VOLUNTEER DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS
1
A view of the new headquarters building in Happy Valley from across the parade ground.
THE importance of the volun-
teers in the local defence scheme increases as the years go by and the political problems of the world around us remain unsolved. The disbanding of the old Volunteer Defence Corps in 1949 and the organisation of its successor, the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force, stressed the necessity for suitable accommodation for the new unit, which combined the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Hong Kong Regiment, and the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
The old Headquarters which had housed the administrative offices since 1862 were completely inade- quate for present day requirements, being too small, too primitive and too inconvenient for the numbers the new force was expected to attain, and the equipment they were to be provided with. In any event, the old site had to be given up to accom- modate the new Government office building planned for this area was only after a great deal of consideration had been given to the matter and a number of alternate sites suggested, including that of the Hong Kong Cricket Club, that it was finally decided to utilise the derelict building, and the grounds, of the old Civil Service Cricket Club at Sports Road, Happy Valley.
It
With this old building rehabilitated as a quartermaster's store and with the construction of the new headquarters staff officer's building, new warrant officers quarters, and several other ancillary structures surrounding the parade ground which is approximately three times.
The main lecture room on the ground floor,
the size of the old parade ground on Lower Albert Road, the force now has headquarters which should be sufficient for its requirements for some time to come.
The new headquarters occupies the area of ground bounded by Sports Road, Morrison Hill Road, the Police Recreation Club and the Hong Kong Football Club and cost $582,000 of which the rehabilitation of the old Civil Service Cricket Club pavilion cost $80,000.
In connection with the scheme, the pavilion is used primarily for quartermaster's stores but there are also the changing rooms for men and women and showers there.
Occupying an area of 4,000 square
48
A
feet, the new headquarters building backs on to Sports Road, the main entrance facing north.
This main building is the head- quarters block and the ground floor comprise a lecture hall with accom- modation for 300 and another lecture room for smaller classes of about 30. There is also a canteen bar, medical inspection room, and armouries with workshop for the armourer.
On the first floor is the offices for the three branches of the Force- naval, military and air-also general offices for pay and record purposes.
On the left of the rehabilitated pavilion is a house with three bedrooms and other appointments. This is occupied by the resident
Page 50Page 51