1950s Praya Central & Vehicular Ferry pier | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

1950s Praya Central & Vehicular Ferry pier

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1950s Praya Central & Vehicular Ferry pier
Submitted by Admin
Tags: 
central
praya
pier
ferry
received via email
Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Sunday, January 1, 1950
Gallery: 
1950s Hong Kong
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2008-06-11 01:13.
Note the pillbox at the tip of the right hand side pier. During the war with the Japanese, The garrison inside which fired upon a police guarded boat shipping dynamite from Green Island back to HK Island, thinking it a Japanese landing party.

Submitted by David on Wed, 2008-06-11 10:47.

Well spotted! I'd been looking for signs of any of the pillboxes along the north shore, but hadn't found any till you pointed out this one. I think they've all long disappeared, so it will only be in old photos we can see them.

Are you sure this is the pillbox that fired on the dynamite? Tony Banham's site notes the fire as coming from pillbox 63, but from squinting at the map of pillbooxes it looks as though this was likely pillbox 62. The map isn't very clear though, so I'm not 100% sure.

MrB

Submitted by greg fripp (not verified) on Sat, 2008-07-12 20:36.
I remember the days when this was the ONLY way to get to kowloon. I think the first tunnel was started in 1962, just after I left. It used to be a nice trip accross, just you and about up to 20 cars/lorries. I cant remember how much it cost, though. Those were the days... Greg

Submitted by OldTimer (not verified) on Tue, 2008-07-15 10:43.
My rough guess is about $1 for a car in 1962. 60 years ago amost to the day, this little boy sat on a family suitcase which was resting on the floor of a small flat-bed truck which was riding this (or twin?) ferry. No seat belts needed or mandated at that time. Yes, Greg fripp, I also miss those days.

Submitted by David on Wed, 2008-10-08 21:59.
Our latest guess is that this was pillbox #61.

Submitted by Rob on Sat, 2020-05-30 19:10.

Just (re)discovered this post. According to the 1st Bn Middlesex Regt. War Diary, PB 63, in an unfortunate incident, fired on and blew up the ammunition barge. (NA Kew WO 172/1689).