Wong Nei Chong Gap PB 2, Wong Nei Chong Gap [1940- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Wong Nei Chong Gap PB 2, Wong Nei Chong Gap [1940- ]

Primary tabs

Submitted by Rob on Fri, 2012-09-07 13:32
Current condition: 
Ruin
Date Place completed: 
1940-01-01
Year completed is: Approximate
Condition at last visit: Intact
Date of last visit: Jun-1994
Ref: ROB-00698
Other:
Tags: 
pillbox
4 Loophole
Line-of-gaps PB
  • Log in or register to post comments

Comments

Submitted by David on Thu, 2012-10-04 16:46.

Tony Banham's book Not the slightest chance refers to these pillboxes as JLO1, 2, and 3. He later updated us that they referred to different sites:

Pillboxes PB1 and PB2 ((ie this one)) are above Sir Cecil's Ride and PB3 is opposite Stanley Ho's house. JLO1,2,3 were gunpits on either side of Sir Cecil's Ride to the north west of the foot of Jardine's Lookout.

Regards, David

Submitted by David on Sat, 2016-10-22 20:14.

Message from Philip Cracknell:

The Water Supplies Dept of the HK Government are constructing an ugly water pipeline supported by concrete blocks right outside Pillbox 2 (PB2) on Jardines Lookout. This pillbox and the nearby PB 1 were involved in a fierce fight with Japanese troops on Friday December 19th 1941. The soldiers in these pillboxes were mostly made up of locally recruited Volunteers from No. 3 Company Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corp. Each pillbox was augmented by Canadian soldiers from Winnipeg Grenadiers. The PBs  accounted for a large number of Japanese casualties from Colonel Shoji's 230th Infantry Regiment who had landed at North Point during the night of Thursday 18th December 1941 and advanced on Wong Nai Chung Gap during the early hours of 19th December along a track known as Sir Cecil's Ride. The pillboxes fought throughout the day until they were eventually forced to surrender. A number of the defenders were killed at both pillboxes and in the area between and many more were wounded. The non-walking wounded were left at PB2 and put to death by the Japanese.  These two pillboxes located on the western slopes of Jardines Lookout form part of the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail also known as the "battle trail" with information boards at intervals along the trail. The two pillboxes are regarded as war shrines and should be respected. We are asking the Water Supplies Department to stop construction and relocate the pipeline five metres to the south on the other side of the path. The way it has been built in front of PB2 is  tantamount to a desecration of what is an historic site and a war shrine. Please sign the petition.  The crews of these two pillboxes deserve better.

Please sign the petition at: https://www.change.org/p/water-supplies-department-of-hong-kong-governme...

Submitted by H Lo on Sun, 2020-11-01 10:55.

So there're more than one PB1+2+3... on HK Island? 

One of the PB2 here and another one at Tai Tam Gap?

Does this happen at other places too, I mean, having the same number?

Submitted by hongkonger on Tue, 2020-12-15 10:10.

Tony Banham's article, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, Number 3 (Machine Gun) Company published in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch vol. 45 (2005), contains a map of the Wong Nai Chung area on p.141. It should help clear up confusion regarding the positions of JLO1-3 and PB1-3, or at least the nomenclature that Tony uses.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23889880 (JSTOR allows 100 free texts per month upon free login)

The fact that the hiking trail plaques refer to these two as JLO1 and JLO2 has caused me some confusion.