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Save Hong Kong's Pillboxes Campaign

Discussion in 'WWII Today' started by GRW, Oct 11, 2015.

  1. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    Via Ian Sanders on FB-
    "Events this month marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war have revived interest in the city's history - but heritage experts say that, while it's right the commemorations focuses on the people involve, it's also time to pay serious attention to places.
    While some military sites and facilities sited in urban and rural area have been officially recognised, they say much more needs to be done to conserve hardware that testifies to the city's wartime history but has been largely neglected in the decades since.
    The defensive structures were the scene of fierce fighting during the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941, which culminated in a Japanese occupation that ended with surrender seven decades ago this week.
    A total of 53 military sites, buildings or structures have been declared monuments or listed as historic buildings, of which 45 are connected to the second world war, according to the government's Antiquities and Monument Office.
    But members of the public looking to find out more are likely to be left frustrated and perplexed by lax official record-keeping. While the city's 108 declared monuments are listed and mapped on the website of the Antiquities Advisory Board, details of 1,444 historic structures on the same website are vague. Some 58 such entries are simply referred to as "military facility", followed by the year in which they were built."
    http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1859551/pillbox-full-history-hong-kong-historians-wants
     
  2. bronk7

    bronk7 Well-Known Member

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    very good article....If there is money to be made by locating and preserving pillboxes, they'll do it....150? wow...but as the article states, there is not much interest...some are in 'country parks''....that seems like a good deal for all
     
  3. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    It was the same here until the Defence of Britain Project in the late '90s kick-started public interest in old fortifications. It'll happen there too, but might take longer.
     
  4. bronk7

    bronk7 Well-Known Member

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    who pays for it?
     
  5. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    If a building is listed as being of significant historic interest, it becomes protected by law and it is the local authority's job to protect/maintain it.
     

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