Hong Kong

Sai Wan

Sai Wan War Cemetery is situated  on the east of the island of Hong Kong  near  the  area  of Chai Wan.

At the entrance to  the  cemetery there is a  memorial   in memory of  all those  who died in Hong Kong and have no known grave.  From  this  point  there is  a wonderful  clear view   overlooking the  island  as  the  long,  narrow  cemetery  gradually slopes  downhill  towards  the sea.

On the War Memorial are the names  of 2,000 servicemen  who  either  died  in the battle on Hong Kong  or  subsequently,  due  to  years  of  captivity, at  the hands  of  the Japanese.  These  2,000 have  no  known grave.

The cemetery  has 1,561  graves, of  which  1,010  are   British  and  of  these 285  have no known grave.   There are also 283  Canadian  graves,  some  not  being named.  These  are the graves  of  those  who died fighting  against the Japanese  in December 1941 or later  as prisoners  of war  through  barbaric acts carried  out by the Japanese, starvation and general  ill treatment.  Servicemen  who  died  as  prisoners  on the island  of  Formosa  (now  known  as Taiwan)  were  removed  and  re-buried in  Sai Wan  War Cemetery  in 1946.

The  graves  are marked with  white  upright  head stones  depicting  the regiment's  insignia  and the cemetery  is  enclosed  within  a boundary  of  flowering  shrubs  and bushes  with a flight of  stone steps leading  down a centre  aisle  towards  the  Cross of  Sacrifice.

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More info here: https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2011100/sai-wan-memorial/

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Stanley

Stanley  War Cemetery is situated close to the  small town  of Stanley,   south  of  Hong Kong Island.  It  is  situated  beside  the  road  and  the ground rises  steeply upward  from  the road toward  the  Cross of Sacrifice,  which can be reached  by a flight  of  stone  steps  flanked  either side  by  a  steep  grassy  slope  dotted  with  pretty  flowering shrubs  and  small tropical ornamental trees.

There  are  nearly  6,000 graves  in this cemetery,  of  which  170 have no known  grave.

During  the  Second World War,  the  Japanese  won  the Battle  of  Hong Kong  which  fell on the 25thDecember 1941  and  the  Stanley Jail  and village  were   taken  over  and  used as  a prisoner  of war  and civilian internment camp.  An  old unused  cemetery  was  then   re-opened  to  bury  the  dead  who  died  as prisoners  of war.   The cemetery  was  later  extended to  re-bury  those  servicemen  who  were initially  buried  elsewhere   or in isolated graves on the  island  following  the  battle  in December 1941.    Also buried   in the cemetery  are  those  casualities  of  the  Hong Kong  Volunteer Defence Force

The graves  are  marked  with  white  upright headstones bearing  carved-out  inscriptions.

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More info here: https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/49428/stanley-military-cemetery/