Port Hamilton

Port Hamilton can also refer to a former port in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland, in the United Kingdom or the former name of East Hamilton, Texas in the United States.

Port Hamilton

Port Hamilton (known as Geomun-do in Korean, Hangul: 거문도 [Komundo or Geomun-do], Hanja: 巨文島 or 巨門島) is a small group of islands in the Jeju Strait off the southern coast of Korea, located approximately at 34°1′35″N 127°18′45″E. There are three principal islands, the two larger ones, Sodo to the west (Seo-do, 서도, 西島) and Sunhodo to the east (Dong-do, 동도, 東島) forming a harbor with the smaller island in the center. On this central island, Observatory Island (or Go-do, 고도, 古島), there was a British naval base from 1885 to 1887.

Today, the islands form a part of Samsan District, Yeosu City, South Jeolla Province, with the Samsan District offices located on Observation Island. The islands are also part of the Dadohae Haesang National Park.

History

Port Hamilton was surveyed in 1845 by British naval officer Sir Edward Belcher in the HMS Samarang, naming it after the then secretary of the Admiralty, Captain W. A. B. Hamilton. The spacious harbor was also noted for its strategic importance by others, such as Russian Vice-Admiral E. Putiatin, who visited the islands several times and obtained permission from natives in 1857 to establish a coal depot, though due to delays in the delivery of the coal, the plan was abandoned.

Location of Port Hamilton in the Jeju Strait

The strategic importance of Port Hamilton, being a natural harbour that allowed control of the Korea Strait between Korea and Japan, was recognised by the United States Navy, who considered seizing the islands in 1884 .

In April 1885, Port Hamilton was occupied by three ships of the British Royal Navy on orders from the Admiralty. This was to forestall Russian advances in the face of the Panjdeh Incident in Afghanistan. Port Hamilton served as a counterbalance to the Russian naval base at Vladivostok. By occupying Port Hamilton, the British could prevent Russian advances in east Asia, and block Russian naval activity in the Korea Strait. The British built a few buildings and defensive works and introduced pheasants to the islands. Permission was obtained from China for a cable to be landed at Saddle Island (at the mouth of the Yangtse River). From there, the cable could be connected to the main telegraphic network at Shanghai, thus enabling telegraph communication with Port Hamilton.

After the Russian threat had diminished the British demolished the base and left on 27 February, 1887, though they continued to frequent the islands, in one case burying a young sailor there. The visits were less frequent after 1910, when the islands were officially Japanese.

Ten British sailors and marines are buried on the islands:

• Two sailors from the HMS Albatross were killed in March 1886 when their gun exploded.
• A young sailor, Alex Wood, from the HMS Albion, died in 1903
• Seven other British sailors and marines

Port Hamilton was considered part of Japan after its annexation of Korea in 1910. Until the end of World War II, a Japanese graveyard stood in Port Hamilton. When Japanese claims to the islands were specifically renounced in the Treaty of San Francisco, the Japanese graves were removed, but the ten British graves remain.