MILITARY
(Contd.)
680
102
Bay, called by the Chinese Shaukiwan Bay, is named after the Major and D'Aguilar Road after the Major General, both Engineer officers. In December the party was ordered to be increased to a half company: the reinforcement, sailing from the West Indian Docks in the William Shard, freight ship, in February, 1845, landed at Victoria on June 28 following. In May, 1851 the party returned to England, but its strength was reduced by casualties to six men only. Of the remainder, four were invalided, three died, one was drowned on passage from Victoria to Macao, and one was killed by falling over a precipice.
In 1846 a third reinforcement landed, of eighteen rank and file. When relieved in November, 1852, the party had dwindled away to eight men. The total deaths of the three parties, whose united strength was sixty-seven, amounted to twenty-seven men.
Landing at Woolwich in 1855 the party were highly complimented in a special general order by Sir John Burgoyne.
During their last few years on the island three sappers superintended, under the Colonial Clerk of Works, the erection of the Government Offices, the building now standing opposite the H.K. Volunteer Headquarters, whilst three others were employed under Mr. Cleverly, the Surveyor General, as overseers in building Government House. On quitting the island, Mr. Cleverly testified to the very great benefit that had been derived from the supervision of the works. Both Wellington and Victoria Barracks were built under sapper supervision, the former as a hospital.
(To be Continued)
In the last issue was given the first portion of a history of the Royal Engineers in Hong Kong, contributed by a member of the Corps now serving in the Colony. The concluding part follows:
In 1860 Captain Charles Gordon, R.E., landed in Hong Kong. Of the Corps heroes, none, with the exception of Lord Kitchener, has attained so high a place in the public estimation. While still a Captain, H.E., Gordon created the "ever victorious Army" of some 3,000 Chinese, and with it crushed the Taiping Rebellion. Loaded with honours that had never before been granted to a European, he was content to retire quietly to the ordinary regimental duties of the Corps. Gordon is commemorated by quite a remarkable number and variety of memorials; the Gordon relics, including the famous Mandarin "Yellow Jacket" second class are among the most prized of the R.E. Museum at Chatham.
The importance of Submarine Mining as a branch of harbour defence was steadily increasing, and during 1866 a company was organized principally composed of natives, for the defence of Hong Kong. In 1905 this branch of the Corps was handed over to the Royal Navy, the companies taking over the duties of coast defence electric searchlights. It is interesting to note that the services of the Chinese company were still retained, and are employed to this day in the Corps on those duties.
Other relics in the Colony of the engineers' mining days are the Garrison Lecture Hall, then used as a boat shed, the R.A.S. lighter, and Brennans emplacements at Lyemun Pass.
During the Bubonic Plague in 1894 the R.E. were employed in a house-to-house visitation of those houses in which the plague had occurred, for cleaning and disinfecting. When volunteers were called for to take the dead away in the Plague Cart, two sappers undertook this thankless job. They were
MILITARY
(Contd.)
680
102
Bay, called by the Chinese Shaukiwan Bay, is named after the Major and D'Aguilar Road after the Major General, both Engineer officers. In December the party was ordered to be increased to a half company: the reinforcement, sailing from the West Indian Docks in the William Shard, freight ship, in February, 1845, landed at Victoria on June 28 following. In May, 1851 the party returned to England, but its strength was reduced by casualties to six men only. Of the remaind- er four were invalided, three died, one was drowned on passage from Victoria to Macao, and one was killed by falling over a precipice.
In 1846 a third reinforcement landed, of eighteen rank and file. When relieved in November, 1852, the party had dwindled away to eight men. The total deaths of the three parties, whose united strength was sixty-seven, amounted to twenty-seven men.
Landing at Woolwich in 1855 the party were highly complimented in a special general order by Sir John Burgoyne.
During their last few years on the island three sappers superintended, under the Colonial Clerk of Works, the erection of the Government Offices, the building now standing opposite the H.K. Volunteer Headquarters, whilst three others were employed under Mr. Cleverly, the Surveyor General, as overseers in building Government House. On quitting the island, Mr. Cleverly testified to the very great benefit that had been derived from the supervision of the works. Both Wellington and Victoria Barracks were built under sapper supervision, the former as a hospital.
(To be Continued)
In the last issue was given the first portion of a history of the Royal Engineers in Hong Kong, contributed by a member of the Corps now serving in the Colony. The concluding part follows:
In 1860 Captain Charles Gordon, R.E., landed in Hong Kong. Of the Corps heroes, none, with the exception of Lord Kitchner, has attained so high a place in the public estimation. While still a Captain, H.E., Gordon created the "ever victorious Army" of some 3,000 Chinese, and with it crushed the Taiping Rebellion. Loaded with homours that had never before been granted to a European, he was content to retire quietly to the ordinary regimental duties of the Corps. Gordon is commemorated by a quite a remarkable number and variety of memorials; the Gordon relics, including the famous Mandarin "Yellow Jacket" second class are among the most prized of the R.. Museum at Chatham.
The importance of Submarine Mining as a branch of harbour defence was steadily increasing, and during 1866 a company was organized principally composed of natives, for the defence of Hong Kong. In 1905 this branch of the Corps was handed over to the Royal Navy, the companies taking over the duties of coast defence electric searchlights. It is interesting to note that the services of the Chinese company were still retained, and are employed to this day in the Corps on those duties.
Other relics in the Colony of the engineers' mining days are the Garrison Lecture Hall, then used as a boat shed, the R.A.S.. lighter, and Brennans emplacements at Lyemun Pass.
During the Bubonic Plague in 1894 the R.E. were employed in a house-to-house visitation of those houses in which the plague had occurred, for cleaning and disinfecting. When volunteers were called for to take the dead away in the Plague Cart, two sappers undertook this thankless job. They were
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