HMS ''Tamar'' () was the name for the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS ''Tamar'', a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore.

History

19th century

The British Navy arrived during the

First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...

to protect the opium traders. Sir Edward Belcher, aboard HMS ''Sulphur'' landed in Hong Kong on 25 January 1841. Possession Street still exists to mark the event, although its Chinese name is 水坑口街 ("Mouth of the ditch Street"). HK dockyard 1894

Commodore Sir

Gordon Bremer Sir James John Gordon Bremer (26 September 1786 – 14 February 1850) was a British Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars against France, the First Anglo-Burmese War in Burma, and the First Opium War in China. Born in Portsea, ...

raised the

Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

and claimed Hong Kong as a colony on 26 January 1841. Naval store sheds were erected there in April 1841.Eric Cavaliero
Harbour bed holds memories
, The Standard, 13 November 1997, quoting P J Melson: ''White Ensign – Red Dragon: the History of the Royal Navy in Hong Kong 1841 to 1997'' The site had been referred to as the "HM Victualling Yard" in the Navy's own register.HMS TAMAR and the China Fleet Club
The Gun Plot 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 The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

store sheds and surrendered the land to the colonial government in 1854 in exchange for a plot of land where the Admiralty station of the

Mass Transit Railway The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...

stands. The

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...

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.Eric Cavaliero
Harbour bed holds memories
, The Standard, 13 November 1997 HMS ''Tamar'', was a 3,650 ton British

troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable to land troops directly on shore, typic ...

laid down in 1862 and launched in 1863. She first visited Hong Kong in 1878 with reliefs crews, returned once in 1886. She finally arrived in

Victoria City Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

on 11 April 1897.Base closure to end Royal Navy's Far East presence
,

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, 4 November 1997 She was stationed permanently in the harbour from 1897 to 1941, when she was scuttled during the

Battle of Hong Kong The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the ...

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, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lake ...

, 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, vacated by the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. 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 were 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 the dry dock in October 1959. The Royal Navy decided to demolish the Wellington Barracks and build a modern naval facility in Hong Kong. The Prince of Wales Building was completed in 1978 and became the headquarters of the new naval base, HMS ''Tamar''. Shortly before the departure of British forces in 1997, the ''Tamar'' basin was reclaimed, and the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

of the People's Republic of China occupied the Prince of Wales Building (now Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building, or collectively with other buildings and the area enclosed by walls, the Central Barracks). HM Naval Base was relocated to the northern side of Stonecutter's Island, off

Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...

, prior to the

handover In cellular telecommunications, handover, or handoff, is the process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel connected to the core network to another channel. In satellite communications it is the process of transf ...

in 1997. On 11 April 1997, just over a hundred years since HMS Tamar's definitive arrival for service as a base depot ship (the Tamar had arrived in Hong Kong for conversion on 30 September 1895) and just under a century after her commissioning on 1 October 1897, the British naval shore establishment in Hong Kong was de-commissioned. The last HMS ''Tamar'' on Stonecutters Island is now a government marine facility, now known as the Government Dockyard. The vacated site in Central, Hong Kong Central, now known as the Tamar site, became a valuable piece of real estate and after much debate as to how to best use the site has now become the location of the new Hong Kong Government's

Central Government Complex The Central Government Complex has been the headquarters of the Government of Hong Kong since 2011. Located at the Tamar, Hong Kong, Tamar site, the complex comprises the Central Government Offices, the Legislative Council Complex and the ...

Administration

Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong

Post holders included: * Commodore Oliver J. Jones: March 1866 – December 1869 * Commodore John A.P. Price: December 1869 – September 1870 * Commodore Francis H. Shortt: September 1870 – August 1873 * Commodore John E. Parish: August 1873 – March 1876 * Commodore George W. Watson: March 1876 – March 1879 * Commodore Thomas E. Smith: March 1879 – May 1881 * Commodore William H. Cuming: May 1881 – February 1884 * Commodore George Digby Morant: February 1884 – February 1887 * Commodore William H. Maxwell: February 1887 – December 1888 * Commodore Edmund J. Church: December 1888 – December 1891 * Commodore Henry St.L. Bury Palliser: December 1891 – June 1893 * Commodore George T.H. Boyes: June 1893 – July 1896 * Commodore Swinton C. Holland: July 1896 – March 1899 * Commodore Francis Powell: March 1899 – March 1902 * Commodore Charles G. Robinson: March 1902 – February 1904 * Commodore Charles Gauntlett Dicken: February 1904 – September 1905 * Commodore Hugh P. Williams: September 1905 – April 1907 * Commodore Robert H.S. Stokes: April 1907 – October 1908 * Commodore Herbert Lyon: October 1908 – July 1910 * Commodore Cresswell J. Eyres: July 1910 – July 1912 * Rear-Admiral Robert H. Anstruther: July 1912 – May 1916 (as Rear-Admiral-in-Charge, Hong Kong) * Commodore Henry G.G. Sandeman: May 1916 – May 1918 * Commodore Victor G. Gurner: May 1918 – June 1920 * Commodore William Bowden-Smith: June 1920 – June 1922 * Commodore Henry E. Grace: June 1922 – October 1924 * Commodore Anselan J.B.Stirling: October 1924 – November 1926 * Commodore John L. Pearson: November 1926 – October 1928 * Commodore Richard A. S. Hill: October 1928 – November 1930 * Commodore Arthur H. Walker: November 1930 – August 1932 * Commodore Edward McC. W. Lawrie: August 1932 – June 1933 * Commodore Frank Elliott: July 1933 – April 1935 * Commodore Cyril G.Sedgwick: April 1935 – April 1937 * Commodore Edward B.C.Dicken: April 1937 – April 1939 * Commodore Arthur M. Peters: April 1939 – November 1940 (as Commodore-in-Charge, Naval Establishments, Hong Kong) * Commodore Alfred C. Collinson: November 1940 – December 1941 * Commodore Douglas H. Everett: August 1945 – June 1947 * Commodore Charles L. Robertson: June 1947 – June 1949 * Commodore Leslie N. Brownfield: June 1949 – July 1951 * Commodore Harold G. Dickinson: July 1951 – July 1953 * Commodore Anthony H. Thorold: July 1953 – June 1955 * Commodore John H. Unwin: June 1955 – March 1957 * Commodore G. David A. Gregory: March 1957 – April 1960 * Commodore Adrian R.L. Butler: April 1960 – October 1962 * Commodore George O.Symonds: November 1962 – February 1965 * Commodore Frank D. Holford: February 1965 – January 1967 * Commodore Thomas H.P. Wilson: January 1967 – October 1968 * Commodore Philip R.C. Higham: October 1968 – July 1970 * Commodore Roger E.S. Wykes-Sneyd: July 1970 – August 1972 * Commodore John K. Stevens: August 1972 – August 1973 * Commodore John A.G. Evans: August 1973 – October 1975

Captain-in-Charge, Hong Kong

Post holders included: * Captain Richard L. Garnons-Williams: October 1975 – March 1978 * Captain Robert W. Moland: March 1978 – June 1980 * Captain Andrew A. Waugh: June 1980 – June 1982 * Captain Frederick A. Collins: June 1982 – March 1985 * Captain Christopher W. Gotto: March 1985 – July 1987 * Captain Peter Dalrymple-Smith: July 1987 – January 1990 * Captain Michael C. Gordon Lennox: January 1990 – 1992 * Captain Thomas L.M. Sunter: 1992–1994 * Captain Peter J. Melson: 1994–1995 * Captain Andrew K. Steele: 1995–1996

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 The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

* Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves 1967–1996; merged with Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) 1971 * LEP 1905–1996 * Dragon Squadron * 120th Minesweeping Squadron 1958–1966; transferred to

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

* 6th Mine Countermeasure Squadron 1969–1997 * 6th Patrol Craft Squadron 1970–1997 * Operations and Training Base 1934–1997 *

3 Commando Brigade United Kingdom Commando Force (UKCF), previously called 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), is the UK's special operations-capable commando formation of the Royal Marines. It is composed of Royal Marine Commandos and commando qualified personnel f ...

Royal Marines * 47 Royal Marines *

British Pacific Fleet The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. It was formed from aircraft carriers, other surface warships, submarines and supply vessels of the RN and British Commonwealth ...

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 The 8th Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from 1911 to 1939. History The flotilla was established in August 1911. In 1912 it was assigned to the Admiral of Patro ...

* 5th Cruiser Squadron * 1st Escort Flotilla * 4th Frigate Flotilla ?–1952 * Frigate Squadron 1952–1976 * Light Cruiser Squadron * 415 Maritime Troop * Naval Party 1009 (Hovercraft Unit)

Naval facilities

A list of facilities used or built by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong: * Prince of Wales Building 1978–1997; now Central Barracks of the PLA * Lamont and Hope Drydocks * Aberdeen Docks – destroyed * Dry Dock 1902–1959 *

Taikoo Dockyard Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company () was a dockyard in what is now Taikoo Shing, MTR Tai Koo station and part of Taikoo Place of Quarry Bay on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It predates the era before the reclamation of Victoria Harbour. ...

– Hong Kong United Dockyards * Royal Navy Dockyards 1902–1959 * Sai Wan Barracks 1844–1846 * Wellington Barracks 1946–1978, as HMS ''Tamar'' (demolished) * North Barracks 1850s–1856, 1887–1959; from the Army and to HK Government 1959 * Victoria Barracks * Redoubt and Lei Yue Mun Fortifications 1885–1887 * Lei Yue Mun Fort 1887–1987 * Reverse, Central, West and Pass Batteries 1880s *

Brennan Torpedo The Brennan torpedo was a torpedo patented by Irish Australian, Irish-born Australian inventor Louis Brennan in 1877. It was propelled by two contra-rotating propellers that were spun by rapidly pulling out wires from drums wound inside the torpe ...

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'' 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'' and HMS ''Victor Emmanuel'' – 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 *

Seaman's Hospital Seamen's Hospital was originally opened by Dr Peter Young, a surgeon of the Honourable East India Company in 1843 during the First Opium War. History The hospital was financially supported by Jardine Matheson and Company in Wan Chai ...

1843–1873 * HMS ''Tamar'' – Receiving ship 1897–1941 * HMS ''Minden'' 1841–mid-1840s – hospital ship * HMS ''Alligator'' 1840s–1865 – hospital ship * HMS ''Melville'' 1860s–1873 – hospital ship (East Indies Sqdn)

Ships

* Duty Boats – including Victoria * RN Ferry (T-boats such as:Ah Moy) Numbers as T1. T2 etc. To ferry service personnels across Victoria Harbour, with Three stops, HMS Tamar (Admirialty), Stoncutter Island (British Military Base), Kowloon Public Pier.