Hong Kong during World War I facts for kids
During World War I (1914–1918), the British colony of Hong Kong did not see any fighting. People thought the biggest danger was the German East Asia Squadron. But this group of ships was defeated in December 1914. Still, Hong Kong was a very important port in East Asia. It was also the main base for the British Navy's China Station. The war brought many big changes to Hong Kong's society and economy.
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Hong Kong's Role in World War I
During most of the war, Francis Henry May was the Governor of Hong Kong. When the war started, many Chinese people (between 60,000 and 100,000) left Hong Kong. They went to the nearby province of Guangdong. They were afraid that Hong Kong might be attacked. The government got special powers during the war. But they only used these powers once in 1917. This was to control the prices of some goods.
Protecting Hong Kong
When the war began, Hong Kong had about 4,000 soldiers. These included one British and two Indian army groups. There were also several big guns along the coast. A group of about 500 volunteers helped too. A small navy group with destroyers and submarines protected the harbor. Major-General Francis Kelly was in charge of these forces.
From 1917, a new group called the Hong Kong Defence Corps joined them. Three merchant ships were turned into armed ships. They helped protect the port and sea routes.
Joining the War Effort
At first, not many British people in Hong Kong joined the army. Most were working as professionals or business owners. By early 1915, only 47 people had volunteered. In 1917, the government made a new rule. It said all men had to serve in some way. This led to the creation of the Hong Kong Defence Corps.
The Defence Corps took over local duties. This allowed the regular soldiers to go fight in Europe. By the end of the war, almost a quarter of British men (579 out of 2,157) volunteered to serve outside Hong Kong. Chinese residents also joined the Chinese Labour Corps. They worked in places like France and Mesopotamia.
Hong Kong as a Busy Port
Hong Kong was a very important port in East Asia during the war. In July 1914, British navy ships were told to gather in Hong Kong. So, when the war started, several warships were in Victoria Harbour. These included the British battleship HMS Triumph. There was also a British armored ship, a French armored ship, and two smaller cruisers.
While in port, HMS Triumph borrowed soldiers from Hong Kong's army. These soldiers helped on board the ship. On August 12, 1914, nervous gunners on Hong Kong Island fired at a Japanese ship. One sailor was killed. Hong Kong kept supplying warships for Britain and its allies during the war. It also helped during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. The Chinese Labour Corps also sailed from Hong Kong to Europe and Mesopotamia.
Facing Threats
The biggest danger to Hong Kong was the German East Asia Squadron. When the war started, people in Hong Kong were worried. They heard that the main German ships were not in Tsingtao. But on August 23, 1914, Japan joined the war on Britain's side. The Japanese navy was very strong in East Asia. So, worries about a German attack on Hong Kong lessened.
In November, British and Japanese forces captured Kiautschou. HMS Triumph from Hong Kong helped in this battle. In December, the main German squadron was destroyed in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. After this, fears of a German attack on Hong Kong almost disappeared.
China eventually joined the war in 1917. But at first, China's position was unclear. The country was also unstable during the Warlord Era. This worried the British. In Guangdong, different warlords and Sun Yat-sen were fighting for power. The British government saw these groups as "anti-British." Some in the British Army even planned for a possible Chinese invasion. By late 1914, the Chinese groups were divided. They were no longer seen as a big threat. But the idea of a Chinese invasion was still considered until later in the war. A temporary trench with 10 machinegun posts was built in Kowloon.
General Kelly also reported that local Indian police and residents felt "anti-British." He thought this was a "real danger." This might have been because of the Indian independence movement. But while Indians in Singapore had a mutiny in 1915, Indians in Hong Kong remained peaceful.
Helping the Economy
Both European and Chinese people in Hong Kong helped the war effort. They gave money to war charities. A rich local businessman named Chau Siu-ki was on the War Charities Committee. People in Hong Kong donated two airplanes, named HONG KONG, No. 1 and HONG KONG, No. 2. These were for a fundraising plan called the Imperial Aircraft Flotilla.
Wealthy people like Sir Robert Ho Tung also gave money. He paid for two airplanes and several ambulances for the British government. In total, Hong Kong raised $10 million Hong Kong dollars for the war. This was on top of its normal military payments. $2 million was raised in the last two years of the war. This happened after property owners, mostly Chinese, agreed to pay an extra 7 percent tax.
The government also started controlling opium sales in March 1914. This became a major way for the government to make money. By 1918, profits from opium made up 46.5 percent of all government income. This helped Hong Kong's economy grow during the war. It also allowed Hong Kong to give more money to Britain.
War Losses
At least 75 Hong Kong residents who joined the military died outside Hong Kong during the war. The war also caused the deaths of 535 Hong Kong Chinese. This included 384 who were part of the Chinese Labour Corps in Mesopotamia. Many died from sickness, cold, or accidents. Also, at least 100 Chinese sailors in the British Merchant Navy were killed. They died from fighting, diseases, or accidents.
Anti-German Feelings
In 1911, 342 Germans lived in Hong Kong. This was out of 5,248 Westerners. They were the second-largest Western group after the British. Germans had a lot of economic power but little political power. Two days before the war, on August 3, 1914, the German consul Arthur Voretzsch got a message from Governor May. May said that if war started, Germans could keep doing business. But they had to promise not to harm British interests.
However, Commander Kelly was suspicious of the German residents.
A few days after the war began, the government put enemy foreigners on parole. Germans could continue their businesses. But they had to report to the police regularly. They could only go to certain areas and could not leave Hong Kong. On August 12, London ordered the German consulate in Hong Kong to close. The American consulate, which was neutral, would represent Germans and Austrians.
After public complaints, the German eagle symbol was removed from the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank building. British newspapers also reported that Germans were secretly celebrating the war and burning the British flag.
Within the first week of the war, Germans were arrested. They were first sent to a quarantine station on Stonecutters Island. Philipp Wittmann, a German worker, described the camp as "small, heavily fenced-off, barren space." He said prisoners were always threatened by typhoons. On September 12, the prisoners moved to a new camp near Hung Hom on Chatham Road. This camp was better. Women and children were kept in a hotel downtown. Hotel staff took care of them.
On October 6, the Legislative Council passed a law. It allowed German companies to do new business with some rules. But that same month, London pushed Hong Kong to pass the "Trading with the Enemy Ordinance." This law allowed the government to stop trade with the enemy. It also let them take over German banks' money. Using this law, all German companies were closed. Many German properties were taken. In late October, Germany called up its military reserves. Hong Kong then ordered all Germans on the reserve list to be held. German women, children, and older men had to leave Hong Kong. They went to places like the Shanghai International Settlement or Manila.
German people from the Kiautschou Bay area were also sent to the camp. This happened after their area was captured in November 1914. The prisoners were allowed to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve. On January 27, they secretly celebrated Emperor Wilhelm II's birthday. The next day, their food was cut. This happened after London heard about how British soldiers were treated in German camps. The prisoners complained they were treated badly. Germany complained to the United States. The US Consul-General George E. Anderson inspected the camp in February 1915. He found it to be acceptable.
On February 17, 1915, five prisoners were given tools to build a stage. They used the tools to dig a 180-foot tunnel and tried to escape. One was shot and caught. Another was found in the hills of New Territories. The other three were caught trying to cross into China near Sai Kung. On May 21, 1915, another prisoner tried to escape. He was caught that same night. Typhoons continued to be a problem. On October 30, 1915, prisoners had to be moved to the Gun Club Hill Barracks temporarily.
In January 1916, all prisoners were sent to another camp in Holsworthy, Australia. After the war, they were sent back to Germany. Their properties were never returned.
The Stonecutters Island camp held 226 prisoners. After moving to Hung Hom, there were "around 200" prisoners. In 1916, over 300 prisoners, including 7 women and 13 children, were sent to Australia. A famous prisoner was local businessman Jacob Jebsen.
After the War
Many Hong Kong residents left in 1914. The number of Westerners also dropped from 20,710 to 13,600 between 1914 and 1919. But Hong Kong's total population grew fast during the war. It went from 501,304 in 1914 to 598,100 in 1919.
After the war officially ended in July 1919, Hong Kong celebrated. There were fireworks, parades, and car processions. But even with the celebrations, prices in Hong Kong rose sharply. This was because of wartime shortages and more people living there. A week after the celebrations, news of crop failures in Thailand caused a major rice riot. This happened along with limits on exports from Indochina and India. Also, Japan had a sudden high demand for rice. The riots stopped after free meals were given out. The government also brought in rice from Indochina and bought up rice supplies.
As Europeans left Hong Kong to serve in the military, Chinese business owners took over new businesses. These businesses were usually run by Europeans, like banking and shipping. Three major Chinese banks, including the Bank of East Asia, were started between 1914 and 1919. British and Allied business owners also took over from their German rivals. Because Germans were sent away, only 3 Germans lived in Hong Kong in 1921.
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