British Forces Overseas Hong Kong Explained

Unit Name:British Forces Overseas Hong Kong
Dates:–
Allegiance: Monarch
Role:Territorial Defence
Commander1 Label:Commander-in-chief
Commander1:Governor of Hong Kong
Commander2 Label:Commanding Officer
Commander2:Commander British Forces in Hong Kong (CBF)
Commander3 Label:Inaugural holder of CBF
Commander3:Major General George D'Aguilar
Commander4 Label:Final holder of CBF
Commander4:Major General Bryan Dutton
Battles:
Anniversaries:Liberation Day

British Forces Overseas Hong Kong comprised the elements of the British Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines) 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 (LEPs) 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, a military unit which was part of the Hong Kong Government, was trained and organised along the lines of a British Territorial Army unit. As such, it was supported by British Army regular personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment's members were local citizens of Chinese descent.

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 (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 heyday 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. Some HK nationals who served in the British military were deployed overseas, including Operation Granby.[1]

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.[2] 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 (which, before 1973, was named Secretary for Defence).

The Fire Service Department also took over some diving rescue responsibilities from the British Forces Overseas.[3]

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) was disbanded in 1995 prior to the handover in 1997. It was funded by and was a branch of the Hong Kong Government, yet under command of the Commander British Forces.

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 (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.[4]

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

Engineers

Royal Engineers and Queen's Gurkha Engineers

Signals

Royal Signals and Queen's Gurkha Signals

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:

RN formations and units in Hong Kong (Post-Second World War):

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:

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 (V), 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 (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 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.

A list of RAF Stations in Hong Kong:

A list of Royal Air Force operations facilities:

Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy were later transferred to the Government Flying Service (GFS).

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".[6]

A timeline of the China Fleet Club:

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hong Kong veterans can now settle in UK after decades of campaigning .
  2. Web site: Grade Structure Review: Chapter 7, Government Flying Service . 2008 . Hong Kong Legislative Council . 179 . 19 May 2020.
  3. Web site: Grade Structure Review: Chapter 6, Fire Services Department . 2008 . Hong Kong Legislative Council . 155–156 . 19 May 2020.
  4. Web site: Official Report of Proceedings . 24 February 1966 . Hong Kong Legislative Council.
  5. Web site: Gurka Regiments in the British Army Post World War II . Richard A. . Rinaldi . Orbat.com . 7 . 11 July 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005819/http://www.orbat.com/site/uk_orbats/files/6/Gurkha%20Regiments%20in%20the%20British%20Army%20Post%20World%20War%20II.pdf . 5 March 2016.
  6. Web site: HMS Tamar and the China Fleet Club . Gun Plot . 2017-06-17.
  7. Web site: China Fleet Club [1933-1982] ]. Gwulo: Old Hong Kong . 19 May 2020.

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