Pillbox 014, Brick Hill / Deep Water bay [1939- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Pillbox 014, Brick Hill / Deep Water bay [1939- ]

Current condition: 
Ruin
Date Place completed: 
1939-01-01

The wartime map shows Pillbox 14 here.

Walking along Mills & Chung path I thought I could see a pillbox in the distance.

Pillbox

But when I walked over to take a look it's clear it was something much newer.

Pillbox

I think the pillbox was buried during construction in this area. (Either Ocean Park, or whatever was there before).

Photos that show this place

Comments

Looks like I gave up too easily. Andrew wrote in:

PB14 is [near the round blue objects in the top photograph]. Its gun slits are just above the ground level and I was able to see inside a year or so ago. The Lyon light shelter is up an overgrown flight of steps to the left of the pill box and it is well worth visiting.

Following Andrew's messages thatthe pillbox was still there, I went back for another look. Sure enough, it was very close to the newer concrete slab noted above, but a little bit before it if you are walking over from the Mills & Chung path.

Here's the first view. Can you see it? You should be able to see the slit of the loophole in the centre of the photo.

PB014

Here's a closer look. I don't feel so bad about missing it the first time! The pillbox has been covered and partially buried with assorted rubbish and earth from the hillside above.

PB014

Getting closer to the left loophole, we can see the rubbish goes inside as well.

PB014

Here's the view looking out the other way. The pillbox looks along the shoreline from here to DeepWater Bay Road, then on to the Deepwater Bay beach.

PB014

The left edge of the pillbox is unusual. The roof forms an overhang, but then there is a second concrete wallfrom the edge of the roof to the ground. There is a gap between the two walls, but it is too narrow to be a passage. I wonder what it was there for?

PB014

If you look up the slope on the left, you'll see a concrete staircase. Up we go!

PB014

Looking across from the stairs, we can see a small square ventilation 'chimney' on top of the pillbox. For some reason this pillbox didn't get the round structure for a periscope [2020 update: the round structure on the roof of pillboxes wasn't a periscope] that is common on most other pillboxes.

PB014

At the top of the staircase we can see the Lyon Light building. The curved front aperture has been crudely filled in with stones and cement. No doubt it was used as a squatter's home at some stage after the war.

PB014

Closer up, there's the remains of a pipe poking through the wall next to the door. Was this one of the speaking tubes that Rob described, used to communicate with the pillbox?

PB014

Looking in through the door, and the rusty wall-fittings for the two fold-up beds can still be seen.

PB014

Looking round further to the left and you can see the remains of a much newer bed - someone had a mattress on the floor here in recent years.

PB014

Then turning round a bit further, the curve of the original opening is clear to see.

PB014

As I left, I held my camera down into the right loophole of the pillbox, to take a photo of the inside.

PB014

You can see the entrance is at the back, on the right, and that sand and rocks have fallen in from the right side.

Here's the front, right corner of the pillbox. The whole right side is completely buried now - no sign of any entrance.

PB014

As always, if you can add any more information about this pillbox, please let us know in the comments below.

MrB

Thanks to Rob Weir for finding PB14 in the first place. I understand it was his directions that Andrew followed, and then passed on to us.

And a bit of trivia - if you are a regular visitor to Tony Banham's website, he notes that the photo of the gun port at the top left of the page is PB14.

Year completed is: Approximate
Condition at last visit: Intact
Date of last visit: Apr-2006
Ref: ROB-00613
Other: Overrun during fighting

Went for a poke about last weekend. I was stupid enough to go into that narrow passage on the left. It leads quite far back with a number of turns, till it is blocked up at the back of the PB. But it was disgustingly muddy, tight and overrun with bugs. 

Ill try to add some photos

Did you reach there from Mills and Chung's Path by the rocky shore?

Yes, H Lo, jump the barrier and walk down the beach and rocks. It is tucked up in the brush right next to the ocean park complex as I recall (sunk into the ground a bit) with the overgrown path to the LL on the of it left.

It's been much exposed now, though unable to get inside easily, unless by squeezing through the loopholes.

IMG_20201222_100018_PB14.jpg
IMG_20201222_100018_PB14.jpg, by H.Lo