# The Pinewood Battery, The Peak, Hong Kong, August 2015



## HughieD (Sep 21, 2015)

This was a bit of a bonus explore on the path down from the Peak after my Dragon Lodge visit. I’d lost my return railway ticket for the Peak railway so opted to walk down instead. Imagine my joy when I happened across this fine bit of British-built military concrete. Here’s the history bit.

The battery’s construction started in 1901 and it was finished in 1905, consisting of two 6” guns for the defence of the harbour. It is located on a hill at 307m making it the highest of all Hong Kong’s coastal batteries. The guns were considered surplus and removed in 1913. In the early 1930’s the battery was converted to anti-aircraft defence and two 3” Mark I anti-aircraft guns were installed as emplacements to guard the western approach to the harbour. This picture is of the one of the guns in the 1930's:


img1483 by HughieDW, on Flickr

During World War II and the Battle of Hong Kong, the Battery came under repeated air raids. On 15th December 1941, the Japanese 23rd Army Air Group carried out extensive attacks on Hong Kong Island. Pinewood Battery was manned by the 17th AA Battery 5th Anti-Air Regiment Royal Artillery and was severely damaged with one death and one injury being sustained as one of the anti-aircraft guns was totally destroyed. The defending commander decided to abandon the battery, and all men were ordered to retreat on that day. Today all the old battery buildings are now in a pretty ruinous condition and two of the old magazines were demolished in fairly recent times. However the battery received Grade II conservation status in 2009 and is now in a state of managed abandonment.

Here’s the pictures.


img1477 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1479 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Here’s one of the gun-emplacements itself:


img1482 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1480 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1481 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1484 by HughieDW, on Flickr

One of the brick-built out-buildings:


img1489 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1490 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1491 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Further down the hill there are a number of magazines:


img1493 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img1496 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Including this one in the undergrowth:


img1497 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


----------



## Sam Haltin (Sep 22, 2015)

Nice find. Interesting history on this. Maybe a good job in a way that you did lose your rail ticket.


----------



## HughieD (Sep 22, 2015)

Hugh Jorgan said:


> Nice find. Interesting history on this. Maybe a good job in a way that you did lose your rail ticket.



Ha ha...doubly true when you see the next report!


----------



## Newage (Sep 22, 2015)

That's an epic find, just to walk passed because you lost your train ticket.
Great pictures and good history too.

Cheers newage


----------



## krela (Sep 22, 2015)

Wasn't expecting anything like this, very nice!


----------



## UrbanX (Sep 22, 2015)

Nice one! The architecture of gun batteries seems the same the world over  
Excellent, thanks for sharing


----------



## HughieD (Sep 22, 2015)

krela said:


> Wasn't expecting anything like this, very nice!



Just when you expect another ghost village to come into view a nice bit of military concrete porn pops up! That's HK for ya...



UrbanX said:


> Nice one! The architecture of gun batteries seems the same the world over
> Excellent, thanks for sharing



Thank you and my pleasure UrbanX!


----------



## smiler (Sep 22, 2015)

Wow, that came out of nowhere, Nice though, Thanks


----------



## Mikeymutt (Sep 22, 2015)

Really like this hughie..like Mr x says they seem to be the same where ever you go but I guess there is only so much you can do with concrete.great report and something totally different


----------



## flyboys90 (Sep 22, 2015)

What a lucky find!Thanks for sharing.


----------



## night crawler (Sep 22, 2015)

Nice one, I had read about place recently


----------



## HughieD (Sep 25, 2015)

night crawler said:


> Nice one, I had read about place recently



How about that for coincidence eh?


----------

