"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Although I did not see combat action during my military service, I am proud of serving with the "Royal Hong Kong Regiment" between 1987 and 1990. I am grateful to have such a unique opportunity to be part of this Hong Kong military history because the regiment no longer exists. During the voulntary military service, I learnt the importance of discipline and the teamwork to achieve tasks assigned in both training exercises and operations. I respect and appreciate all active, reserved, and veteran military personnel around the world for their services, patriotism, and sacrifice. Salute!
Brief Regimental History
Following the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, Britain reduced its military forces in the Far East including Hong Kong. Consequently, a locally recruited unit with 99 volunteers was formed in May of 1854 in Hong Kong to help bolster the defense. The unit was reorganized and renamed six times in its lifetime; however, it had been a forerunner of what was to become the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers).
The volunteer soldiers fought the Japanese invasion in the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, which was on the same morning as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The unit suffered about a 13% casualty rate among 2,200 volunteers who took part in the 18-day battle.
After World War Two, the British downsized and reorganized Hong Kong's auxiliary combined defense forces several times as direct threats had declined. However, the regiment remained and it was granted the title "Royal" by Queen Elizabeth II in 1970. The regiment became part of the order of battle of 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade and served under the command of British Forces Hong Kong. The regiment undertook a number of roles, such as carrying out internal security duty during social unrest and riots in 1967, supporting the British military and the police force with border duty to deal with the flood of illegal immigrants from mainland China in the 1980s and 1990s, and illegal migrants also known as "Boat People' from Vietnam in the 1990s. Prepared for multiple roles, the regiment was purposely trained for both "Limited War" as well as "Internal Security."
On September 3rd, 1995, the "Royal Hong Kong Regiment" was disbanded since the British would end their colonial rule of Hong Kong after 156 years, midnight June 30th, 1997. Having remained for 141 years of service, this reserved unit not only bore witness to the changes in local Hong Kong's military deployment but also contributed to a rich and colorful chapter in Hong Kong's military history.