In November that year, a unique event occurred, when Governor Guimerses of Macao invited the Hong Kong Volunteers to the Portuguese colony, fully armed and equipped, the occasion apparently taking the form of a training manoeuvre, some what equivalent to the New Territories camps of to-day. The units participating were away in Macao for three days, and the event is recorded as being one of the things which kept interest in volunteering alive.
In 1884 it was decided to expand the movement, and in December that year the first Canton Volunteers came into being, a rifle company being formed in the neighbouring port among foreign residents, attached to the Hongkong Corps. The same month there was an elaborate prize-giving in the Public Gardens, when Lady Robinson (wife of the Governor) distributed the trophies won at a public rifle competition in which the Corps had participated. The N.R.A. medal on this occasion was won by Sergeant Moore.
The close of 1864 found the Corps consisting of: Artillery 84, Rifles (including Canton detachment) 91 honorary members (a form of reserve) 67, and Band 25; total of 267, which was quite a good number for the smaller foreign population of the time. The officers were by then composed of: Major Scott, of the 22nd Regiment, as Commandant, and Messrs. A. Coxon, H.J. Holmes, W.J. Henderson, F.I. Hazeland and T.G. Linstead.
It is intended in a following article to deal with the decline of the movement, and its subsequent revival.
We have seen that the local Volunteer movement had reached a stage of high efficiency and enthusiasm by the close of 1864, and there was every prospect of this excellent state of affairs continuing. The Government was making an annual grant towards the support of the Corps on condition that enrolment and efficiency did not fall below a certain standard.
That the newly-formed body was no mere ornament was proved in September, 1864, when serious street rioting broke out in the Colony. It appears that a number of Malay seamen came into conflict with law and order, and policemen and soldiers were seriously involved, individual military groups making repeated assaults on the seamen, who retaliated, and various policemen forgetting the main purpose of their employment, which was to preserve order. The troops were eventually moved over to Kowloon at short notice, and the trouble died down. At the height of the rioting the Volunteers were called out to patrol the streets, and thus early proved their usefulness. It was during this time that a regrettable affair developed at the Hongkong Club, certain Volunteers who were not members of the club being hooted out after they had been invited in by comrades who were on the club membership roll. This naturally led to considerable animosity and bitterness which it took long to eradicate from the community life.
That incident may or may not have had the effect of reducing enthusiasm for the Corps, but enrolment certainly fell off, and attendance at parades was so small that by 1866 the Volunteers were a mere shadow of their former strength. So much was this the case that the Corps was disbanded in June that year, the Government support being of course no longer available, with the decrease in the number of efficient members. It is suggested that the main cause of this decline in volunteering was the grave commercial depression which was then being felt in the Colony, so that attention was attracted more to business worries, and the popularity of the Corps, such as it was, declined.
8.
In November that year, a unique event occurred, when Governor Guimerses of Macao invited the Hong kong Volunteers to the Portuguese colony, fully armed and equipped, the occasion apparently taking the form of a training manoeuvre, Some whet equivalent to the New Territories camps of to-day. The units participating were awey in Maceo for three days, and the event is recorded as being one of the things which kept interest in volunteering alive.
corp
In 1884 it was decided to expand the movement, end in December thet year the first Canton Volunteers came into being, a rifle company being formed in the neighbouring port among foreign residents, attached to the Hongkong Corps. The t same month there was an elaborate prize-giving in the Publio Gardens, when Lady Robinson (wife of the Governor) distributed the trophies won at a public rifle competition in which the Corps had participated. The N.R.A. medal on this occasion was won by Sergeant Moore.
The close of 1864 found the Corps consisting of:- Artillery 84, Rifles, (including Canton detachment) 91 * honorary members (a form of reserve) 67, and Band 25; total of 267, which was quite a good number for the smaller foreign population of the time. The officers were by then composed of.- Major Scott, of the 22nd. Regiment, as Commandant, and Messrs. A. Coxon, H.J. Holmes, W.J. Henderson, F.I.Hazeland and T.G. Linstead.
It is intended in a following article to deal with the de- oline of the movement, and its subsequent revival.
We have seen thet the local Volunteer movement háð reached a stage of high efficienoy and enthusiasm by the close of 1864, and there was every prospect of this excellent state of affaire continuing, The Goverment was making ap annual grant towards the support of the Corps on condition that enrolment and efficiency did not fall below acertein standard.
That the newly-formed body was no mere ornament was proved in September, 1884, when serious street rioting broke out in the Colony. It appears that a number of Malay seamen came into conflict with law and order, and policemen and soldiers were seriously involved, individuel military groups making repeated assaults on the seamen, who retaliated, and various policemen forgetting the main purpose of their employ- ment, which was to preserve order. The troops were eventually moved over to Kowloon at short notice, and the trouble died down. At the height of the rioting the Volunteers were called out to patrol the streets, and thus early proved their useful- ness. It was during this time that a regrettable affair developed at the Hongkong Club, certein Volunteers who were not members of the club being hooted out after they had been invited in by comrades who were on the club membership roll. This ne túrally ler to considerable animosity and bitterness which it took long to eradicate from the community life.
That incident may or may not have had the effect of reducing enthusiasm for the Corps, but enrolment certainly fell off, and attendance at parades was so smell that by 1866 the Volunteers were a mere shadow their former strength. So much was this the case that the Corps was disbanded in June that year, the Government support being of course no longer available, with the decrease in the number of efficient members. It is suggested that the main cause of this decline in volunteering was the grave commercial depression which was then being felt in the Colony, so that attention was attracted more to business worries, and the popularity of the Corps, such as it was, declined.
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