Kowloon East Barracks

Kowloon East Barracks (Chinese: 九龍東軍營), formerly Osborn Barracks (Chinese: 奧士本軍營), is a People's Liberation Army facility, and was a British Army facility, in Kowloon City District, Hong Kong. Located in the northern part of Kowloon on Waterloo Road and Junction Road (across the street from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Osborn Barracks
九龍東軍營
Hong Kong
Kowloon East Barracks
Osborn Barracks
Location within Hong Kong
Coordinates22.337°N 114.180°E / 22.337; 114.180
TypeBarracks
Site history
Built1945
Built forWar Office
In use1945-Present
Garrison information
OccupantsPeople's Liberation Army
Kowloon East Barracks
Traditional Chinese九龍東軍營
Simplified Chinese九龙东军营
Literal meaningKowloon East Barracks
Osborn Barracks
Traditional Chinese奧士本軍營
Simplified Chinese奥士本军营

History
Statue of an anonymous World War I soldier from statuary collection of Eu Tong Sen.[1] Also visible is the Battle of Hong Kong memorial plaque dedicated to all the defenders of Hong Kong in December 1941 through John Robert Osborn

The military facility was named for Canadian Army Company Sergeant Major John Robert Osborn of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Osborn was a British-born Canadian who died defending Hong Kong in 1941. He was awarded the Victoria Cross[2] and a barracks in Hong Kong was named in his honour in 1945 after the liberation. Osborn is memorialised at Sai Wan War Cemetery[3] and also through a statue of an anonymous World War I soldier in Hong Kong Park on Hong Kong Island.[4] The statue of the anonymous World War I soldier was originally part of the Eu Tong Sen statuary collection at Eucliff villa. When Eucliff villa was demolished, the Eu family donated the statue in the 1980s to Osborn Barracks in Kowloon where it stayed for 20 years before being relocated to Hong Kong Park.[5]

Part of the land of the Osborn Barracks (the east of Renfrew Road) was given to Hong Kong Baptist University for new campus development in early 1990s. The last British Army regiment to occupy the Barracks was the Hong Kong Logistic Support Regiment RLC. After the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong the Osborn Barracks are used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong.[6]

A helipad is located along Renfrew Road.

In 2015 Albert Chan Wai-yip suggested that the barracks be decommissioned for more residential space.[7]

See also

References
  1. Wordie, Jason (2002). Streets : exploring Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. p. 231. ISBN 9789622095632.
  2. "No. 37517". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 March 1946. p. 1617.
  3. "John Robert Osborn". Canadian War Memorial. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  4. "Not the slightest chance". Curious. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  5. Wordie, Jason (2002). Streets : exploring Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. p. 231. ISBN 9789622095632.
  6. "How the Chinese military can help ease HK's land woes". EJ Insight. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  7. Ng, Kang-chung (2015-09-08). "Release PLA barracks in Kowloon Tong for public housing, Hong Kong lawmaker urges". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2020-12-19.

References


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