H. K. R. N. V. R.
NEW
HEADQUARTERS
On
Gloucester Road
The need for an administrative block to house the Hongkong Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as well as the various civilian emergency ser- vices of the Colony will be fulfilled when a projected seven-storey build- ing, on a site adjoining the China Fleet Club In Gloucester Road. is completed in June 1954.
The new building, now in course of construction, will for the first time give the Volunteer Naval Force their own shore headquarters, in which will be incorporated most of the faci- lities for the training and developing of the force which have been needed for a long time.
Before proceeding with a descrip- tion of the building it might be of interest to state briefly the history of the force and of the three training ships, named "Cornflower," which have been part of the establishment since its inception.
The R.N.V.R. was founded at a meeting held on Trafalgar Day. 21st October, 1933 in the Hong Kong Yacht Club (now the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Ciubl. In the chair was the Commo- dore-in-Charge of Hong Kong, Com- modore Frank Elliot, O.B.E., R.N., who called for volunteers to form a local
TFIL
HONG KONG ROTAL RAVAL VOLUNTEER RICE_VE HEADQUARTERS
of Hong
:
ORIEL 123
broken up for scrap in that year. Sir Robert Ho Tung provided the **Tai Hing," a river steamer, on a free char- ter, as a permanent headquarters for the R.N.V.R. and at the period of hostilities this vessel was sunk in Deep Water Bay to prevent the Jap- anese using her on the fall of the
naval force to assist in the defence Stations at the entrances to the headquarters vessel in 1940 and was of the Colony. Fifty members of the Colony. By 1941 the R.N.V.R. had Yacht Club volunteered, and the risen to a strength of roughly 130 of- Commodore of the Yacht Club at ficers and some 800 men. that time, Mr. H.S. Rouse, became the first Commanding Officer, as Lt. Com-
After the reoccupation mander Rouse. Mr. Rouse, it will be Kong the Volunteers, including the remembered, was a member of the Hong Kong Naval Force continued on Public Works Department who retired their prewar basis until the 1st of prior to the war and returned as Dir- March 1948 when the H.K.R.N.V.R. Colony. ector of Public Works under the Mili- was reorganized into its present es- tary Administration in 1945.
tablishment. At the moment the
On the 31st March, 1934, Commo- dore Elliot handed over to the H.K. Naval Force the sloop H.M.S. "Corn- flower." The "Cornflower" was used as a depot and training ship and lay at buoys west of Kellett Island.
strength consists of approximately 200 men and 25 women.
The third H.M.S. "Cornflower" was HMS. "Lysander", which was laid a minesweeper under the name of
down in 1943, launched in November The first "Cornflower" was a sloop of the same year and completed in of nearly 1200 tons, with an extreme November of the following year. She length of 267 9" and an extreme was commissioned at Hamilton, On- breadth of 33' 6"; she was built in tario, on November 21st, 1944. At the 1916 by Messrs. Barklay, Curle & Co., termination of hostilities in the Far The Hong Kong Royal Naval Vol- Ltd., of Glasgow and her main arma- East she was laid up in Singapore unteer Reserve was mobilised on 30th ment consisted of two 4-inch guns: until October 1949 when she was August 1939 and spent 1939 to 1941 she had completed 18 years valuable brought to Hong Kong to commence minesweeping, minelaying and carry- service in His Majesty's Navy when a new life as a depot and drill ship ing out local patrols in Hong Kong she was handed over to the Hong Kong for the Royal Naval Volunteer Re- waters. A mine-watching branch Government.
serve Force. The ceremony of re- naming the vessel was carried out by
was
fixed
developed which manned the
defences of Mine and Loop This ship proved too small for a Lady Grantham on 7th June, 1950.
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