HMS Tamar (shore station)
Encyclopedia
HMS Tamar was the name for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS
Tamar
HMS Tamar (1863)
HMS Tamar was a Royal Navy troopship built by the Samuda Brothers at Cubitt Town, London, and launched in Britain in 1863. She served as a supply ship from 1897 to 1941, and gave her name to the HMS Tamar shore station in Hong Kong ....

 a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore.

19th Century

The British Navy arrived during the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

 to protect the opium traders. Sir Edward Belcher
Edward Belcher
Admiral Sir Edward Belcher, KCB , was a British naval officer and explorer. He was the great-grandson of Governor Jonathan Belcher. His wife, Diana Jolliffe, was the stepdaughter of Captain Peter Heywood.-Early life:...

, aboard HMS
Sulphur landed in Hong Kong on 25 January 1841. Possession Street
Possession Street
Possession Street is a street in Sheung Wan, from Queen's Road West to Hollywood Road, on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The street marks the boundary of Queen's Road West and Queen's Road Central....

 still exists to mark the event, although its Chinese name is 水坑口街 ("Mouth of the ditch Street").

Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer raised the Union Jack and claimed Hong Kong as a colony on 26 January 1841. Naval store sheds were erected there in April 1841. The site had been referred to as the "HM Victualling Yard" in the Navy's own register. The first naval storekeeper and agent victualler, Thomas McKnight, appointed on 21 March 1842, served until October 1849. Early maps show that major construction was also carried out at another, slightly more westward site, between 1845 and 1855. In fact, the naval authorities demolished the West Point
West Point, Hong Kong
West Point was a point of land on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its location is the shore off the Pokfulam Road and Queen's Road West in 1845, approximately the junction of Western Street and Des Voeux Road West near the Western Police Station...

 store sheds and surrendered the land to the colonial government in 1854 in exchange for a plot of land where the Admiralty station
Admiralty (MTR)
Admiralty station is an MTR station located on Hong Kong Island, in an area often referred to as Admiralty. The station's livery is dodger blue...

 of the Mass Transit Railway stands.

The Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...

 in China (1856–1860) caused a military build-up, in which the yard expanded westwards in April 1858. A victualling yard was added at what was then the North Barracks. Two officers were initially appointed as responsible for the machinery and spare parts, respectively, needed to maintain and repair ships in the dockyard, and for dry goods and foodstuff in the victualling yard.

HMS Tamar, was a 3,650 ton British troopship
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...

 launched in 1863. She first visited Hong Kong in 1878 with reliefs crews, returned once in 1886. She finally arrived in Victoria City
Victoria City
Victoria, Victoria City, or statutorily, the City of Victoria, was one of the first urban settlements in Hong Kong after it became a British colony in 1842. It was initially named Queenstown but was soon known as Victoria...

 on 11 April 1897. She was stationed permanently in the harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...

 from 1897 to 1941, when she was scuttled during the Battle of Hong Kong
Battle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...

 during World War II, to avoid being used by the invading Japanese Imperial forces.

20th Century

At the turn of the 20th century, land adjacent to the site was needed for expansion. Unable to obtain it, as the site was surrounded by army barracks, the Navy began work on the construction of a floating basin (sheltered bay) and the reclamation of the east arm of the dockyard, in 1902. This project, involving 160,000 square metres of land reclamation
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...

, a 36,000 square metre floating basin to repair and refit vessels afloat, and also a 183-metre graving dock, was completed by 1908.

At the end of World War II, the Royal Navy re-established their naval base at Wellington Barracks
Wellington Barracks, Hong Kong
Wellington Barracks was a British Army barracks in Admiralty of Central on the north side of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The three storey Classical architecture building was built in 1854. The barracks had an army hospital, and this still exists as Hong Kong International School. The barracks...

, vacated by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

.

On 28 November 1957, the Navy announced that the dockyard would be closed down over a 2 year period. However, in 1959, the Navy, which had retained some land on the waterfront, began planning a compact naval base on the site.

From 1959 to 1962, the Wellington Barracks was upgraded to better serve the colony and reflect the changing times for the Royal Navy in the Pacific region. Old naval buildings were demolished, and the rubble used as landfill for the reclamation of dry dock in October 1959.

The Royal Navy decided to demolish the Wellington Barracks and rebuild a modern naval facility in Hong Kong. The Prince of Wales Building was completed in 1978 and became the new HMS Tamar.

Shortly before the departure of British forces in 1997, the
Tamar basin was reclaimed, and the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

 of the People's Republic of China occupied the Prince of Wales Building (now Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building is a 113 metre, 28 floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison...

, or Central Barracks).

The
Tamar was relocated to Stonecutter's Island, off Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...

, prior to the handover
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...

 in 1997. On 11 April 1997, which marks the centenary of the
Tamars definitive arrival, the British naval shore establishment in Hong Kong was de-commissioned.

The last Tamar is now a government marine facility; the vacated site in Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...

 is now a valuable piece of real estate, now known as the Tamar site
Tamar site
Tamar site , 4.2-hectare large, the former location of the naval basin attached to the headquarters of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong, is currently the site of the Central Government Offices of the Hong Kong SAR Government at the harbourfront of Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.To the...

, and will become the location of the new government headquarters.

Squadrons in Hong Kong

The following is a list of naval squadrons and fleets that called Tamar home:
  • China Squadron 1844–1941, 1945–1992
  • Far East Fleet/HK Sqdn 1969–1971
  • Dragon Squadron 1971–1992
  • 3 Raiding Royal Marines
    Royal Marines
    The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...

  • Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves 1967–1996; merged with Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) 1971
  • British Regular — Garrison and Fleet
  • LEP 1905–1996
  • Side Girls Party 1933–1997
  • Dragon Squadron
  • 120th Minesweeping Squadron 1958–1966; transferred to Singapore
    Singapore
    Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

  • 6th Mine Countermeasure Squadron 1969–1997
  • 6th Patrol Craft Squadron 1970–1997
  • Operations and Training Base 1934–1997
  • 3 Commando Brigade
    3 Commando Brigade
    3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...

     Royal Marines
  • 47 Royal Marines
  • British Pacific Fleet
    British Pacific Fleet
    The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...

     1840s–1948; to Singapore as Far East Station
  • HK Flotilla 1840s–1941, 1948–1992
  • China Station — 4th Submarine Flotilla, Yangtse Flotilla, West River Flotilla, 8th Destroyer Flotilla
  • 5th Cruiser Squadron
  • 1st Escort Flotilla
  • 4th Frigate Flotilla ?–1952
  • Frigate Squadron 1952–1976
  • Light Cruiser Squadron
  • 415 Maritime Troop

Naval facilities

A list of facilities used or built by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong:
  • Prince of Wales Building
    Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building
    The Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building is a 113 metre, 28 floor building located within the former HMS Tamar naval base on Lung Wui Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong. It serves as the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison...

     1978–1997; now Central Barracks of the PLA
  • Lamont and Hope Drydocks
  • Aberdeen Docks — destroyed
  • Dry Dock 1902–1959
  • Taikoo Dockyard
    Taikoo Dockyard
    Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company was a dockyard located in the present-day Taikoo Shing and part of Taikoo Place of Quarry Bay on the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.-History:...

     — Hong Kong United Dockyards
  • Royal Navy Dockyards 1902–1959

  • Sai Wan Barracks 1844–1846
  • Wellington Barracks
    Wellington Barracks, Hong Kong
    Wellington Barracks was a British Army barracks in Admiralty of Central on the north side of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The three storey Classical architecture building was built in 1854. The barracks had an army hospital, and this still exists as Hong Kong International School. The barracks...

     1946–1978, as HMS Tamar (demolished)
  • North Barracks 1850s–1856, 1887–1959; from the Army and to HK Government 1959
  • Victoria Barracks
    Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong
    The Victoria Barracks were a barracks in the Admiralty district of Central on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The barracks were constructed between the 1840s and 1874, and situated within the area bounded by Cotton Tree Drive, Kennedy Road and Queensway, Hong Kong. The Barracks with Murray Barracks,...


  • Redoubt and Lei Yue Mun Fortifications 1885–1887
  • Lei Yue Mun Fort 1887–1987
  • Reverse, Central, West and Pass Batteries 1880s

  • Brennan Torpedo station 1890 — Lei Yue Mun

  • Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai; now Ruttonjee Sanatorium
  • Seaman's Hospital 1843–1873; replaced by Royal Naval Hospital
  • RMS Queen Mary
    RMS Queen Mary
    RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...

     1945–1946, as a hospital
  • War Memorial Hospital (Matilda) 1946–1959
  • British Military Hospital 1959–1995
  • Island Group Practice 1995–1997, replaced British Military Hospital

  • HMS Charlotte
    HMS Princess Charlotte (1825)
    HMS Princess Charlotte was a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 September 1825 at Portsmouth. The occasion was notable for the fact that the gates of the dry dock into which she was to be placed burst because of the high tide and more than 40 people were...

     and HMS Victor Emmanuel
    HMS Victor Emmanuel
    HMS Victor Emmanuel was a screw-propelled 91-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, originally launched as HMS Repulse, but renamed shortly after being launched.-Construction and commissioning:...

     — Receiving Ships
  • Tidal Basin 1902–1959
  • Boat Basin 1902–1959
  • HM Victualling Yards 1859–1946


A list of facilities used or built by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong:
  • Guard Room
  • Chichester Block
  • Aberdeen Docks
  • Royal Naval Hospital, Wan Chai; now Ruttonjee Sanatorium
    Ruttonjee Hospital
    Ruttonjee Hospital is a hospital in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is affiliated with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Hong Kong, and provides clinical attachment opportunities for the university's medical students.-History:Centrally located in Wan Chai, the...

  • Seaman's Hospital
    Seaman's Hospital
    Seaman's Hospital was originally opened by Dr Young, a surgeon of the Honourable East India Company in 1843 during the First Opium War.-History:...

     1843–1873
  • HMS Tamar — Receiving ship 1897–1941
  • HMS Minden
    HMS Minden
    HMS Minden was a Royal Navy 74-gun Ganges-class third-rate ship of the line, launched on 19 June 1810. She was named after the German town Minden and the Battle of Minden of 1759, a decisive victory of British and Prussian forces over France in the Seven Years' War...

     1841–mid-1840s — hospital ship
  • HMS Alligator 1840s–1865 — hospital ship
  • HMS Melville
    HMS Melville (1817)
    HMS Melville was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1817 at Bombay Dockyard.From 19 January 1836 until August 1837 she served in North America and the West Indies as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Peter Halkett and was commanded by Captain Peter John Douglas...

     1860s–1873 — hospital ship (East Indies Sqdn)

See also

  • British Forces Overseas Hong Kong
  • HMNB Singapore
  • People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison
    People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison
    The People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China responsible for defence duties of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the sovereignty of Hong Kong was returned to the PRC in 1997...


Further reading

  • Harland, Kathleen. The Royal Navy in Hong Kong Since 1841. Liskeard, England: Maritime Books, 1985. ISBN 090777119X

22°16′51"N 114°9′56"E
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