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SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1977
FROM THE TRANQUILLITY OF THE COUNTRY PARK TODAY, IT IS HARD TO PICTURE THE NOISE AND SMOKE OF BATTLE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
IN DECEMBER 1941, THE COUNTRY PARK AND THE AREA AROUND IT WAS THE SCENE OF HEAVÝ, AND SOMETIMES DESPERATE, FIGHTING BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND JAPANESE FORCES. HAVING LANDED ON HONG KONG
ISLAND AT NORTH POINT, QUARRY BAY AND LEI YUE MUN, THE JAPANESE QUICKLY MOVED SOUTHWARDS AND OCCUPIED THE IMPORTANT LINE OF HIGH GROUND FROM JARDINE'S LOOKOUT THROUGH MOUNT BUTLER TO MOUNT PARKER,
COUNTER-ATTACKS WERE LAUNCHED BY THE DEFENDING TROOPS WHICH INCLUDED SEVERAL MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S OWN VOLUNTEER DEFENCE CORPS (AS IT WAS CALLED AT THAT TIME) TO TRY TO DISPLACE THE JAPANESE WHO WERE IN A POSITION TO CUT THE ISLAND INTO TWO BY CAPTURING THE WONG NEI CHUNG GAP.
THE INVADERS WERE, HOWEVER, TOO STRONG THE COUNTER-ATTACKS WERE REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE, AND THE JAPANESE MOVED WESTWARDS TO SEIZE THE GAP.
AS A RESULT THE FINE WOODLAND WAS SCARRED, MANY TREES UPROOTED AND MUCH OF THE SHRUBLAND DESTROYED.
AFTER THE WAR, INTENSIVE FORESTRY CONSERVATION MEASURES WERE PUT IN HAND. A PLANT NURSERY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1956 TO CULTIVATE SEEDLINGS FOR PLANTING IN THE MANY PLACES WHERE THE SURFACE HAD BEEN ERODED AND THE VOLCANIC SOIL EXPOSED.
CHINESE RED PINES AND HORSE TAIL TREES WERE FIRST INTRODUCED DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF RE-CONSERVATION BUT THE RESULT WAS NOT ENCOURAGING BECAUSE OF THE PREVAILING STRONG WINDS,
SLASH PINES FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ACACIA WERE THEN PLANTED OVER THE BARREN LAND AND BECAUSE OF THEIR RESISTANCE TO DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE WOODS GREW AGAIN OUT OF THE ASHES OF WAR.
RELICS OF THE WAR PERIOD - PILL-BOXES AND MAGAZINES - SOME OF WHICH STILL IN FAIRLY GOOD CONDITION, CAN STILL BE FOUND IN THE AREA.
OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL INTEREST IN THE COUNTRY PARK IS THE RUIN OF MATHESON'S BUNGALOW OF JARDINE'S LOOKOUT. ONE OF HONG KONG'S OLDEST REMAINS OF THE EARLY ERA, IT IS MARKED +RUIN+ ON COLLINSON'S MAP OF 1846.
JAMES MATHESON HIMSELF CHOSE THE SITE FROM WHICH HE COULD VIEW BOTH TO THE SOUTH, NO DOUBT TO PICK OUT APPROACHING SHIPS, AND TO THE NORTH, SO THAT THE SHIP'S ACTUAL ARRIVAL COULD BE SIGNALLED TO EAST POINT.
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