Sai Wan Military Cemetery

Posted: Jul 28, 2013 | Updated: Sep 13, 2023

People, not numbers

A tendency when talking about battles and wars is to stress the names of the units involved, the great sweeping moves, the actions, and inevitably the losses suffered. What we sometimes gloss over though is that these aren't numbers; these are people. Often young people, pushed into playing a part in the great events that they little control over.

As a keen amateur student of the Battle of Hong Kong, and someone who references Tony Banham's excellent book "Not the Slightest Chance, The Defence of Hong Kong 1941" (2003) like it's a bible, I wanted to see the final resting place of the troops involved in the 18 day battle for Hong Kong. Some of the troops were very green, the Canadians only having arrived in Hong Kong a matter of weeks before war started. Many were young and thrust into combat against a battle hardened enemy.

How many actually realised that they were fighting to delay the Japanese and not fighting to win? Official communiques from the time put a very positive spin on events even as a quarter of Hong Kong island is overrun in as a little as a day and only 10 days after pouring across the Hong Kong border as Japan launched its Pacific conquest.

I wandered the cemetery not looking for any particular grave, but just to see the names and agaes of people who for whom anonymous families were left devastated all those years ago and for a great number of years after. I'm always struck by the young age of many of the soldiers and wonder how they felt and what I was doing at that age. What probably started off as feeling like a great adventure just a few weeks earlier, certainly for the Canadians, soon turned into a mortal struggle.

Read the headstones and the personal story I've written for each where possible.

The entrance to the cemetery dedicated to 1939 to 1945.

Sai Wan Military Cemetery

The high rises of Chai Wan block the views to the sea. The area was known as Sai Wan The town is built on reclaimed land. Old photos show how close this was to the sea, and like many old photos of Hong Kong, show how bare this area was at the time of the battle. Hong Kong is covered in forests now but back in 1941 much of the troop movements must have been very exposed and easily observed from the heights.

Sai Wan Military Cemetery 2013 and 1951

Taken in 1951, the area would be pretty much as it was during the battle. The coast before reclamation looks very close to the bottom of the cemetery unlike now. The road curving from the left looks like Chai Wan Road, coming through the Chai Wan Gap with Sai Wan Shan, location of the Sai Wan Battery, the slopes beyond the road. The slopes of Mount Parker are this side of the road. It's not possible to see but the Tai Tam Road should run to left of the cemetery and leads all the way to the Tai Tam reservoirs and Stanley.

The Royal Scots - Private J. Macleod, Private T.M. Mitchell

3055256 Private J. Macleod, The Royal Scots. Died 15th December 1941, age 28. Records state that he died on 11th December, early in the battle. John died on Golden Hill in the aftermath of the loss of the Shing Mun Redoubt and leading to the collapse of the line on the mainland. Intense fighting occurred on the hill with heavy casualties sustained by the Royal Scots. 3055238 Private T.M. Mitchell, The Royal Scots, 15th December 1941, age 33. As with John, Thomas died died on the 11th December on Golden Hill.

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force - Lieutenant D.J.N. Anderson

Lieutenant D.J.N. Anderson, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, 19th December 1941, Age 29. Donald was a School Master and died east of Jardine's Lookout with Winnipeg Grenadiers in the fighting for Wong Nai Chung Gap. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that he died at the Stanley Gap AA site which is at the bottom of the Jardine's Lookout on the southern side near where Park View is today. Private O.W. Fox, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, 19th December 1941, Age 20. Owen was killed near a village north of Jardine's Lookout.

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force - Private J.J. Hoffman

Private J.J. Hoffman, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, 19th December 1941, Age 38. James died at the Stanley Gap AA site. According to Tony Banham in "Not the Slightest Chance", The South China Morning Post for 19th December 1946 had memorial notices for 1941. For Hoffman it read "In loving memory of my beloved husband and our Dear Father James Joseph Hoffman of HKVDF No 3 Machine Gun Coy who died in action 19th December 1941. Always in our cherished thoughts. Inserted by his loving wife, son and daughters: Freddy, Elizabeth, Mabel and Jeanette". This is so sad to read. A frozen moment of grief from a family, only getting their chance to memorialise a missed father and husband five years after his death.

Royal Engineers and Royal Navy - G.W. Roberts, C. Austin

1863133 WO2 (MQMS) G.W. Roberts, Royal Engineers, 19th December 1941, Age 34. George was killed in the frenzied fighting for Wong Nai Chung Gap. He died on the south side of the gap so I don't know if that means somewhere on the lower slopes of Mount Nicholson. The 19th is the same date that Brigadier Lawson died just above West Brigade HQ on Wong Nai Chung Gap. I don't have a reference for C. Austin as he died on 17th September 1945 and I can't find a record of a HMS Apollo during the battle.

7th Rajput Regiment - Captain H.R. Newton

Captain H.R. Newton, 7th Rajput Regiment, 19th December 1941, Age 24. Harold was killed by mortar fire near North Point power station in the early hours of the morning. The Rajputs bore the brunt of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong island on the night of the 18th December. They were deployed as shore defence and in an attempt to push the Japanese back organised a counter attack from Leighton Hill. Casualties on this day were 99 killed. The Japanese 228th Regiment (Colonel Doi) landed at Taikoo at about 20:30 on the 18th, rushed inland capturing the Taikoo sugar factory and overwhelmed C Coy Rajputs. D Coy Rajupts further west put up fierce resistance though most of the men were killed, including its commander, Captain Newton. Prior to this, Captain Newton and D Coy took up positions on Smugglers Ridge to the east of the Shing Mun Redoubt on the Gin Drinker Line at 08:30 on the 9th December. The Rajputs were positioned at the boundary with the Royal Scots based at and around the Shing Mun Redoubt. At 09:00 Captain Jones from HQ Coy at the Shing Mun Redoubt met with Captain Newton and agreed on how to coordinate their actions. The attack on the redoubt started at 23:00. At 23:30 Captain Newton reported Japanese below the dam on the Shing Mun river. By 24:00 hours he suspected that the Redoubt had fallen. By 03:30 on the 10th December eighteen Royal Scots from the Redoubt reached the Rajput's position. The Rajputs engaged the Japanese and succeeded in pushing the Japanese back, and ironically, into the relative safety of the Redoubt. By 04:00 the Redoubt was considered lost though one of the boxes was still occupied. By night time of the 12th December, Newton and most of the troops on the mainland had made the crossing to Hong Kong island.

The Middlesex Regiment - Private R.A. Deamer

6202772 Private R.A. Deamer, The Middlesex Regiment, 19th December 1941, Age 25. Ronald died in PB 53 (pillbox) located in Kings Road, Causeway Bay. Reports indicate that at 18:20 the survivors of the crew of this pillbox withdrew, leaving half of their crew and their officer as casualties. Presumably Ronald was dead and left in the PB. A PB was typically crewed by 6 men and a commander. PB 53 was at the cross roads with Tung Lo Wan Road, and opposite Tin Hau MTR station today. It probably was positioned to view up Tin Hau Temple Road as well. It may also have been positioned for clear views up Electric Road. Causeway Bay typhoon shelter was to the north. Being assigned to a PB was as good as a death sentence; "INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLOSE DEFENCE OF BEACHES HONG KONG" states, that there will be no withdrawing from a Pillbox. By remaining in action even if completely surrounded a delay will be imposed on the enemy during which it may be possible to launch a counter attack and drive them back into the sea.

Hong Kong Singapore Royal Artillery - Lieutenant Colonel J.C.L Yale

Lieutenant Colonel J.C.L Yale, Hong Kong Singapore Royal Artillery (HKSRA), 20th December 1941, Age 43. John was killed in yet another attack on Wong Nai Chung Gap. This attack came from Repulse Bay at 01:35. Under Major Hunt HKSRA, a mixed unit comprising volunteers and HKSRA reached the Wong Nai Chung Gap Police Station which had been evacuated by the Japanese after an artillery bombardment. The force then withdrew under fire. I don't understand why with Lt. Col Yale as the senior officer. it was Major Hunt who was assigned the mission. Where was Lt Col Yale in this action? Presumably he was involved as he died in this action, but why didn't he lead the attack?