Film from March 1946 | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Film from March 1946

On the website of the Imperial War Museum, a number of (silent) films can be found. Some of them are on war criminals trials and include other scenes. They seem to be raw materials that have been used for e.g. Movietone Films like this.

One of the films shows the recovering Hong Kong from March 1946 (here). The description on the website is as follows:

Full description

Part 1, shot on 6 March 1946: Platform sign reads 'Kowloon'. Repeat shot of the sign with pan to a passenger locomotive reversing. Chinese labourers wearing conical straw hats at work on Kai Tak airfield; behind them a Vultee Vengeance divebomber comes in as if to land before taking off again. Train arriving at Kowloon station; a woman with a pole hurries alongside and a number of buckets are passed out of a carriage window to her, while the passengers disembark. Passengers walk along the platform and the camera pans to follow them. Passengers pass through a gate and hand tickets to a collector. A trolley piled high with square objects is pulled along by a number of civilians. The trolley is hauled towards the docks. A view of a gas holder or gasometer, with an Indian soldier on sentry duty and civilians with handcarts. Out of focus view of a Dakota landing at Kai Tak. Passengers, apparently from the Dakota, get down from a lorry; pan to a sign which reads 'No. 201 Staging Post RAF Transport Command'. The gates of the Hong Kong Electric Company are pushed open and a car drives in, apparently carrying company officials; pan to chimney stacks. Very dark interior apparently showing an engineer checking an instrument panel. A clearer shot of the same. Looking down on a coal heap with civilian labourers; pan to the gasometer. Civilian women hauling a trolley laden with pieces of scrap metal.

Full description

Part 2, shot on 28 March 1946: Exterior of headquarters Hong Kong Land Forces with a sign which reads 'War Crimes Court No.5'; the General Officer Commanding Hong Kong, Major-General Frank Festing, gets out of his car and goes inside as the camera follows him (the cameraman slightly misjudges this shot and Festing is cut off at the chest). A civilian woman selling newspapers with billboard that reads 'China Mail - Hong Kong War Trials Begin - Grim tales of torture and killing - Security Council deadlock'. Closer shot of the headline. Japanese war crimes suspects get down from a lorry. They are marched into the court compound led by the senior accused; they keep step and are escorted by armed Commandos. Very dark interior shot of the courtroom.

The last scenes (starting at 7:40 min) show soldiers patrolling in Central (a sign says Queen's Road Central).

I'm not sure of the exact locations shown, but I'm quite sure that North Point Power Station is shown with a tank (and not a gas holder as I previously thought.). Any help is welcome.

 

Forum: 

Part 1, shot on 6 March 1946:

  • 00:00 - Platform sign reads 'Kowloon'.
  • 00:16 - Repeat shot of the sign with pan to a passenger locomotive reversing.
  • 00:29 - Chinese labourers wearing conical straw hats at work on Kai Tak airfield; behind them a Vultee Vengeance divebomber comes in as if to land before taking off again.
  • 00:54 - Train arriving at Kowloon station; a woman with a pole hurries alongside and a number of buckets are passed out of a carriage window to her, while the passengers disembark.
  • 01:27 - Passengers walk along the platform and the camera pans to follow them. Passengers pass through a gate and hand tickets to a collector.
  • 01:57 - A trolley piled high with square objects is pulled along by a number of civilians.
  • 02:24 - The trolley is hauled towards the docks.
  • 02:45 - A view of a gas holder or gasometer, with an Indian soldier on sentry duty and civilians with handcarts.
  • 02:58 - Out of focus view of a Dakota landing at Kai Tak.
  • 03:26 - Passengers, apparently from the Dakota, get down from a lorry; pan to a sign which reads 'No. 201 Staging Post RAF Transport Command'.
  • 03:58 - The gates of the Hong Kong Electric Company are pushed open and a car drives in, apparently carrying company officials; pan to chimney stacks.
  • 04:27 - Very dark interior apparently showing an engineer checking an instrument panel.
  • 04:45 - A clearer shot of the same.
  • 04:45 - Looking down on a coal heap with civilian labourers; pan to the gasometer.
  • 05:33 - Civilian women hauling a trolley laden with pieces of scrap metal.

Part 2, shot on 28 March 1946:

  • 05:55 - Exterior of headquarters Hong Kong Land Forces with a sign which reads 'War Crimes Court No.5'; the General Officer Commanding Hong Kong, Major-General Frank Festing, gets out of his car and goes inside as the camera follows him (the cameraman slightly misjudges this shot and Festing is cut off at the chest).
  • 06:13 - A civilian woman selling newspapers with billboard that reads 'China Mail - Hong Kong War Trials Begin - Grim tales of torture and killing - Security Council deadlock'. Closer shot of the headline.
  • 06:41 - Japanese war crimes suspects get down from a lorry.
  • 07:00 - They are marched into the court compound led by the senior accused; they keep step and are escorted by armed Commandos.
  • 07:13 - Very dark interior shot of the courtroom.

The third section isn't described in the IWM comments:

  • 07:40 - 2 British soldiers walk along Connaught Road seafront and board a junk.
  • 08:36 - The soldiers walk along the side of Central Market, from QRC down Jubilee Street
  • 09:04 - The soldiers walk uphill, up a crowded side street
  • 09:24 - The soldiers stop at a food stall
  • 09:38 - The soldiers stand by the pillar of a large building
  • 09:51 - Closeup of the soldiers & pillar, then pan left as they start walking
  • 10:04 - overhead shot, looking down on the two soldiers from above as they walk away. A tram approaches a tram stop.

Locations

1. Part 1 03:58 - Car enters North Point Power Station

2. Part 2 05:55 - No. 5 War Crimes Court - Former Supreme Court Building 

3. Part 3  09:38 - 10:04 - Soldiers stand by the pillar of Prince's Building and cross Ice House Street towards Alexandra Building. Looking at DVRC tram stop. 

01:57 & 02:24 with the men pushing the loaded trolley show a distinctive bend in the seawall with tramlines in the background. That's the very western end of Des Voeux Road:

https://gwulo.com/map-of-places#18/22.28712/114.13409/Map_by_ESRI-1952_All-Markers/100

2:45 & 4:55 The site has been identified as Shek Tong Tsui Gas Works.

Shek Tong Tsui Gas Holder
Shek Tong Tsui Gas Holder, by Klaus

7:40  Connaught Road seafront with OSK Wharf.

Praya Patrol
Praya Patrol, by Klaus

8:01 Soldiers near the Vehicular Ferry Pier, Central  with the Japanese War Memorial in the back.

Vehicular Ferry Central
Vehicular Ferry Central, by Klaus

 

06:13 Newspaper seller standing beside the pillar of Gloucester Building at the junction of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street. Alexandra Building is on the right.

Junction of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street
Junction of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street, by IWM