Dodwell’s Ridge

Wasn’t Dodwell’s Ridge once a bustling military camp? Right here on this very spot stood Nissan huts. Imagine soldiers from the 15/19th Hussars arriving in 1968. They were here to revive Centurion tanks. These tanks were stored at Sek Kong. The soldiers trained at Sheung Shui. Their officer wanted them billeted nearby. The camp was close to a main road junction. A swamp or pond was nearby. A tannery nearby stank terribly. The hides hung on metal rails. A stream ran nearby. Across the junction were fish breeding tanks. They were among the shacks of Sheung Shui. The area changed greatly in the 1990s. A highway and Sheung Shui New Town were built. The North District Hospital now stands where Dodwell’s Ridge once was. The camp’s legacy lives on though. Many remember the Naffi selling Tiger Beer. The guard room was a popular spot to call loved ones. Remember the monsoon ditches and snakes? One light bulb lit the REME hut. A fan covered in cobwebs completed the scene. The camp wasn’t always used by the British Army. The Hong Kong Police used it before them. The stories of Dodwell’s Ridge are varied and fascinating. The stories of the soldiers who lived here for a time. The stories of those who came here after the military left. This quiet area holds memories of a time long past. A time when this place was a vibrant hub. Now it serves a different purpose but Dodwell’s Ridge is remembered.