sai wan war cemetery

SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY (CHINA)
On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Forces attacked the British Colony of Hong Kong. Following a brief but intense period of fighting the Hong Kong Garrison, which consisted of Indian, British and Canadian units was forced to surrender on Christmas Day 1941. 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), the Philippines and mainland China were also brought to Sai Wan for burial after the war.

There are now 1,492 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Sai Wan War Cemetery. 445 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) Muslim 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.