British Forces Overseas Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong consisted of the elements of the British Army
, Royal Navy
and Royal Air Force
. Much of the British military left Hong Kong
prior to the handover
in 1997. The present article focuses mainly on the British garrison in Hong Kong in the post Second World War era. For more information concerning the British garrison during the Second World War see the Battle of Hong Kong
.
but there were locally enlisted personnel (LEP) who served as regular British Forces members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy as well as the Hong Kong Military Service Corps
.
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment a military unit part of the Hong Kong Government, trained and organised along time lines of British Territorial Army and supported by British Army personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment are seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post WWII era the majority of the regiment's members have been local citizens of Chinese descent.
Before, during and shortly after the Second World War, there was normally a division
of land forces maintained in Hong Kong. For most of the post-war period, however, the army garrison has been reduced to a brigade
of three to four infantry battalions with support and training elements.
Internal Security was the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government, in particular the Royal Hong Kong Police. It is supported by British Forces in Hong Kong should it be called upon to do so. During the Hong Kong 1967 riots
, in which 51 people were killed, the British garrison supported the Royal Hong Kong Police in quelling the disturbance. Until 1995, the safety of much of the Sino-Hong Kong border was the responsibility of the British forces and as such contributed greatly to the interdiction of illegal immigrants (II). As the preparation of the handover of Hong Kong
to China in 1997, that responsibility was passed on to the Hong Kong Police.
The Royal Navy
played a significant role in the support of the Royal Hong Kong Police in anti smuggling operation in Hong Kong waters, especially in the haydays of seaborne smuggling during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.
Search and Rescue (SAR) was provided by all branches of the British Forces in Hong Kong may be called upon for aid to civil defence as well as search and rescue operations in times of emergency.
Prior to 1990-1991, British Forces (British Army
) was responsible for patrolling and enforcing border control between Hong Kong and China
. This role was passed on the Hong Kong Police Force
years before the handover in 1997.
, being a representative of the British sovereign, was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in the colony. The Governor was advised by the Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
(CBF) on all military actions. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBF was normally a career Major General or Lieutenant General from the British Army. Until 1966, the CBF was an ex-officio member of the Legislative Council.
Throughout the years of British rule in Hong Kong a variety of British Army
units spent various durations of time in the colony as resident units. In latter stage of the post-war period, British army units were sent to Hong Kong on a rotational basis for a period of three years. The following list contains resident units only and those which stayed in Hong Kong for short durations for re-supply or acclimatisation during the Korean War
, Opium War, Boxer Rebellion
and the Malayan Emergency
are not included in the list.
in Hong Kong included:
installations in Hong Kong:
was stationed in Hong Kong right from the beginning of the establishment of Hong Kong as a British Colony. For the most part the Royal Naval base was located in Hong Kong Island at HMS Tamar
. The Prince of Wales Building
was added later in the 1970s. Prior to the handover, the naval base was moved to Stonecutters Island
next to the Government docks.
RN Squadrons in Hong Kong:
A list of naval facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:
A list of facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:
was the smallest contingent of the British Forces were stationed in both Kai Tak Airport as well as the airfield in the New Territories known as Sek Kong. Later when the Royal Air Force withdrew from Kai Tak Airport, Sek Kong airfield remained the only RAF station in Hong Kong. In the late 1970s the Royal Air Force moved to an all rotary wing force, in the 1980s the Royal Air Force largely withdrew from Sek Kong and transferred to Kai Tak airport as Sek Kong was to become a temporary refugee camp to house the large number of arriving Vietnamese refugees.
In addition, the Hong Kong Government also maintains an "airforce". This airforce as per the land unit of RHKR (V), is an arm of the Hong Kong Government, supported by RAF personnel seconded to serve in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force
1970-1993 - handed over to GFS
A list of RAF
Units in Hong Kong:
Sources indicate that 444 Signals Unit (SU) formed officially within No 90 (Signals) Group, RAF Strike Command with effect from 16 August 1971 and was established as a lodger unit at Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. The primary role of 444 SU was to act as a ground station for the Skynet satellite communications system, responsibility for operating the Skynet system having been vested in the RAF in the late 1960s under the Rationalisation of Inter Services Telecommunications (RISTACOM) agreement. It would appear that the equipment operated by 444 SU had been located previously at RAF Bahrain (HMS Jufair).
On 1 May 1972 No 90 (Signals) Group was transferred from RAF Strike Command
to RAF Maintenance Command
and as a consequence 444 SU became a Maintenance Command unit on this date. On 31 August 1973 both 90 (Signals) Group and Maintenance Command were disbanded, to be replaced on the following day by the new RAF Support Command
. All of the units and locations previously controlled by the disbanded formations were transferred to Support Command with effect from 1 September 1973 and 444 SU therefore became a Support Command unit. This was to prove short-lived, however, for on 1 November 1973 444 SU and the unit responsible for maintaining the Skynet ground station at RAF Gan - 6 SU - were both transferred to the command of the Air Officer Commanding in Chief Near East Air Force (NEAF). At this time 444 SU and 6 SU formed part of the Defence Communications Network (DCN) and the DCN elements of both units came under the functional control of the Controller DCN, Ministry of Defence.
On 1 August 1975 administrative and engineering responsibility for all of the units comprising RAF Hong Kong, including 444 SU, were transferred from NEAF to Strike Command - functional control of these units being retained by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff via Commander RAF Hong Kong. Subsequently, with the disbandment of HQ NEAF on 31 March 1976 control of RAF Hong Kong and its component units were transferred in total to Strike Command. On 28 March 1976 RAF Gan closed and 6 SU disbanded formally on the same date, the latter's satellite communications equipment being transferred to 444 SU.
Official sources indicate that 444 SU disbanded at some point 'during the last quarter of 1977'
A list of RAF
Stations in Hong Kong:
A list of RAF
Operations Facilities:
Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy
were later transferred to the Government Flying Service (GFS).
, Royal Navy sailors had their own entertainment facility called the China Fleet Club.
A timeline of the China Fleet Club:
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Much of the British military left Hong Kong
British Hong Kong
British Hong Kong refers to Hong Kong as a Crown colony and later, a British dependent territory under British administration from 1841 to 1997.- Colonial establishment :...
prior to the handover
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...
in 1997. The present article focuses mainly on the British garrison in Hong Kong in the post Second World War era. For more information concerning the British garrison during the Second World War see the Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
.
Overview
Most of the members of the British Forces in Hong Kong were from BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
but there were locally enlisted personnel (LEP) who served as regular British Forces members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy as well as the Hong Kong Military Service Corps
Hong Kong Military Service Corps
Hong Kong Military Service Corps was a British army unit and part of the British garrison in Hong Kong...
.
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment a military unit part of the Hong Kong Government, trained and organised along time lines of British Territorial Army and supported by British Army personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment are seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post WWII era the majority of the regiment's members have been local citizens of Chinese descent.
Before, during and shortly after the Second World War, there was normally a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of land forces maintained in Hong Kong. For most of the post-war period, however, the army garrison has been reduced to a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of three to four infantry battalions with support and training elements.
Responsibilities
Before 1 July 1997 the British government had the political commitment to safeguard the territory against external and internal threat. The greatest test was in 1941, when the Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong.Internal Security was the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government, in particular the Royal Hong Kong Police. It is supported by British Forces in Hong Kong should it be called upon to do so. During the Hong Kong 1967 riots
Hong Kong 1967 riots
The Hong Kong 1967 riots began in May 1967. They were caused by pro-communist leftists in Hong Kong, inspired by the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China , who turned a labour dispute into large scale demonstrations against British colonial rule. Demonstrators clashed violently...
, in which 51 people were killed, the British garrison supported the Royal Hong Kong Police in quelling the disturbance. Until 1995, the safety of much of the Sino-Hong Kong border was the responsibility of the British forces and as such contributed greatly to the interdiction of illegal immigrants (II). As the preparation of the handover of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to China in 1997, that responsibility was passed on to the Hong Kong Police.
The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
played a significant role in the support of the Royal Hong Kong Police in anti smuggling operation in Hong Kong waters, especially in the haydays of seaborne smuggling during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.
Search and Rescue (SAR) was provided by all branches of the British Forces in Hong Kong may be called upon for aid to civil defence as well as search and rescue operations in times of emergency.
Prior to 1990-1991, British Forces (British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
) was responsible for patrolling and enforcing border control between Hong Kong and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This role was passed on the Hong Kong Police Force
Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
years before the handover in 1997.
Command structure
The Governor of Hong KongGovernor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
, being a representative of the British sovereign, was the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in the colony. The Governor was advised by the Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
(CBF) on all military actions. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBF was normally a career Major General or Lieutenant General from the British Army. Until 1966, the CBF was an ex-officio member of the Legislative Council.
Throughout the years of British rule in Hong Kong a variety of British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
units spent various durations of time in the colony as resident units. In latter stage of the post-war period, British army units were sent to Hong Kong on a rotational basis for a period of three years. The following list contains resident units only and those which stayed in Hong Kong for short durations for re-supply or acclimatisation during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Opium War, Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
and the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
are not included in the list.
British Army
Major units of the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in Hong Kong included:
- 26th Gurkha Brigade (1948–1950)
- 51st Infantry Brigade (disbanded 1976)
- 48th Gurkha Infantry Brigade (1957–1976; renamed Gurkha Field Force 1976-97; returned to old title 1987-ca.1992)
Royal Armoured Corps/Cavalry
- C Squadron The Royal Scots Greys 2nd Dragoons.19-09-1962-to- not known.
- The First, Royal Tank RegimentRoyal Tank RegimentThe Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
(1957–60)(C Sqn 1974-76) - 4th Hussars (1950)
- 7th Hussars (1956)
- 16th/5th Lancers (A Sqn 1953-64) (C Sqn 1973-75)
- 14th/20th King's Hussars14th/20th King's HussarsThe 14th/20th King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992.- History :Originally styled the 14th/20th Hussars, the regiment was created in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 14th King's Hussars and the 20th Hussars, as part of the reductions in the Army...
(1970–73) - 17th/21st Lancers17th/21st LancersThe 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.It was formed in 1922 in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers . From 1930 to 1939 it was deployed overseas; first in Egypt for two years, and then in India for seven...
(1960–63)
Foot Guards/Line Infantry
- 1st Battalion Royal Northumberland FusiliersRoyal Northumberland FusiliersThe Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Originally raised in 1674, the regiment was amalgamated with three other fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.-Origins:...
(1958–1961) - 1st Battalion, Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch FusiliersThe Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
(1969–72) - 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron HighlandersQueen's Own Cameron HighlandersThe Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
(1908–09) - 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light InfantryDuke of Cornwall's Light InfantryThe Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
(1914) - 1st Ballation, Middlesex RegimentMiddlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
(1917–18) - 1st Battalion, East Surrey RegimentEast Surrey RegimentThe East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...
(1923–26) - 2nd Battalion, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
(1926–28) - 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers (1930–34)(1963–66)
- 1st Ballation, Middlesex RegimentMiddlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
(1937–41) - 1st Battalion, Wiltshire RegimentWiltshire RegimentThe Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
(1950–52) - 1st Battalion Queen's own Buffs (1965–1967 )
- 1st Battalion, Lancashire FusiliersLancashire FusiliersThe Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
(1967–69) - 1st Battalion, Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
(1970–72) - 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire RegimentRoyal Hampshire RegimentThe Royal Hampshire Regiment was a British Army line infantry regiment from 1881 to 1992. Its lineage is continued today by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.-Formation and antecedents:...
(1972–75) - 1st Battalion, Light InfantryLight infantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
(1975–77) - 1st Battalion, Royal Green JacketsRoyal Green JacketsThe Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
(1977–80) - 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Highlanders (1980–82)
- 1st Battalion, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
(1982–84) - 1st Battalion Cheshire RegimentCheshire RegimentThe Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
(1984–1986) - 1st Ballation, Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
(1986–88) - 1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire) (1988–90)
- 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of WalesRoyal Regiment of WalesThe Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of The South Wales Borderers and The Welch Regiment....
(1990–93) - 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)The Queen's Own Highlanders , officially abbreviated "QOHldrs," was an infantry regiment in the Scottish Division of the British Army. It was formed on 7 February 1961 at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, with the amalgamation of 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders and 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron...
(1980–81) - 1st Battalion, Seaforth HighlandersSeaforth HighlandersThe Seaforth Highlanders was a historic regiment of the British Army associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The Seaforth Highlanders have varied in size from two battalions to seventeen battalions during the Great War...
(1937–38) - 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (1938–41)
- 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)Black WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
(1993–94; 1997) - 1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment (1996)
- 1st Battalion, Royal Lincolnshire Regiment (1932–36)
- 1st Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) (1968–70)
- 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) (1949–50; 1951–52; 1979)
- 1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (1971–75; 77-79; 81-85; 87-89; 91-92)
- 2nd Battalion, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (1953–57; 57-62; 66-68; 72-75; 77-81; 83-85; 87-91)
- 1st Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Company, the regiment has been known by a number of names...
(1956–57; 65-73; 75-77; 79-83; 85-87; 89-93) - 2nd Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Company, the regiment has been known by a number of names...
(1948–50; 62-63; 1969 amalgamated with the 1st Bn.) - 1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 7th Gurkha Rifles started as a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence.-Formation:...
(1959–62; 73-77; 83-87; 89-91; 93-94) - 2nd Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 7th Gurkha Rifles started as a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence.-Formation:...
(1954–57; 62-63; 62-70; disbanded in Hong Kong in 1987) - 1st Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles, , was originally an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was first formed in 1890, taking its lineage from a police unit and over the course of its existence it had a number of changes in designation and composition...
(1957–60; 69-73; 75-79; 81-83; 85-89; 91-93) - 2nd Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha RiflesThe 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles, , was originally an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was first formed in 1890, taking its lineage from a police unit and over the course of its existence it had a number of changes in designation and composition...
(1948–50; 1962; amalgamated with 1st Bn. in 1968) - 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1994–96)
- 28th Regiment late 1870s
- 74th Highlanders 1878
- 1st Bn The Welch Reg (1966–1968)
- 1st Bn The Green Howards (1956–1959)
Royal Artillery
- 25 Field Regiment (1947–55)
- 14 Field Regiment (1949–51; 52-56; 60-62)
- 23 Field Regiment (1949–52)
- 34 Light Anti-Air Regiment (1949–52; 61-63)
- 27 Anti-Tank Battery (1949–58)
- 58 Medium Regiment (1949–52)
- 27 Heavy Anti-Air Regiment (1949–57)
- 173 Locating Battery (1950–57)
- 15 Observation Battery (1950–51)
- 32 Regiment (1951–52; 58-61)
- 45 Field Regiment (1951–53; 58-61)
- 72 Light Anti-Air Regiment 1952-55)
- 20 Field Regiment (1952–55)
- 42 Field Regiment (1952–56)
- 15 Medium Regiment (1955–57)
- 74 Light Anti-Air Regiment (1955–58)
- 19 Field Regiment (1956–57)
- 49 Field Regiment (1957–61)
- 5 Field Regiment (1958–61)
- 4 Field Regiment (1961–64)
- 49 Light Regiment (1964–1966)
- 18 Light Regiment (1966–69)
- 25 Light Regiment (1969–71)
- 47 Light Regiment (1971–73)
- 3 Light Regiment Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
(1973–75) - 20 Light Regiment (1975–76)
Others
- 17th Gurkha Signal Regiment
- 18 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
- 27th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- 28 & 31 Squadron Gurkha Transport Regiment
- 29 & 56 Squadron, Royal Corps of TransportRoyal Corps of TransportThe Royal Corps of Transport was a British Army Corps formed in 1965 from the transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps and the movement control element of the Royal Engineers . The depot was Buller Barracks in Aldershot...
- 50 Hong Kong Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(Shamshuipo) - 50 Field Engineer Regiment, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 67, 68, 69 & 70 Squadron Queen's Gurkha Engineers
- 75 Army Education Centre, Royal Army Education Corps
- 246, 247 & 248 Squadron Queen's Gurkha SignalsQueen's Gurkha SignalsThe Queen's Gurkha Signals is a regular unit of Royal Corps of Signals, one of the combat support arms of British Army. Together with the Queen's Gurkha Engineers, the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment and the Royal Gurkha Rifles they form part of the Brigade of Gurkhas...
- 252 Squadron, Royal Signals
- 27 Signal Regiment Royal Signals
- 660 Squadron Army Air Corps, Shek KongShek KongShek Kong is an area north of Tai Mo Shan, located near Kam Tin and Pat Heung, New Territories, Hong Kong.Shek Kong Airfield is located in Shek Kong. A sizable Nepal Gurkha population presents in the area even after the withdrawal of British military....
(1978–94) - 22nd Fortress Company (Royal Engineers)
- British Army Aid GroupBritish Army Aid GroupThe British Army Aid Group was a para-military organisation for British and allied forces in Southern China during the Second World War. The BAAG was officially classified in the British Army's order of battle as a MI9 unit that was responsible for assisting prisoners of war to escape from the...
- Chinese Torpedo Whalers
- Government HouseGovernment House, Hong KongGovernment House , located on Government Hill in the Central District of Hong Kong Island, is the official residence of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong...
Guard (C Company) - Defence Animal Support Unit, Royal Army Veterinary CorpsRoyal Army Veterinary CorpsThe Royal Army Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and care of animals. It is a small but technically competent corps forming part of the Army Medical Services...
- Hong Kong Information Team
- Hong Kong Military Service CorpsHong Kong Military Service CorpsHong Kong Military Service Corps was a British army unit and part of the British garrison in Hong Kong...
- Hong Kong Provost Company, Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
- Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force (No.2 Company of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps) 1854-1995
- No 3 Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
Raiding Squadron ?-1988 - Royal Electrical (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)
- Mechanical Engineers (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)
- Training Depot, Brigade of GurkhasBrigade of GurkhasThe Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
(Sek Kong 1971-94)
Installations
A list of British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
installations in Hong Kong:
- Stanley FortStanley FortStanley Fort is a military position on the south side of Hong Kong Island.The fort, which occupied a site of 128 hectares, at one time served as a garrison for the British Armed Forces in Hong Kong. After the British Army ceased to use it, the area became the Kai Chi Children's Centre and the...
(Hong Kong IslandHong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
) 1841 - later served as Stanley Prison and WWII Japanese War Prison - Gin Drinker's Line 1930s
- Flagstaff HouseFlagstaff HouseFlagstaff House is the oldest example of British-style architecture remaining in Hong Kong. It is located in 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central - within the Hong Kong Park....
1978 - former British Forces HQ and known as Headquarters House 1846-1932 and built for Major General George Charles D'AguilarGeorge Charles D'AguilarMajor-General Sir George Charles D'Aguilar, KCB was a British Army Major General and Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong.-Background:...
; now known as Museum of Teaware - North Barracks 1840s-1887 - to the RN 1887-1959 and Hong Kong Government 1959-
- (Queen) Victoria BarracksVictoria Barracks, Hong KongThe Victoria Barracks were a barracks in the Admiralty district of Central on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The barracks were constructed between the 1840s and 1874, and situated within the area bounded by Cotton Tree Drive, Kennedy Road and Queensway, Hong Kong. The Barracks with Murray Barracks,...
1846-1979 - parade grounds now site of Pacific PlacePacific PlacePacific Place is a complex of office towers, hotels and a shopping centre situated at 88 Queensway, in Admiralty, Hong Kong. The latest phase, Three Pacific Place, is located at 1 Queen's Road East....
, JW Marriott Hotel, Shangrila Hotel and Hong Kong ParkHong Kong ParkThe Hong Kong Park is a public park next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central, Hong Kong. Built at a cost of HK$398 million and opened in May 1991, it covers an area of 80,000 m² and is an example of modern design and facilities blending with natural landscape....
; the Barracks was converted to The Visual Arts CentreHong Kong Visual Arts CentreThe Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is located in Hong Kong Park, at 7A Kennedy Road in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.According to the Plaque in the Arts Centre, it was opened by Leung Ding-Bon, the then chairman of the Urban Council in 1992....
(Hong Kong Museum of ArtHong Kong Museum of ArtThe Hong Kong Museum of Art is the main art museum of Hong Kong. The museum was established as the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery in the City Hall in Central by the Urban Council in 1962. In 1991, it was moved to the present premises at 10 Salisbury Road, near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and...
) - Murray BarracksMurray BarracksMurray Barracks was a barracks for British Army in Admiralty of Central in Hong Kong. It was named after Sir George Murray, the Master-General of the Ordnance at the time of construction.-Location:...
1846-1982 - the officers' quarters was moved from CentralCentral, Hong KongCentral is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
to StanleyStanley, Hong KongStanley is a town and a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It located on a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. It is east of Repulse Bay and west of Shek O, adjacent to Chung Hom Kok...
, now known as Murray HouseMurray HouseMurray House is a Victorian-era building in Stanley in Hong Kong. Originally built in the present-day business district of Central in 1846 as officers' quarters of the Murray Barracks, the building was relocated to the south of Hong Kong Island during the 2000s.- Architecture :Murray House was one... - Murray BatteryMurray BatteryMurray Battery was an artillery battery in present-day Central, Hong Kong.The battery was built in 1841. It had five gun positions in 1882 and was removed in the late 19th century.-External links:*...
- Lyemun Barracks or Lei Yue Mun Barracks 1840s - coast defence and now Museum of Coastal DefenceHong Kong Museum of Coastal DefenceThe Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence is a museum in Hong Kong, located in a former coastal defence fort overlooking the Lei Yue Mun channel, near Shau Kei Wan on Hong Kong Island. The fort was built by the British in 1887, intended to defend the eastern approaches to Victoria Harbour.The total...
and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday VillageLei Yue Mun Park and Holiday VillageLei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village used to be Lyemun Barracks, barracks for the British Soldiers stationed in Hong Kong.-Old Lyemun Barracks:Lyemun Barracks was named after the fishing village of Lei Yue Mun.... - Wellington BarracksWellington Barracks, Hong KongWellington Barracks was a British Army barracks in Admiralty of Central on the north side of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The three storey Classical architecture building was built in 1854. The barracks had an army hospital, and this still exists as Hong Kong International School. The barracks...
1840s-1946 - to the RN as HMS TamarHMS Tamar (shore station)HMS Tamar was the name for the Royal Navy's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS Tamar a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore.-19th Century:...
1946-1960s (demolished and replaced with HMS Tamar/Prince of Wales Building, now the Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong BuildingChinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong BuildingThe Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building is a 113 metre, 28 floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison...
) - Perowne BarracksPerowne BarracksPerowne Barracks is a former British Army barracks in Hong Kong. It closed in 1994 following the drawdown of the military establishment prior to the handover of sovereignty in 1997. Formerly stationed at the barracks was a Gurkha regiment of the Royal Engineers...
(Tuen MunTuen MunTuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
) - once used by Tuen Mun Immigration Service Training School, now used by Crossroads International - Osborne Barracks (KowloonKowloonKowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
) 1945 - named for Canadian and Winnipeg Grenadiers Jack Osborne VC who died defending Hong Kong in 1941 - Kohima CampKohima CampKohima Camp was a military camp in Tai Po Tsai north of Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Hong Kong. The camp was built by British Army and demolished in 1980s when the army gradually withdrew from Hong Kong...
(Tai Po TsaiTai Po TsaiTai Po Tsai is an area and a village northeast of Tseung Kwan O New Town in Hong Kong. On the east mid slope of Razor Hill and facing Port Shelter, The village clusters in a small plain around Clear Water Bay Road in Sai Kung District. Pak Shui Wun is a beach off Tai Po Tsai is on the shore...
) - became the site of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Sham Shui Po BarracksSham Shui Po BarracksSham Shui Po Barracks was a British Army facility built in the 1920s in the Sham Shui Po area of Kowloon, Hong Kong. The base was bounded by Fuk Wa Street to the east by Yen Chow Street and to the west by Tonkin Street and Camp Street....
- has been WWII Japanese War Prison, Vietnamese Refugee Camp and now housing estates, commercial centre and government offices. - Saiwan Barracks 1844 - used for a short duration and abandoned for Lyemun Barracks
- Gun Club Hill Barracks
- Cassino Lines
Royal Navy
The Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
was stationed in Hong Kong right from the beginning of the establishment of Hong Kong as a British Colony. For the most part the Royal Naval base was located in Hong Kong Island at HMS Tamar
HMS Tamar (shore station)
HMS Tamar was the name for the Royal Navy's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS Tamar a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore.-19th Century:...
. The Prince of Wales Building
Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building is a 113 metre, 28 floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison...
was added later in the 1970s. Prior to the handover, the naval base was moved to Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island
Stonecutters Island or Ngong Shuen Chau is a former island in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Following land reclamation, it is now annexed to the Kowloon peninsula.-Fauna:...
next to the Government docks.
RN Squadrons in Hong Kong:
- China Squadron 1844-1941, 1945–1992
- Far East Fleet/HK Sqdn 1969-1971
- Dragon Squadron 1971-1992
- 3 Raiding Squadron Royal Marines
- Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves 1967-1996 - merge with RNR 1971
- British Regular - Garrison and Fleet
- LEP 1905-1996
- Side Girls Party 1933-1997
- Dragon Squadron
- 120th Minesweeping Squadron 1958-1966 - transfer to SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
- 6th Mine Countermeasure Squadron 1969-1997
- 6th Patrol Craft Squadron 1970-1997
- Operations and Training Base 1934-1997
- 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines
- 47 Royal Marines
- British Pacific Fleet 1840s-1948 - to Singapore as Far East Station
- HK Flotilla 1840s-1941, 1948–1992
- China Station - 4th Submarine Flotilla, Yangtse Flotilla, West River Flotilla, 8th Destroyer Flotilla
- 5th Cruiser Squadron
- 1st Escort Flotilla
- 4th Frigate Flotilla ?-1952
- Frigate Squadron 1952-1976
- Light Cruiser Squadron
A list of naval facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:
- Prince of Wales Building 1978-1997 - known as Central BarracksChinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong BuildingThe Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building is a 113 metre, 28 floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison...
of the PLAPeople's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
- Lamont and Hope Drydocks
- Aberdeen Docks - destroyed
- Dry Dock 1902-1959
- Taikoo DockyardTaikoo DockyardTaikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company was a dockyard located in the present-day Taikoo Shing and part of Taikoo Place of Quarry Bay on the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.-History:...
- Hong Kong United Dockyards - Royal Navy Dockyards, AdmiraltyAdmiralty, Hong KongAdmiralty is the eastern extension of central business district of the Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north. The name of Admiralty refers to the former...
1859-1902 - Royal Navy DockyardsHong Kong and Whampoa DockHong Kong and Whampoa Dock was a Hong Kong dockyard once among the largest dockyards in Asia. Founded in 1863 by Douglas Lapraik and Thomas Sutherland, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company...
1902-1959 - Kowloon Dockyard not part of Hung HomHung HomHung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...
area. - RN Coal storage yard, Stonecutters Island 1861-1959
- RN Coal storage yard and Kowloon Naval Dockyards 1901-1959
- Sai WanSai WanSai Wan , or Western District, or simply Western, is an area in Hong Kong that corresponds to Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui, Belcher Bay and Kennedy Town....
Barracks 1844-1846 - Wellington Barracks 1946-1978 - as HMS Tamar (demolished)
- North Barracks 1850s-1856, 1887-1959 - from the Army and to HK Government 1959
- Victoria BarracksVictoria Barracks, Hong KongThe Victoria Barracks were a barracks in the Admiralty district of Central on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The barracks were constructed between the 1840s and 1874, and situated within the area bounded by Cotton Tree Drive, Kennedy Road and Queensway, Hong Kong. The Barracks with Murray Barracks,...
- Redoubt and Lei Yue Mun Fortifications 1885-1887
- Lei Yue Mun Fort 1887-1987
- Reverse, Central, West and Pass Batteries 1880s
- Brennan Torpedo station 1890 - Lei Yue Mun
- Royal Naval Hospital, Wan ChaiWan ChaiWan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
- demolished, now replaced by Ruttonjee HospitalRuttonjee HospitalRuttonjee Hospital is a hospital in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is affiliated with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Hong Kong, and provides clinical attachment opportunities for the university's medical students.-History:Centrally located in Wan Chai, the... - Seaman's Hospital 1843-1873 - replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
- RMS Queen MaryRMS Queen MaryRMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
1945-1946 - as a hospital - War Memorial Hospital (Matilda) 1946-1959
- British Military HospitalBritish Military Hospital, Hong KongThe British Military Hospital was a hospital in Hong Kong for the use of the British garrison. It was located at Bowen Road for over 60 years, from 1907 to 1967. It was built between 1903 and 1906, and officially opened on 1 July 1907....
1959-1995 - Island Group Practice 1995-1997 - replace BMH
- HMS Charolotte and HMS Victor Emmanuel - Receiving Ships
- Tidal Basin 1902-1959
- Boat Basin 1902-1959
- HM Victualling Yards 1859-1946
A list of facilities used or built by the RN in Hong Kong:
- Lamont and Hope Drydocks
- Aberdeen Docks
- Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai - now Ruttonjee Sanatorium
- Seaman's Hospital 1843-1873 - replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
- HMS Princess CharlotteHMS Princess Charlotte (1825)HMS Princess Charlotte was a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 September 1825 at Portsmouth. The occasion was notable for the fact that the gates of the dry dock into which she was to be placed burst because of the high tide and more than 40 people were...
and HMS Victor Emmanuel - Receiving Ships - HMS TamarHMS Tamar (1863)HMS Tamar was a Royal Navy troopship built by the Samuda Brothers at Cubitt Town, London, and launched in Britain in 1863. She served as a supply ship from 1897 to 1941, and gave her name to the HMS Tamar shore station in Hong Kong ....
- Receiving ship 1897-1941 - HMS Nabcatcher - Kai Tak 1945-1946
- HMS FlycatcherHMS FlycatcherHMS Flycatcher was a stone frigate name for the Royal Navy's headquarters for its Mobile Naval Air Bases which supported their Fleet Air Arm units.Flycatcher was based first at RNAS Ludham, Norfolk then moved to RAF Middle Wallop....
- Kai Tak 1947 - HMS MindenHMS MindenHMS Minden was a Royal Navy 74-gun Ganges-class third-rate ship of the line, launched on 19 June 1810. She was named after the German town Minden and the Battle of Minden of 1759, a decisive victory of British and Prussian forces over France in the Seven Years' War...
1841-mid 1840s - hospital ship - HMS Alligator 1840s-1865 - hospital ship
- HMS MelvilleHMS Melville (1817)HMS Melville was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1817 at Bombay Dockyard.From 19 January 1836 until August 1837 she served in North America and the West Indies as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Peter Halkett and was commanded by Captain Peter John Douglas...
1860s-1873 - hospital ship (East Indies Sqdn)
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was the smallest contingent of the British Forces were stationed in both Kai Tak Airport as well as the airfield in the New Territories known as Sek Kong. Later when the Royal Air Force withdrew from Kai Tak Airport, Sek Kong airfield remained the only RAF station in Hong Kong. In the late 1970s the Royal Air Force moved to an all rotary wing force, in the 1980s the Royal Air Force largely withdrew from Sek Kong and transferred to Kai Tak airport as Sek Kong was to become a temporary refugee camp to house the large number of arriving Vietnamese refugees.
In addition, the Hong Kong Government also maintains an "airforce". This airforce as per the land unit of RHKR (V), is an arm of the Hong Kong Government, supported by RAF personnel seconded to serve in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force was an auxiliary unit of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force, based in Hong Kong. In preparation for the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, the unit was disbanded on 1 April 1993.Although technically an armed...
1970-1993 - handed over to GFS
- Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps - Air Arm 1930-1949
- Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1949-1970 - see RHKAAF
A list of RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Units in Hong Kong:
- No 205 Squadron (Maritime Reconnaissance) 1949-1958
- No 209 Squadron (Maritime Patrol) 1946-1955
- No 215 Squadron (Transport) 1945-1946
- No 22 Squadron (Anti-shipping patrol) , 1996–1997
- No 45 Squadron (Bomber) 1965-1970
- No 60 Squadron
- No 681 Squadron (Photo Reconnaissance)
- 114th (Hong Kong) RAF Squadron
- 28 AC Squadron (Maritime Reconnaissance) - 1949-1955, 1957–1967, 1968–1978, 1978-1996 at RAF Sek Kong) - using Wessex HC2
- ASF (Catering Squadron)
- GEF (Ground Radio)
- Medical Supply Squadron
- No 847 Squadron FAA 1970 (RAF Kai Tak)
- No 846 Squadron FAA 1963-1964 (RAF Kai Tak)
- No 367 Wireless Unit
- No 368 Wireless Unit
- No 117 Signals Unit (Tai Mo Shan),w.e.f. January 1959 when it was relocated from Mount Davis (West end of Hong Kong Island)
- No 444 Signals Unit (Stanley Fort), 1971 to 1977
Sources indicate that 444 Signals Unit (SU) formed officially within No 90 (Signals) Group, RAF Strike Command with effect from 16 August 1971 and was established as a lodger unit at Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. The primary role of 444 SU was to act as a ground station for the Skynet satellite communications system, responsibility for operating the Skynet system having been vested in the RAF in the late 1960s under the Rationalisation of Inter Services Telecommunications (RISTACOM) agreement. It would appear that the equipment operated by 444 SU had been located previously at RAF Bahrain (HMS Jufair).
On 1 May 1972 No 90 (Signals) Group was transferred from RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
to RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
and as a consequence 444 SU became a Maintenance Command unit on this date. On 31 August 1973 both 90 (Signals) Group and Maintenance Command were disbanded, to be replaced on the following day by the new RAF Support Command
RAF Support Command
-History:It was formed on 31 August 1973 by the renaming of Maintenance Command, with No. 90 Group being added to it. Its responsibilities included all logistical and maintenance support requirements of the RAF...
. All of the units and locations previously controlled by the disbanded formations were transferred to Support Command with effect from 1 September 1973 and 444 SU therefore became a Support Command unit. This was to prove short-lived, however, for on 1 November 1973 444 SU and the unit responsible for maintaining the Skynet ground station at RAF Gan - 6 SU - were both transferred to the command of the Air Officer Commanding in Chief Near East Air Force (NEAF). At this time 444 SU and 6 SU formed part of the Defence Communications Network (DCN) and the DCN elements of both units came under the functional control of the Controller DCN, Ministry of Defence.
On 1 August 1975 administrative and engineering responsibility for all of the units comprising RAF Hong Kong, including 444 SU, were transferred from NEAF to Strike Command - functional control of these units being retained by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff via Commander RAF Hong Kong. Subsequently, with the disbandment of HQ NEAF on 31 March 1976 control of RAF Hong Kong and its component units were transferred in total to Strike Command. On 28 March 1976 RAF Gan closed and 6 SU disbanded formally on the same date, the latter's satellite communications equipment being transferred to 444 SU.
Official sources indicate that 444 SU disbanded at some point 'during the last quarter of 1977'
- Composite Signals Unit
A list of RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Stations in Hong Kong:
- RAF North PointNorth PointNorth Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. It is the northernmost point of Hong Kong Island, adjacent to both Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, and projecting toward Kowloon Bay. Fortress Hill occupies the western end of the North Point area.-History:In 1899, The...
(Hong Kong) - RAF Little Sai Wan
- RAF Mount Davis home of 117 Signals Unit relocated 1959 (without living accommodation) to RAF Tai Mo Shan
- RAF Sha TinSha Tin AirfieldSha Tin Airfield was a small military airfield in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, which had a single concrete runway. The airfield was located along the Shing Mun River and looked out to Tide Cove...
- (no ICAO code) from 1949-1970s. Severely damaged by Typhoon Wanda in 1962. Demolished to make way for Sha Tin New TownSha Tin New TownSha Tin New Town is one of the new towns in Hong Kong. It is within the Sha Tin District, which covers the areas of Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Fo Tan, Tai Shui Hang, Ma On Shan, etc. With development started in the 1970s, it covers an area of 35.87 square kilometres . It presently has a population over...
. - RAF Sek KongShek Kong AirfieldThe Shek Kong Airfield , ICAO:VHSK), formerly RAF Sek Kong/Sek Kong Airfield, is an airbase located in Shek Kong of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ....
- (VHSK) served as Vietnamese Detention Centre 1980s - RAF Kai TakRAF Kai TakRAF Kai Tak was a Royal Air Force station in Hong Kong. It was opened in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.-History:...
- (VHKT) later as Kai Tak International Airport
A list of RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Operations Facilities:
- Tai Po TsaiTai Po TsaiTai Po Tsai is an area and a village northeast of Tseung Kwan O New Town in Hong Kong. On the east mid slope of Razor Hill and facing Port Shelter, The village clusters in a small plain around Clear Water Bay Road in Sai Kung District. Pak Shui Wun is a beach off Tai Po Tsai is on the shore...
- Cape Collinson
- Batty's Belvedere
- Kong Wei, RAF Sek Kong
- Chung Hom Kok
- Wang Fung Terrace, Tai Hang (Happy ValleyHappy Valley, Hong KongHappy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
)
Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
were later transferred to the Government Flying Service (GFS).
Other Facilities
- British Military Hospital, Hong KongBritish Military Hospital, Hong KongThe British Military Hospital was a hospital in Hong Kong for the use of the British garrison. It was located at Bowen Road for over 60 years, from 1907 to 1967. It was built between 1903 and 1906, and officially opened on 1 July 1907....
- Medical centres at Victoria Barracks, Lyemun Barracks, Stanley Fort, Whitfield Barracks, Sham Shui Po, Choy Hung, MRS Sek Kong and Lo Wu.
- British Forces Broadcasting ServiceBritish Forces Broadcasting ServiceThe British Forces Broadcasting Service provides radio and television programmes for HM Forces, and their dependents, in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Tristan da Cunha as well as a live satellite...
- Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI)
- Blackdown Barracks, Hong Kong (彩虹軍營) - near Kai Tak; now is Rhythm Garden (采頤花園), car park building, and Canossa Primary School.
- Mount Austin BarracksMount Austin BarracksMount Austin Barracks was a British Army base in Hong Kong. It was acquired in 1897 and developed from the former Mount Austin Hotel. It is named after John Gardiner Austin, former Hong Kong Colonial Secretary. It was located near the Peak Tram terminus at Victoria Peak.The base consisted of a...
- near Peak Tram terminus at Victoria Peak - Royal Hong Kong Regimental Headquarters near Happy Valley - demolished 1995
China Fleet Club
Hong Kong became an important port of call for many naval ships passing through the Far East. Besides Lan Kwai FongLan Kwai Fong
Lan Kwai Fong is a small square of streets in Central, Hong Kong. The area was dedicated to hawkers before the Second World War, but underwent a renaissance in the mid 1980s. It is now a popular expatriate haunt in Hong Kong for drinking, clubbing and dining...
, Royal Navy sailors had their own entertainment facility called the China Fleet Club.
A timeline of the China Fleet Club:
- 1900-1903 local Hong Kong businessman and Royal Navy's China Fleet to raise funds for a Royal Naval Canteen at Naval Docks, Hong Kong
- 1929 old canteen building demolished and replaced with new building
- 1929-1934 Temporary CFC at Gloucester Road
- 1933 cornerstone laid by Admiral Sir Howard KellyHoward Kelly (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir Howard Kelly GBE KCB CMG MVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.-Naval career:Kelly joined the Royal Navy in 1886...
, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., then Commander-in-Chief, China Station; new seven-storey China Fleet Club building called "The Old Blue" - 1941-1945 CFC serves as Japanese Naval HQ in Hong Kong during World War II
- 1945-1982 CFC re-occupied by RN
- 1952 Coronation Annex added
- 1982, 16 July The Final Demolition Party held in Club before move to Sun Hung Kai
- 1982-1985 CFC relocated to temporary site at Sun Hung Kai CentreSun Hung Kai CentreSun Hung Kai Centre is a skyscraper in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is 215 metres high and has 53 floors.-External links:...
- 1985 25-storey Fleet House new home for CFC
- 1986 Plans to relocate CFC to UK begins
- 1989 Construction of China Fleet Country Club in SaltashSaltashSaltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
begins - 1991 Construction of China Fleet Country Club in Saltash completed and opens in June
- 1992 CFC in Hong Kong closes
Further reading
- Harland, Kathleen. The Royal Navy in Hong Kong Since 1841. Liskeard, England: Maritime Books, 1985. ISBN 090777119X