HMS Kent Arrives in Shanghai, 1939

HMS Kent arrives in Shanghai along the Huangpu River, 1939 – what was then known as “Gunboat Row” for obvious reasons you can see here. From the collection of Henry D Killingback who served on Kent. An interesting photograph as it also gives the lie to the popular misconception that there was nothing Pudong-side until the 1990s (I’ve heard this for 35 years from people!!). As you can see this was always wrong. This picture was, I assume, taken from the top of the Broadway (slightly later Shanghai) Mansions building on North Suzhou Road (formerly #1 Broadway) – perhaps the old Foreign Correspondents Club or higher, perhaps the 17th floor bar.