30 Oct 2006, Stanley Military Cemetery 赤柱軍人墳場 (B and W) -- fotop.net photo sharing network


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+ Stanley Military Cemetery +

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

Stanley Military Cemetery is located near St. Stephen Bay in Stanley, Hong Kong. It was the only military cemetery in the early colonial era, and has been used for the burials of the members of the garrison force and their family in 19th century. There had been no further burials until First World War and Second World War.

There are 598 WWII burials (including non-British allied soldiers and 2 from Hong Kong Police Force) in this cemetery, 175 of them are unidentified. Beside, 96 of them are civilians, including 4 children, and missionary who was killed at St. Stephen on December 26, 1941. Among the war deads in the climax (19-26 December, 1941) of the defence were Canadians that were sent to Hong Kong three weeks prior the invasion. Another notable group of personnels that were buried or commnmorated are those served in British Army Aid Group, which helped POWs in Hong Kong or other Japanese occupied zones to escape to China and arrange military needs for resistance in those zones.

For more information, please click,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Military_Cemetery

For the Roll of Honour, please click,

http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Cemeteries/Stanley_Military_Cemetery/roll.htm

Stanley Military Cemetery

The cemetery is guarded by a Cross of Sacrifice, which is a large stone Latin cross upon which is superimposed an inverted broze sword with the blade down.

The inverted sword is a universal symbol of a tribute to the fallen comrades

Most buried here perished during the Battle of Hong Kong of the Second World War

Hong Kong endured the reign of darkness for 3 years and 8 months.

The defending forces were hastily formed, made up of British, Scottish, Indian and Canadian regiments. Outnumbered and outgunned, these under-trained and ill-equipped defenders fought bravely against the invading Japanese forces. In addition, the local Volunteers Corps made up of European and Chinese citizens fought gallantly alongside the Commonwealth forces.

They were simply Citizen Soldiers.

A fresh bouquet laid in front of the headstone of Mr Hyde of British Army Aid Group who died while in captivity on 29.10.1943, that is 63 years ago yesterday.

Rifleman Hunchuck of Canadian Royal Rifles Regiment died on 25 December 1941, the day when Hong Kong fell to the Japanese. He could be one of the last few fought to the end and were killed in action.

Even the Deputy Commisionner of Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Walter Richardson Scott was captured and eventually died during captivity, incidentally on the same date as Mr Hyde above, 63 years ago.

Mr Scott was reportedly executed by his Japanese captors together with a few other fellow POW's after their planned excape from the POW camp had been discovered.

May all these brave souls rest in peace

The Coat-of-Arms of the Hong Kong Volunteers Defence Corps (皇家香港軍團 (義勇軍)). The motto of the corps is "Nulli Secundus in Oriente", meaning "Second to None in the Orient" in Latin.

Hong Kong Volunteers Defence Corps, which were granted the "Royal" title in 1970 by the Queen Elizabeth and was renamed The Royal Hong Kong Regiment. Note the Coat-of-Arms engraving depicts a crown sitting atop 2 dragons.

For more information, click:

http://www.rhkr.org/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Hong_Kong_Regiment_(The_Volunteers)

The year of 1941 to 1945 was the darkest days of Hong Kong.

Lest we forget.

“THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD, AS WE THAT ARE LEFT TO GROW OLD;
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM, NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN.
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.”

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* Comments available for this item.

IMG_8219ABNW...The steps at the entrance to the Stanley Military Cemetery
Viewed: 65 times.

IMG_8221BNW...Stanley Military Cemetery
Viewed: 149 times.

IMG_8222BNW......Inverted sword as a tribute to the fallen comrade
Viewed: 95 times.

IMG_8223BNW...Most buried here perished during the Battle of Hong Kong of the Second World War.
Viewed: 116 times.

IMG_8224BNW...Hong Kong endured the reign of darkness for 3 years and 8 months.
Viewed: 168 times.

IMG_8225BNW...The defending forces were hastily formed, made up of British, Scottish, Indian and Canadian regiments. Outnumbered and outgunned, these under-trained and ill-equipped defenders fought bravely against the invading Japanese forces.
Viewed: 148 times.

IMG_8226BNW...In addition, the local Volunteers Corps made up of European and Chinese citizens fought gallantly alongside the Commonwealth forces. They were simply citizen soldiers.
Viewed: 110 times.

IMG_8227BNW...A fresh bouquet laid in front of the headstone of Mr Hyde of British Army Aid Group who died while in captivity on 29.10.1943, that is 63 years ago yesterday.
Viewed: 118 times.

IMG_8228BNW...Rifleman Hunchuck of Canadian Royal Rifles Regiment died on 25 December 1941, the day when Hong Kong falling to the Japanese. He could be one of the last few fought to the end and got killed in action.
Viewed: 116 times.

IMG_8229BNW...Even the Deputy Commisionner of Hong Kong Police Force was captured and eventually died during captivity.
Viewed: 118 times.

IMG_8230BNW...May all these brave souls rest in peace.
Viewed: 123 times.

IMG_8231BNW...The Coat-of-Arms of the Hong Kong Volunteers Defence Corps (皇家香港軍團 (義勇軍)). The motto of the corps is "Nulli Secundus in Oriente", meaning "Second to None in the Orient" in Latin.*
Viewed: 150 times.

IMG_8232BNW...The year of 1941 to 1945 was the darkest days of Hong Kong. Lest we forget.
Viewed: 121 times.

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