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The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) Wikipedia

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) (RHKR(V)) (Chinese language|Chinese: 皇家香港軍團(義勇軍)) was a unit of the Territorial Army, the reserve force of the British Army.

It was part of the 48th Gurkha Infantry Brigade/Gurkha Field Force in Hong Kong prior to the territory's handover from United Kingdom|Britain to China in 1997 (see British Forces Overseas Hong Kong). Raised in 1854 as a result of rampant pirate activities in Southern China and the need to transfer regular British troops from Hong Kong to the Crimean War at the time, the regiment was diabanded on 3 September 1995. Although the unit was raised originally as a conventional infantry regiment, it was converted to a light reconnaissance unit in 1971, operating the Ferret armoured car.

The regiment had the distinction of being the only local unit in Hong Kong that contributed personnel to the British war effort in France during the First World War. For most of its post Second World War existence, its members were drawn largely from local Hong Kong citizens of Chinese descent. Though operationally the unit was under the command of the British Army in Hong Kong, it was administratively an organ of the Security Branch of the Hong Kong Government. As such, the majority of the regiment's funds have come from Hong Kong tax payers money.

The regiment's headquarters was located at No.1 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island. All officers in the regiment received the King's or Queen's Commissions after attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain. The only battle honour the regiment obtained was "Hong Kong" for its participation in the Battle of Hong Kong during World War II.

Last Modified:   2005-11-04