British Forces Overseas Hong Kong


The British Forces Overseas Hong Kong comprised the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force stationed in British Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong also assumed the position of the commander-in-chief of the forces and the Commander British Forces in Hong Kong took charge of the daily deployment of the troops. Much of the British military left prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China 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 and earlier, see the Battle of Hong Kong.

Overview

Prior to and during the Second World War, the garrison was composed of British Army battalions and locally enlisted personnel who served as regular members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy or the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and their associate land units. The Hong Kong Infantry Brigade served as the main garrison formation. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the garrison was reinforced with British Indian Army and Canadian Army units. A second brigade, the Kowloon Infantry Brigade, was formed to assist in commanding the expanded force. The garrison was defeated during the Battle of Hong Kong, by the Empire of Japan.
After the Second World War and the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the British military reestablished a presence. As a result of the Chinese Civil War, the British Army raised the 40th Infantry Division and dispatched it to garrison Hong Kong. It later left for combat in the Korean War, and the defense of the territory was taken up by additional British forces who were rotated from Europe. The garrison was further supplemented by LEPs, and Gurkhas. The latter came from Nepal, but formed part of the British Army. The size of the garrison during the Cold War fluctuated and ended up being based around one brigade.
The Royal [Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)] was a locally raised Crown regiment established under the Royal Hong Kong Regiment Ordinance. It was administered by the Government of Hong Kong on behalf of the Sovereign, with its funding drawn from Crown revenues rather than from a local militia budget. The regiment assisted in the defence of Hong Kong, maintaining internal security and providing disaster relief when required.
Formed in 1854 and granted the “Royal” title in 1951, the regiment established an affiliation with the Royal Armoured Corps in the early 1960s and was formally incorporated into its order of battle under subsidiary regulations. It was placed under the operational command of the Commander British Forces Hong Kong. Officers were commissioned by the Governor, in the name of the Sovereign, and all members were subject to the Army Act 1955 and Queen’s Regulations. Several regular British Army officers were seconded to key positions to support training and command, and the regiment’s organisation followed the model of the United Kingdom’s Territorial Army.
Although funded and administered locally, the regiment was legally part of the British Crown Forces and not a colonial militia. It was disbanded in 1995 prior to the transfer of sovereignty in 1997.

Responsibilities

Before 1 July 1997, the British government had the political commitment to safeguard the territory against external and internal threats. Commonwealth forces were also deployed to station in the territory shortly before the Second World War. The greatest test was in 1941, when Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong, leading to the 44-month-long Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
Internal security was the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government, in particular the Royal Hong Kong Police. It was 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. 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 heyday of seaborne smuggling during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.
Search and Rescue 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 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. Some HK nationals who served in the British military were deployed overseas, including Operation Granby.
The territory has nevertheless maintained a Government Flying Service, formerly the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, that is responsible for search and rescue operations, air ambulance services, and other air services for the Hong Kong Government. The GFS also took over some responsibilities from the Royal Air Force and the Army Air Corps. The Hong Kong Police Force also has a highly trained and equipped counter terrorism unit, the Special Duties Unit, trained by United Kingdom's SAS and SBS, and a Marine Police force. These forces have been heavily armed since before the handover in 1997, and are within the portfolio of the Secretary for Security.
The Fire Service Department also took over some diving rescue responsibilities from the British Forces Overseas.

Command structure

The Governor of Hong Kong, 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 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 periods of time in the colony as resident units. In latter stages 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. The majority of infantry battalions were Ghurkas who were permanently based in Hong Kong after Indian partition.

British Army formations

Major formations of the British Army in Hong Kong included:

Second World War

Cold War

British Army units

Royal Armoured Corps

Infantry

Gurkhas

British Indian Army

Artillery

  • Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery
  • 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
  • 4th Field Regiment, RA
  • 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery, Kowloon
  • 5th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA, RAF Kai Tak
  • 5th Field Regiment, RA
  • 14th Field Regiment, RA
  • 15th Observation Battery and 173rd Locating Battery 1950 at Lo Wu Camp
  • 15th Medium Regiment, RA
  • 18th Medium Regiment, RA
  • 19th Field Regiment, RA
  • 20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
  • 23rd Field Regiment, RA
  • 25th Field Regiment, RA
  • 27th Heavy Regiment, RA
  • 32nd Medium Regiment, RA
  • 34th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
  • 42nd Field Regiment, RA
  • 45th Field Regiment, RA
  • 47th Coast Regiment, RA
  • 49th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
  • 58th Medium Regiment, RA
  • 72nd Light Anti-Air Regiment, RA
  • 74th Light Anti-Air Regiment, RA

Engineers

Royal Engineers and Queen's Gurkha Engineers
  • 1 Field Squadron,
  • 22nd Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
  • 40th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
  • 24 Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
  • * 11 Field Squadron, RE
  • * 15 Field Park Squadron, RE
  • * 50 Field Squadron, RE
  • * 54 Independent Field Squadron, RE
  • * 54 Support Squadron, RE
  • * 56 Field Squadron, RE
  • Royal Engineers Postal and Courier Service
  • Queen's Gurkha Engineers
  • * 67 Squadron, QGE
  • * 68 Squadron, QGE
  • * 69 Squadron, QGE
  • * 70 Squadron, QGE
  • * Gurkha Training Squadron

Signals

Royal Signals and Queen's Gurkha Signals
  • 27th Signal Regiment, Royal Signals
  • * Amalgamated with Hong Kong Signal Squadron to form Hong Kong Signal Regiment
  • * Redesignated 27th Signal Regiment
  • * Renamed HQ Royal Signals, Hong Kong
  • * Renamed 27th Signal Regiment )
  • Hong Kong Independent Lines Squadron, Royal Signals
  • Independent Gurkha Brigade Squadron
  • Gurkha Infantry Brigade Signal Squadron
  • Detachments, 19th Air Formation Signal Troop, Royal Signals
  • Detachments, 232 Squadron, Royal Signals
  • HQ Royal Signals, Hong Kong
  • * 252 Signal Squadron on the Hong Kong Island
  • * 253 Signal Squadron in Kowloon, repurposed as an engineering squadron in 1962
  • Joint Services Signal Staff
  • 17th Gurkha Signal Regiment
  • Queen's Gurkha Signals
  • * 247 Squadron, QGS
  • * 248 Squadron, QGS
  • * Hong Kong Gurkha Signal Squadron

Support units

Installations

A list of British Army installations in Hong Kong:

Royal Navy / Royal Marines

The Royal Navy and Royal Marines 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. Before the handover, the naval base was moved to Stonecutters Island next to the Government docks.
RN and RFA ships visited or posted to Hong Kong prior to the Second World War:
RN ships and land units in Hong Kong during the Second World War:
Auxiliary Patrol Vessels in Hong Kong during the Second World War:
  • APV Britannia
  • APV Chun Hsing
  • APV Frosty
  • APV Han Wo
  • APV Ho Hsing
  • APV Henriette
  • APV Indira
  • APV Margaret
  • APV Minnie
  • APV Perla
  • APV Poseidon
  • APV Shun Wo
  • APV Stanley
  • APV Teh Hsing
RN formations and units in Hong Kong :
RN and RFA ships visited or posted to Hong Kong after the Second World War:
Royal Marines:
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:
  • Lamont and Hope Drydocks
  • Aberdeen Docks
  • Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai – now Ruttonjee Sanatorium
  • Seaman's Hospital 1843–1873 – replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
  • and – Receiving Ships
  • – Receiving ship 1897–1941
  • HMS Nabcatcher – Kai Tak 1945–1946
  • – Kai Tak 1947
  • 1841-mid-1840s – hospital ship
  • 1840s–1865 – hospital ship
  • 1860s–1873 – hospital ship

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force was the smallest contingent of the British Forces and was stationed in both Kai Tak Airport as well as the airfield in the New Territories known as Sek Kong.
No. 28 (AC) Squadron and the larger Royal Air Force infrastructure located to RAF Sek Kong in the late 1970s leaving Royal Air Force logistics elements to maintain operations at Kai Tak, e.g. RAF movers and suppliers remained to maintain the logistical link between RAF Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. The squadron flew up to 8 Westland Wessex HC Mk 2 helicopters from RAF Sek Kong. Tasks included support of the civil power, support of the British Forces and search and rescue.
About 20 years later, RAF personnel returned from Sek Kong to Kai Tak, mounting operations from that airport in the months prior to the 1997 handover.
In addition, the Hong Kong Government also maintained an "airforce". This airforce as per the land unit of RHKR, was 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
Royal Air Force units which visited or were stationed in Hong Kong included:
Sources indicate that 444 Signals Unit 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 agreement. It would appear that the equipment operated by 444 SU had been located previously at RAF Bahrain.
On 1 May 1972, No. 90 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 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. At this time 444 SU and 6 SU formed part of the Defence Communications Network 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 of RAF Hong Kong, including 444 SU, were transferred from NEAF to RAF 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.
444SU was hosted at Stanley Fort by the British Army.
Sources indicate that 444 SU disbanded on the 31 December 1977.
  • Composite Signals Unit
A list of RAF Stations in Hong Kong:
A list of Royal Air Force operations facilities:
  • Tai Po Tsai
  • Cape Collinson
  • Batty's Belvedere
  • Kong Wei, RAF Sek Kong
  • Chung Hom Kok
  • Wang Fung Terrace, Tai Hang
Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy were later transferred to the Government Flying Service.

Other facilities

China Fleet Club

Hong Kong became an important port of call for many naval ships passing through the Far East. Besides Lan Kwai Fong, 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 Kelly, 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 the Second World War
  • 1945 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 Centre
  • 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 Saltash begins
  • 1991 Construction of China Fleet Country Club in Saltash completed and opens in June
  • 1992 CFC in Hong Kong closes