Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1933–1967 |
| Country |  British Hong Kong |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | local auxiliary navy |
| Garrison/HQ | Hong Kong Defence Force |
| Nickname(s) | The Wavy Navy |
| Motto(s) | Fortiter et recte (Boldly and rightly) |
| Engagements | Battle of Hong Kong |
The Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force (HKNVR) was a group of volunteer sailors formed in 1933. They helped protect Hong Kong by sea. In 1939, they became part of the larger Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and changed their name to the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR). Later, in 1959, they were renamed the Hong Kong Royal Naval Reserve (HKRNR). This group was eventually disbanded in 1967.
Contents
In 1922, many powerful countries signed the Washington Naval Treaty. This agreement stopped them from building new naval bases in the Pacific Ocean. This rule made it harder for the Royal Navy (Britain's main navy) to protect its interests in East Asia, including Hong Kong.
To help with this problem, someone suggested creating a local volunteer navy in Hong Kong. However, the local government, called the Legislative Council, didn't like the idea. They worried about the cost. Also, another local defense group, the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, was against it. They feared a new naval force would make it harder for them to find new members.
How the Force Began
In 1933, a naval leader named Frank Elliot, who was in charge of the navy in Hong Kong, managed to convince the council. He showed them why a local naval force was important. To find people to join, Elliot met with members of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
Hong Kong also held a "Navy Week" to get people excited. This event happened around Trafalgar Day, which celebrates a famous British naval victory. During Navy Week, people could visit navy ships and shipyards. There were even pretend battles against an enemy submarine and a pirate ship called a junk. News in London reported that these celebrations made some people in the Pacific region nervous. The navy had to explain that they weren't trying to cause trouble.
Early Years: 1933-1939
First Recruits and Challenges
About 50 men joined the HKNVR at first. Both Europeans and Chinese people were allowed to join. Unlike some other colonial navies, this force didn't officially separate people based on their background.
However, this equality wasn't always real. The Royal Navy had concerns about the loyalty of some Chinese sailors. Because of this, they decided that if there was a war, all European members would automatically become Petty Officers. This would give them command over the Chinese servicemen. Also, European and "Asiatic" (Asian) members were paid different amounts.
On March 31, 1934, the Royal Navy gave the HKNVR a ship called HMS Cornflower. This ship became their permanent training ship. Before World War II, the HKNVR grew to include 380 men. The unit became known as the "Wavy Navy." This nickname came from the wavy stripes on the uniform sleeves of their officers.
Second World War: 1939-1945
When World War II started in 1939, the HKNVR was officially made part of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Its name changed to the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR).
During the war, some members felt discouraged. British sailors wanted to fight closer to their home country. Chinese sailors didn't feel as strongly about a war happening far away in Europe. On August 17, 1940, a wealthy man named Ho Tung loaned his ship, the SS Tai Hing, to the HKRNVR. This ship replaced Cornflower as the force's headquarters and was renamed HMS Cornflower on September 7. The HKRNVR worked closely with the Royal Navy. They mostly helped by clearing mines and patrolling the waters.
The Battle of Hong Kong
On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded Hong Kong. At this time, the HKRNVR had 800 men. During the battle, many sailors left their posts. For example, the entire crew of HMS Perla ran away after a nearby ship, HMS Indira, was sunk.
Morale got even worse on December 11. Sailors were ordered to shoot at Chinese junks (small boats) that were wrongly thought to be carrying Japanese spies. The sailors also worried about their families, who hadn't been moved to safe places because the invasion happened so quickly. These fears grew when Kowloon was evacuated on December 13, leaving many families' fates unknown. Many sailors deserted to check on their loved ones.
On December 16, a new crew for HMS Minnie saw a huge air-raid and immediately refused to serve. As it became clear Japan would win, orders were given to sink all ships in the harbor. However, some HKRNVR members of the 2nd MTB Flotilla refused this order. Using their motor torpedo boats, they helped Admiral Chan Chak escape to China.
The Hong Kong defense forces surrendered on December 25. Japan occupied Hong Kong until Admiral Cecil Harcourt accepted Japan's surrender in 1945.
After the War
Challenges and Changes
After the war, the British Admiralty (the main naval authority) wanted to create a permanent navy in Hong Kong. But the Governor, Alexander Grantham, disagreed. He thought it was better to put money into a stronger water police force instead.
Many of the old problems with morale continued. There were also worries about how committed Britain was to protecting Hong Kong against a rising China. The HKRNVR was all-volunteer, which attracted Europeans who wanted to avoid being forced to join the rival Royal Hong Kong Regiment. If they didn't follow the HKRNVR's training, they would just be discharged. But if they were in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, they could be punished.
There were also more Europeans than Chinese sailors, which caused racial and cultural issues. Many Europeans couldn't give orders to Chinese personnel because of language differences, so they had to do the work themselves. During the 1956 riots, the HKRNVR was not called into action. This was because of concerns about how loyal the Chinese sailors would be.
Disbandment of the Force
In 1959, all volunteer naval reserves in British colonies, including the HKRNVR, became part of the main Royal Naval Reserve. The HKRNVR was then renamed the Hong Kong Royal Naval Reserve (HKRNR).
The unit was officially disbanded on March 12, 1967. This happened because it was expensive to keep warships, and the unit wasn't very active or effective. Its members then joined the Naval Control of Shipping (NCS) unit of the Royal Naval Reserve in Hong Kong.
Vessels Used by the Force
From 1934 to 1940, the HKNVR's main ship was HMS Cornflower. In 1940, it was replaced by HMS Cornflower II (which used to be the SS Tai Hing).
During World War II, the force used several patrol vessels:
- HMS St Aubin
- HMS St Sampson
- HMS Minnie
- HMS Margaret
- HMS Henriette
- HMS Perla
- HMS Indira
- HMS Shunley
- HMS Poseidon
- HMS Britannia
- HMS Swanley
- HMS Stanley
- HMS Diana
They also commanded motor torpedo boats (MTBs) 7, 8, 12, 26, and 27 in the 2nd MTB Flotilla.
In 1951, the unit received a minesweeper called HMS Lysander. This ship was renamed HMS Cornflower and used for training.
After the war, the unit operated two more minesweepers, HMS Cardinham and HMS Etchingham. These were loaned from the Admiralty until the unit was disbanded in 1967.
