義勇軍的軍車

Vehicle of The Volunteers

The No.1 Armoured vehicle

The volunteers acquired their first armoured car-Ford chassis.

Why Walk to War? Volunteer Armoured Vehicles 1925-1965

During the early 1920s the British Army had occasion to send one of the old Armoured Car Company's to Shanghai, to lend a little weight to the authorities in that rather turbulent area.
Their vehicle were noted with envy by the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, and it was not long before they decided that they also should become mobile.

The Armoured Car Section was first formed as the Mounted Infantry Transport Section where Lieutenant Dowbiggin was commanding the Mounted Infantry Company. Sir Paul Chater donated $1,500 to purchase a Ford Chassis on which a body was built and equipped with two Vickers machine guns. The unit quickly proved its usefulness and so HE The Governor was convinced of the necessity of having the cost of an Armoured Car included in the yearly estimates.

Then, in 1925, a Dennis chassis was obtained and converted into an armoured car in the yards of the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. (see photo 1).

(photo 1)

(photo 2)

Later, when (by then Capt.) Dowbiggin was ADC to Sir Cecil Clementi ( 1930-35), he managed to persuade HE to purchase a six wheeler Thornycroft chassis which again was armoured by the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. (see photo 2). These two cars, in fact had so much ship's armour incorporated that it was a toss-up whether they were driven or sailed !

In 1933, a second Thornycroft chassis was obtained and car No.3 (see photo 3) came into being. For some obscure reason, the very first armoured car was not called No. I. So in fact No.3 was really the fourth. (This is the kind of thing that drives historians mad.)

(photo 3))

(photo 4)

(photo 5)

Records show that the years 1934-1939 were spent in the true Volunteer spirit. Exercises were carried out in the New Territories, and a very dear old lady, leaping Lena, managed to hit the headlines time and time again. Digressing slightly, I can assure the old stalwarts of the Armoured Car Section - Platoon, that although we don't say 'Gadzooks' nowadays, you can still hear strong language addressed to armoured cars round the Fanling area at weekends.

In 1939 the Armoured Car Section became a platoon in the Mobile Column. They'd had with them for about four years by this time, a number of motor cycle combinations mounting a Vickers machine gun (see photo 4).

In 1940 and 1941 four new armoured cars were added to the Platoon, these were built in the K.C.R. on Bedford chassis (see photo 5). The old, as ever, then bowed out to make way for the new. During this year also, the manpower increased from around 20 to double this figure or more, as the Colony prepared itself for war.

They didn't all survive. Starting with 5, the 4 Bedfords and 'Leaping Lena' the old Thornycroft, by the 21 st of December only two were left, cars having been knocked out at Kowloon Tong, near to the Hong Kong Electric Co. building, and a third at the Wongneichong Gap. The H.Q. chariot, 'Leaping Lena', was still going strong, but was finally knocked out at the end of Happy Valley in Ventris Road. During these few hectic days Lt. Carruthers was awarded a very well deserved Military Cross. The last armoured car was finally destroyed by its crew, near the Queen Mary Hospital, rather than allow it to fall into enemy hands. So none of these old Ironsides struck their colours to the enemy, setting a tradition for the present day 'armourites' to uphold. No mention is made in this exposition of the carrier section, which, commanded by 2/Lt. R. Edwards did sterling service in the various battles, particularly around Repulse Bay Hotel. They were under command of 1 Coy of the H.K. V .D.C., and as such I'm afraid outside the scope of this article.

And so to 1963-January 15th to be exact (see photo 6). On this day, in a simple ceremony at Happy Valley, 6 Ferret Scout Cars were handed over by the Regular Army to The Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers). Not exactly handed over, as they cost £40,000! (just over 100 years before, the then Governor, Sir Hercules Robinson had reluctantly agreed to allow an annual outlay of £195 for the upkeep of The Volunteers!)

To form the new 4 Recce Squadron, who were to operate the Ferrets, the old Support Company gave of its best.

Today 4 Recce Squadron is commanded by Major I. A. Fortune. It has 3 troops, each of two Ferrets and two Landrovers (carrying the assault section). Squadron Headquarters has a further two Landrovers, for command and liaison purposes. Firepower of the squadron now includes 6 X .30 Browning M.Gs - 7 G.P.M.Gs & 6 X 2" Mortars. The Ferrets have also multi-barrel smoke dischargers, capable of lobbing white phosphorous bombs 100 yards! The soldiers in the squadron carry also a Stirling SMG as a personal arm. The last photograph (s) (photo 7) in this article shows a 4 Recce Ferret in the Wong Nei Chong Gap area, and we would like to use it as a tribute to those old 'armourites' who fought and died there.

(This article could not have been written without the great assistance given by Col. H. B. L. Dowbiggin, O.B.E., E.D., Lt. 'Mike' Carruthers M. C., Mr. Reg Butler, and all those others whose records and information were made so readily available).