Most of the members of the British Forces in Hong Kong were from Britain 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 Territorial Army unit, was technically part of the Hong Kong Government and 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 garrision has been reduced to a Brigade of three to four infantry battalions with support and training elements.
As owner of Hong Kong's sovereignty before 1997 the British government has had the political commitment to safeguard the territory against external invasions. For example, Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in WWII, defended by the British forces.
Internal Security was the responsibility of British Forces in Hong Kong, particularly the Army, may be called upon to assist the Royal Hong Kong Police to tackle any internal security problems. For example, the Hong Kong 1967 Riots , with which 51 people were killed by the leftist, were fought jointly by the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and the British Forces. Anti Illegal Immigrants (II) Operations were carried out by the British Army has been responsible for arresting illegal Chinese immigrants at the Hong Kong-Chinese border from 1970s-90s. That responsibility was passed on to the Hong Kong Police shortly before the Handover .
Anti Smuggling Campaigns were conducted by the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy has played a significant role in assisting the Hong Kong Police in curbing smuggling activities in Hong Kong waters throughout the 1980s and 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.
The British Governor in Hong Kong, being an agent of the British sovereign, has been the British Forces' Commander-in-Chief in the colony. Nevertheless, it was unlikely that the Governor would make any decision regarding the British Forces in Hong Kong without consultations with the Commander British Forces, the Ministry of Defence as well as the Foreign Office.
The Commander British Forces (CBF), however, was the actual operational director of all military activities at the highest level. During the 1980s and 1990s, the CBF was normally a career Major General or Lieutenant General.
Throughout the years of British rule in Hong Kong a variety of British Army units have spent various durations of time in the colony as resident units. Most british 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 have stayed in Hong Kong for short durations for re-supply or acclimatization during the Korean War , Opium War , Boxer Rebellion and the Malayan Emergency are not included.
Major units of the British Army 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)
- 1st Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (1958-1961)
- 1st Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (1969-72)
- 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (1908-09)
- 2nd Battalion, Duke Of Cornwall's Light Infantry (1914)
- 1st Ballation, Middlesex Regiment (1917-18)
- 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (1923-26)
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards (1926-28)
- 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers (1930-34)
- 1st Ballation, Middlesex Regiment (1937-41)
- 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment (1950-52)
- 1st Battalion Queen's Own Buffs (1965 - 1967 )
- 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (1967-69)
- 1st Battalion, Irish Guards (1970-72)
- 1st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment (1972-75)
- 1st Battalion, Light Infantry (1975-77)
- 1st Battalion, Scots Guards (1982-84)
- 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment (1984-1986)
- 2nd Ballation, Coldstream Guards (1986-88)
- 1st Battalion, Duke Of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire) (1988-90)
- 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth & Camerons) (1980-81)
- 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders (1937-38)
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) (1938-41)
- 1st Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (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) (1949-51)
- 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 Rifles (1956-57; 65-73; 75-77; 79-83; 85-87; 89-93)
- 2nd Battalion, 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles (1948-50; 62-63; 1969 amalgamated with the 1st Bn.)
- 1st Battalion, 7th Duke Of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles (1959-62; 73-77; 83-87; 89-91; 93-94)
- 2nd Battalion, 7th Duke Of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles (1954-57; 62-63; 62-70; disbanded in Hong Kong in 1987)
- 1st Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles (1957-60; 69-73; 75-79; 81-83; 85-89; 91-93)
- 2nd Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles (1948-50; 1962; amalgamated with 1st Bn. in 1968)
- 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1994-96)
- 28th Regiment late 1870s
- 74th Highlanders 1878
The drama series '' Spearhead '' and '' Soldier Soldier '' both featured fictional infantry regiments. Both saw service during the durations of each series in Hong Kong:
- 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 Artillery (1973-75)
- 20 Light Regiment (1975-76)
- 17th Gurkha Signal Regiment
- 18 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 27th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- 28 & 31 Squadron Gurkha Transport Regiment
- 29 & 56 Squadron, Royal Corps Of Transport
- 50 Hong Kong Workshop, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers ( Shamshuipo )
- 50 Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
- 67, 68, 69 & 70 Squadron Queen's Gurkha Engineers
- 75 Army Education Centre, Royal Army Education Corps
- 246, 247 & 248 Squadron Queen's Gurkha Signals
- 252 Squadron, Royal Signals
- 27 Signal Regiment Royal Signals
- 660 Squadron Army Air Corps , Shek Kong (1978-94)
- 22nd Fortress Company (Royal Engineers)
- British Army Aid Group
- Chinese Torpedo Whalers
- Government House Guard (C Company)
- Defence Animal Support Unit, Royal Army Veterinary Corps
- Hong Kong Information Team
- Hong Kong Military Service Corps
- Hong Kong Provost Company, Royal Military Police
- Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force (No.2 Company of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps) 1854-1995
- No 3 Royal Marines Raiding Squadron ?-1988
- Royal Electrical (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)
- Mechanical Engineers (27th Heavy Anti-aircraft Regiment)
- The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (Volunteers)
- Training Depot, Brigade Of Gurkhas (Sek Kong 1971-94)
A list of British Army installations in Hong Kong :
- Osborne Barracks ( Kowloon ) 1945 - named for Canadian and Winnipeg Grenadiers Jack Osborne VC who died defending Hong Kong in 1941
The Royal Navy was stationed in Hong Kong from the beginning and for the most part 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 :
- 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 Singapore
- 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 :
- Lamont and Hope Drydocks
- Aberdeen Docks - destroyed
- Dry Dock 1902-1959
- Taikoo Dockyards - Hong Kong United Dockyards
- Royal Navy Dockyards, Admiralty 1859-1902
- Royal Navy Dockyards 1902-1959
- RN Coal storage yard, Stonecutters Island 1861-1959
- RN Coal storage yard and Kowloon Naval Dockyards 1901-1959
- Sai Wan 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 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 Chai - now Ruttonjee Sanatorium
- Seaman's Hospital 1843-1873 - replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
- RMS Queen Mary 1945-1946 - as a hosptial
- War Memorial Hospital (Matilda) 1946-1959
- British Military Hospital 1959-1995
- Island Grop 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 Hosptial 1843-1873 - replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
- HMS Charolotte and HMS Victor Emmanuel - Receiving Ships
- HMS Tamar - Receiving ship 1897-1941
- HMS Nabcatcher - Kai Tak 1945-1946
- HMS Flycatcher - Kai Tak 1947
- HMS Minden 1841-mid 1840s - hospital ship
- HMS Alligator 1840s-1873 - hospital ship
- HMS Melville 1860s-1873 - hospital ship (East Indies Sqdn)
- HMS Audaicous 1840s - Receiving Ship
The Royal Air Force was the smallest contigent of the British Forces and was mainly based at RAF Sek Kong in the New Territories . The rotary wing elements left RAF Sek Kong for RAF Kai Tak and remained there until the handover. As well, Sek Kong served as a Vietnamese refugee camp for most of the 1980s.
A list of RAF Units in Hong Kong :
- 114th (Hong Kong) RAF Squadron
- 28 AC Squadron 1978-1996 (RAF Sek Kong) - using Wessex HC2
- 28 AC Squadron 1968-1978, 1996-1997 (RAF Kai Tak) - using Wessex HC2
- 22 Squadron
- ASF (Catering Squadron)
- GEF (Ground Radio)
- Medical Supply Squadron
- 847 Squadron 1970 (RAF Kai Tak)
- 846 Squadron 1963-1964 (RAF Kai Tak)
- Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1970-1993 - handed over to GFS
- Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps - Air Arm 1930-1949
- Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1949-1970 - see RHKAAF
- 367 Wireless Unit
- 368 Wireless Unit
- Composite Signals Unit
A list of RAF Stations in Hong Kong :
A list of RAF Operations Facilities:
- Tai Po Tsai
- Cape Collinson
- Batty's Belvedere
- Kong Wei, RAF Sek Kong
- Chung Hom Kok
- Wang Fung Terrace, Tai Hang ( Happy Valley )
Search and rescue operations conducted by the RAF and Royal Navy were later transferred to the Government Flying Service (GFS).
- British Military Hospital, Kowloon
- 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 Service
- Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes ( NAAFI )
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 World War II
- 1945-1980 CFC re-occuppied by RN
- 1952 Coronation Annex added
- 1980-1985 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
- Alderson, G.L.D. ''History of Royal Air Force Kai Tak.'' Hong Kong: Royal Air Force Kai Tak, 1972.
- Bruce, Philip. ''Second to None''. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press, 1991.
- Gregorian, Raffi. ''The British Army, the Gurkhas and Cold War strategy in the Far East, 1947-19''54. New York : Palgrave, 2002.
- Ko, Tim-keung, et al. ed. ''Serving Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Volunteers.'' Hong Kong: Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, 2004.
- Melson, P.J. ''White Ensign Red Dragon: The History of the Royal Navy in Hong Kong 1841-1997''. Hong Kong: Edinburgh Financial Publishing, 1997.
- Oxley, D.H. ''Victoria Barracks, 1842-1979.'' Hong Kong: British Forces Hong Kong, 1979.
- Richardson, Sam S. ''The Royal Marines and Hong Kong, 1840-1997.'' Portsmouth: Royal Marines Historical Society, 1997.
- Rollo, Denis. ''The Guns & Gunners of Hong Kong''. Hong Kong: The Gunners' Roll of Hong Kong, 1991.
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