The 1st Battalion The XXth The Lancashire Fusiliers In Hong Kong
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Hong Kong 1967 - 1969
The 1st Battalion served in Hong Kong from 1967 until 1969, under the command of Lt. Col. T.D.Lloyd Jones.
The Lancashire Fusiliers were based in Kowloon at Gun Club Barracks on Austin Road, with 2 satellite locations, one at Erskine Camp in the New Territories, and one at Fanling on the Hong Kong /China border. Platoons were rotated between border posts, which varied in numbers from Platoon strength to Observation Posts of just a few men.
In April 1966, a protest against a rise in Star Ferry fares became focused on the hunger strike of a deranged young man and led to riots in Kowloon. These started as spontaneous demonstrations by young people. The playfulness of these riots turned more destructive as looting and arson spread. One adult rioter was killed by police fire.
In 1967, riots began again as young followers of Mao besieged Government House, which was guarded by a handful of British soldiers. All Communist-owned buildings were placarded with anti-British slogans, the Bank of China's loudspeakers poured out more of the same.
As the disturbances continued through the summer, thousands of bombs were planted, which killed 15, including some children, and wounded many more. The colonial government finally stepped in with a measured reaction. Demonstrations were dispersed and the Bank of China's noise was drowned out by light music. Except to quell a disturbance on the frontier, where Red Guards killed some police, the army was not called upon.
The Hong Kong police lost ten killed and many wounded, but showed admirable restraint.
Leftist demonstrators at the front of Hong Kong's Government House chanted quotes from Mao's 'Little Red Book'. Tens of thousands of demonstrators queued all day to stick posters on the walls of Government House and present petitions, one by one, to the Governor's ADC.
Hong Kong Gallery
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Gallery Contents
This is a huge collection of images from Lancashire Fusiliers in Hong Kong during the 60's. There have been many contributors to the collection - you can browse through here or use this list of contributors to jump to their section;
Amos Burke
Bill Dean
Geoff Pycroft
Jim Gibbons
Paddy Daly's Funeral
Colin Boutty
Kevin Bradley
Ray Tooth
Ron Aikens
Eddie Breen
Les Buckley
Les Ingham
Harry Molyneux
Joe Eastwood
Dave Yarnall
John Blaney
Jim Deans
Ben Bedingfield
Peter Barton
Alan Bimpson
Sent in by Flo Bimpson
Dennis Robinson
Dennis's image archive, along with some other photos can be found here;
Ian Hilton's trip back to Hong Kong
S.L Duffy's Funeral
Sent in by Johny Blaney
William (Danny) Daniels
Danny's trip back in 2008
Danny's story of his trip
Eileen and Myself left for Hong Kong on the 25th of January this year and after flying over Russia and China
something we could not have done in our day touched down on Lan Tau island, you would not recognise Lan Tau high
rise apartments all over the place and now attached to Kowloon.As we flew over China the place was covered in
snow and when we got to our hotel we found out that China was having its worst snow storm in 100 years, Hong
Kong
was cold i don’t recall the place ever being as cold as it was the Peak could not be seen so some of our plans
went out the window.
Gun Club looked deserted and neglected it was a shame to see a place that was so vibrant in our day and a place I have so many happy memories of looking so run down.From the barracks I took the first left of Austin Road and walked through the side streets Hanoi Sreet,Cammeron Sreet Gascoin Road not a bar left the Irish pub on Nathan road was still there and the Red Lion just off Nathan road still in business,the mama san was moaning about the troops leaving and the commies taking over.
Shirley we did get over to Stanley market Eileen had a ball over there and there are loads of big shops down Chatham road were there used to be nothing,it is a pity the weather was so bad as it did stop use from doing a lot of things we had planned.
We then flew to Australia on the 1st of February and I did manage to put a couple of Aussies straight that they were not the only ones at Galipolli a great place to visit.We then flew to Singapore on the 14th of February a lot of new building but still a lot that everyone would recognise we went to Raffles as you must for a Singapore Sling in the long bar and to take a photo in the bar as the last time Geoff Pycrof was in there he got thrown out and just remembers the pea nut shells on the floor.We then took a trip over to Malaya or as they like it called now Malaysia, the causeway is now a highway with big customs buildings not the single track road with a wooden shed we knew.
Kota Tinggi is still doing the same thing jungle warfare for Australian and New Zeeland troops,Johor Bahru is
now a big dirty city not the small place we knew,I think that is the end of my travel report it was great to go
back and yes I would do it again but go to HK when I know the weather is good
Danny
Tich Street
Tom Hussey
Mike Murray
Special Orders and Part 1 - sent in by Mike Murray
Terry McCully
Brian (Fred) Fish
Alan Loftus
Jim Baxter
Eric White
Joe Unsworth
Alan Harmer
William (Bill) Curtis
Bill had more photos, but they got burnt in the famous Weeton Camp Hut Fire
Craig Tinsley
William Angus
Peter George
Harry Palfryman
Mike Phillips
Brian Hall
Sent in by
(Brian's Wife)
Pete Kinsella
John Leech
Photos sent in to us by Kenny Leech
Tom Hopkins
Ken Adams
Derek Roberts
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