Remember the date December 8th 1941. It was a day after the Pearl Harbor attack. This is Gun Emplacement 1 of Jubilee Battery. It played a crucial role in Hong Kong’s defense.
Here at Jubilee Battery, Regimental Sergeant Major Enos Charles Ford was awakened. The Japanese raid of Kai Tak was underway across the harbor. It was 8:00 AM. Ford and his fellow gunners returned fire. Japanese aircraft were out of range. The raid officially started the Battle of Hong Kong.
Jubilee Battery was strategically placed below Mount Davis. Mount Davis had been a major defensive point since the 1910s. About 50 gunners were stationed here during World War II.
According to Ford’s diary, this was a heavily bombarded spot. For sixteen days, from December 8th to 24th, Fort Davis saw fierce battles. It was under intense fire from warships and aircraft. The gunners fought hard until Christmas Eve. They were then sent to Wanchai as infantry to fend off the enemy.
Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day 1941. Two days later, the damaged Fort Davis fell to the Japanese. Post-war, the fort served various military purposes until the 1970s. Then, it was abandoned.
As you can see, ruins remain. They have become a hotspot for war games and ghost tours. It is certainly not a place for the faint-hearted.
Below Mount Davis, the Jubilee Battery complex was repurposed in 1961. It became the Victoria Detention Centre. After 1997, it emptied out. In 2013, the University of Chicago took over the site.
The University of Chicago built the Francis and Rose Yuen Campus. The architecture curves around a 75-year-old flame tree. It floats above ground to minimize impact on the landscape. Since 2018, the Yuen Campus has been a popular sunset-watching spot. Its heritage interpretation center offers insights into the history of Mount Davis. It also shares the military history of Hong Kong.
Researchers wanted Jubilee Battery turned into a conservation park. Overgrown vegetation covers much of the site. Professor Lawrence Lai Wai-chung believed it deserved better access for the public.
This battery had three gun emplacements. These provided artillery positions for coastal defense. There were also three defense electric lights. These shone spotlights to track targets.
During the Battle of Hong Kong, forces fired on enemy forces landing on Lamma Island. This battery sustained bombings from Japanese forces. On the day of surrender, the garrison destroyed all guns in the emplacements.
During the occupation, the Japanese used a magazine as a cell for POWs. After the war, the site was a camp for KMT soldiers. Squatters, cottage industries, and the Special Branch of the Hong Kong Police later moved in.
Jubilee Battery is bigger than Chung Hom Kok Battery. It also has three well-preserved gun emplacements. Part of the battery is protected by the University of Chicago campus. This helps anchor conservation efforts. The HKU team studied this site for years. They discovered more buildings than previously imagined.
Gun emplacement 1 of Jubilee Battery stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s resilience. It saw action. It was repurposed. It now contributes to education and heritage.