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工會持工 “To delight in conquest is to delight in slaughter." Laozi (6th century BCE) Preamble The region of South China which we call Hong Kong and the New Territories, or politically, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, boasts of some six thousand years of human activity within its territory. Local archaeological and historical research indicates that during the initial twothirds of this period the region was inhabited by stone-age, seafaring aborigines of non-Chinese origin; then invaded, annexed, and later settled by the Han Chinese; ceded to and administered by Britain from 1841 to 1997, returning afterwards to China. Prior to the British occupation, the territory was essentially rural with fìshing and farming as its main occupations. Under the British, Hong Kong became an important trading and shipping centre, the settlement of Victoria on the Island of Hong Kong expanding rapidly into a major city. From 1841 the development of Hong Kong and its environs was a story of almost uninterrupted growth and success. Almost! The major setback was the Second World War when ]apan invaded, occupied and governed Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945. Against the background of Hong Kong's long history it was but a short eclipse. Nevertheless, being very traumatic and relatively recent, it has left a deep scar, if not on Hong Kong's ultimate prosperity, at least on the collective memory of its people, some of whom are still alive. As a medical offìcer in the Field Ambulance of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force (HKVDC),l 1 was an active participant in the Battle for Hong 1. The Hong Kong Volunteer Corps was fìrst formed in 1854 when the Crimean War led to a reduction of British military presence in Hong Kong, and ninety-nine citizens volunteered to defend the Colony. 80 Part 1 Kong. This is my story and the story of the people who were with me during those violent days of combat; it is also the story of Hong Kong's agony as its forces fought a hopeless battle against a deadly and merciless enemy. A Record of the Actions of The Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps in the Battle for Hong Kong, December 1941 is a little red book familiar to most members of that Corps. Published in 1953, its author is anonymous.2 lt is written factually without exaggeration or a sense of drama, but throughout its pages there are examples of remarkable heroism and gallantry by the Volunteer Corps defenders and their British, Canadian, and lndian fellow soldiers. 1 am filled with profound sadness as 1 read the familiar names of friends, schoolmates, and fellow volunteers, many of whom fell in the battle; many more would die later in the prison凹-of-war camps. Their gallant fight received but scant attention in the history books. Hong Kong in the 19305 Almost a century of British administration saw Hong Kong grow from a small naval and trading base into a commercial centre of intemational importance. One of the world's greatest harbours was built in Hong Kong's enclosed waters and freedom of the port has been maintained. Banking and shipping flourish吐， and by 1935 the population exceeded a million. But for those of us accustomed to the appearance of Hong Kong in the 21st century with its skyscrapers, heavy traffic, fly-overs and bustling commercial activity, the Hong Kong of the 1930s would seem like a scene from an old picture post-card. ln Central Hong Kong hardly a single modem landmark would be recognizable. Apart from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, there were no buildings of more than four storeys along the entire waterfront. Few cars but many rickshaws would be seen on the roads. At the bottom of Wyndhar 訕 m Street, s 健 ed 也 an-chai 仕 r coolies woul 旭 d be wa 剖 1 此 t 仕 ing to carry cu 凶 1 滔 1st 仗 tωomers tωo Mi 吐 d- 士. carried names fa 伽 a 盯 mi 山 lia 征 r today - P 昕 rinc 臼 e's， S 缸 t. Geωor 愕 ge's， Alexandra - but all were massive, colonial-style structures bearing no resemblance to their present namesakes. lf one chanced to walk in Central on a Saturday aftemoon, one might observe a leisurely game of cricket being played on the ground next to Statue Square, the latter actually ringed with royal statues! 2. The author, who modestly chose to remain anonymous, was an HKVDC 。而cer， a teacher in private life. After the war he was decorated for...

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