I have now added a pin on the highest(?) part of the hill, according to Google Earth, near Kai Pak Ling for this and the other associated photographs.  Let me know if you think it needs moving. Thanks, Andrew

Hi Peter,

It’s good that the pins transfer onto the other maps and Google Earth, but unfortunately not all maps can be accurately aligned with each other, especially the very old ones. I must remember to insert pins, especially for the New Territories, onto the 1952 map, which fits my memory best and which avoids all the modern changes to roads, rivers, etc.. In Central and Wanchai my 1957 map showing the North side of the Island; relates nicely to my memories but it is not cartographically very accurate and discrepancies can occur, but by cleverly bending the map, David makes it work. Anyway, the maps are a great part of David’s system and we can work round minor inaccuracies in some of the maps  Best wishes, Andrew