Christopher Briggs with his daughter Patricia 1997
Christopher was born in England in January 1907.
After two years training aboard HMS CONWAY at Liverpool Christopher went to sea as an indentured apprentice. By the age of twenty four he had acquired his masters certificate for foreign going ships. The picture is of the CONWAY moored in the Menai Strait in UK.. W
In 1932 he joined the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, called HAI KUAN which translates as SEA GATE. and served in the Marine Department in command of patrol cruisers and lighthouse tenders.
When in his eighties, he took up writing as a hobby. A number of small works have been published but in 1997 his first book HAI KUAN - THE SEA GATE was published and is still available from the author.. The book gives a fascinating account of life at sea in the Merchant Navy of the 1920's, the life of a young English couple working for the Chinese Government combined with the exciting stories of chasing smugglers on the Chinese coast. Including living under the Japanese after their invasion of China in 1937. Now the sequel which begins where the former finished covers his war experience and the family's arrival in Australia.. It is called FAREWELL HONG KONG (1941) and is shown below.
FAREWELL HONG KONG (1941)
by Christopher Briggs MBE
It was about 7.30 am on the 8th December 1941 as the author watched the first Japanese air raid on Hong Kong; the target was Kai Tak airport. The first casualty was the Pan Am Clipper (flying boat) anchored in Kowloon Bay which became a pillar of smoke.
Farewell Hong Kong is Christopher’s second book and is the sequel to his well received HAI KUAN - THE SEA GATE telling of his life at sea and in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service
This book, brings us to the time of war and service in the Royal Navy.
It is a fascinating personal account that does not spare the writer, whose very inmost
thoughts are exposed for the reader to share. It is a unique history from a very human
point of view. A story of six years of war, separation and the author’s successful
efforts to rebuild his family when they were reunited after the war.
The book begins with
the story of HMS SCOUT and her companion
destroyer the last ships to leave Hong Kong after the Japanese attack . The author was on
board and he adequately describes what it is like to leave your wife and daughter to await
the arrival of the Japanese conquerors. This old destroyer’s miraculous survival and
escape from Singapore and the operations in the Netherlands East Indies against the
Japanese invaders led to her eventual arrival in Colombo and the author’s new
appointment to a "stone frigate’ called HMS BRAGANZA in Bombay.
When the war was over and after a few years in Britain the family emigrated to Western Australia in 1949. The book ends with some amusing descriptions of settling down on a small farm and the many new people they met and the friends they made.
This enjoyable and sensitive book is history and we will never go that way again.
Obtainable from
- Hesperian
Press
The Author
P O Box 317 3 McCallum Crescent
Victoria Park Ardross
W.A, 6979 W.A. 6153
69 Oats Street Phone (08) 9364 2973
Carlisle E-Mail: cbriggs@perthpcug.org.au
W.A. 6101
Price $22 inc GST + P&P Aust$3.50 Overseas $8
Just send me an E-Mail from anywhere in the world
Mail to cbriggs@perthpcug.org.au
m to China. To ensure avoidance of capture or
detention while on the voyage, the vessels needed to fly an officially recognised
flag. At that time China had no flag. 
The suggested green and yellow flag was approved
and was flown by all the ships on the voyage. This flag was later displaced by the
dragon flag. However in 1857 the green flag was resurrected and flown from all
Customs property. In later years all our ships used this green flag as a
"Jack" and it was flown from the jackstaff at the ship's bow while in port.
