SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY
China, (including Hong Kong)
Visiting Information:
The
location or design of this site makes wheelchair access impossible. For further
information regarding wheelchair access, please contact 01628 507200.
Location
Information:
Sai Wan War Cemetery is in the north-east of the island of
Hong Kong, in the Chai Wan area, about 11 kilometres from the centre of
Victoria. At the entrance to the cemetery on Cape Collinson Road stands the
memorial to those who died in Hong Kong and have no known grave. From it the
cemetery slopes down towards the sea. The original magnificent view towards the
main land is now blocked by high rise buildings. The easiest way to reach the
cemetery is by the mass transit railway (MTR) Hong Kong line to Chai Wan
Terminus. From the Terminus one can either walk up to the cemetery following
Chai Wan Road to the roundabout, turning west into Wan Tsui Road, then south
east up Lin Shing Road which leads to Cape Collinson Road. The CWGC road
direction sign is fixed to a wall facing down Lin Shing Road. The Cape Collinson
area has many cemeteries. Walking up this narrow one way traffic road, one will
pass the Catholic Cemetery situated on the hillside to the left of the road, and
the Hong Kong Military Cemetery on the right. Sai Wan War Cemetery is about half
way up Cape Collinson Road and faces the Muslim and Buddhist cemeteries. One can
also get a taxi from Chai Wan Terminus and follow the same route. Alternatively
one can board a public light bus, Route No. 16M, which runs from Chai Wan MTR
Terminus to Stanley where the CWGC has another cemetery (Stanley Military
Cemetery). En route to Stanley the minibus will pass Sai Wan War Cemetery,
stopping only on request.
Historical Information:
The island of Hong Kong fell
to the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941 following a brief but intense period of
fighting. Most of those buried in this cemetery were killed at this time, or
died later as internees or prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation. The
remains of those who died as prisoners in Formosa (now Taiwan) were brought to
Hong Kong for burial at Sai Wan in 1946. There are now 1,505 Commonwealth
casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Sai Wan War
Cemetery. 444 of the burials are unidentified. There are special memorials to 16
Second World War casualties buried in Kowloon (Ho Man Tin) No 3 Muslim Cemetery,
whose graves were lost. There are also 77 war graves of other nationalities from
this period, the majority of them Dutch and 7 non-world war graves that the
Commission maintains on behalf of the MoD. The cemetery contains special
memorials to 12 First World War casualties buried in Kowloon (Ta Sek Ku)
Mohammedan Cemetery, whose graves have since been lost. At the entrance to the
cemetery stands the SAI WAN MEMORIAL bearing the names of more than 2,000
Commonwealth servicemen who died in the Battle of Hong Kong or subsequently in
captivity and who have no known grave. Additional panels to the memorial form
the SAI WAN CREMATION MEMORIAL, bearing the names of 144 Second World War
casualties whose remains were cremated in accordance with their faith, and the
SAI WAN (CHINA) MEMORIAL, commemorating 72 casualties of both wars whose graves
in mainland China could not be maintained. Both the cemetery and memorial were
designed by Colin St Clair Oakes.
No. of Identified
Casualties:
1145 |
