SAI KUNG SECRETS

War-torn Sai Kung

Bella Huang uncovers the dark history of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade

Quiet. Peaceful. Calm. When we think of Sai Kung, these are often the first words that come to mind. However, this town hasn’t always been the tranquil paradise we are used to. Almost 80 years ago it was a place of war, bullets and gunfire. There are three main buildings across town that have a deep history of the war.

After the Japanese army invaded Hong Kong and took over the city in 1941, a Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade, made up of young villagers, students and fishermen was formally set up to protect the British and Hong Kong population. This brigade was headquartered in Sai Kung’s Wong Mo Ying Chapel. Located in Tai Mong Tsai, the chapel was used to fight against the enemy, set up secret communication systems and rescue important scholars, politicians and generals wanted by Japan.

One of the most famous stories from the Brigade is the rescue of Donald W. Kerr, a lieutenant of the Flying Tigers, the first American volunteer group sent to China. During an operation to bomb the Kai Tak Airport, Kerr’s aircraft was shot down by Japanese soldiers. Kerr jumped out of the plane with a parachute and landed safely in Sha Tin. While the Japanese were pursuing him, the Brigade, taking advantage of their familiarity with local topography, successfully rescued Kerr and sent him back to his military base within 48 days.

His son, David Kerr was so grateful to the Brigade that he visited Sai Kung on a graduation trip. With the son of the Brigade’s captain, David Kerr planted two white orchid trees and named them "Thanksgiving trees". The rescue story of Lt. Kerr was later adapted into the documentary film Take Me Home.

Sai Kung Lok-Yuk Kindergarten was another popular building during the war. Under the Japanese Imperial Army's occupation, the kindergarten was once the headquarters and interrogation centre of Kempeitai.

On August 15 1945, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender, the Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade forced the Kenepeitai out of the kindergarten. After a gun battle, the Japanese left Sai Kung and the brigade took over until the Handover in late 1945.

To commemorate the Brigade for its heroic acts, a monument was built at Tsam Chuk Wan in 1989. The $1 million monument was listed on the third Batch of National Anti-Japanese War Memorial Facilities and Site by China’s State Council. Comprising three cenotaphs, the monument recounts the resistance story of brave Sai Kung residents during the war.

Interestingly, because the Brigade was set up by China’s Communist Party, its existence and contribution wasn’t recognised until 1997, when Hong Kong was handed over to China by the British. To visit the monument and pay tribute to the Sai Kung martyrs today, you can take a bus from Sai Kung Town and find it near the Tai Mong Tsai Campsite.