Hong Kong Volunteer Air Army 1930's | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Hong Kong Volunteer Air Army 1930's

Hong Kong Volunteer Air Army 1930's
Submitted by Klaus. View the original image on Flickr.
Authors: 
China Postcard
Tags: 
photo
postcard
HK Volunteers

Text on Flickr: This is a photo of the Hong Kong Volunteer Air Army 1934, with an Avro Cadet machine in the background. Its publisher is T. Tanaka Hong Kong.

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Monday, January 1, 1934
Gallery: 
1930s Hong Kong
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Comments

Submitted by IDJ on Mon, 2017-04-17 03:48.

These are staff, Instructors, Engineers and possibly pupils of the Far East Flying Training School based at Kai Tak.

Most of these people also joined the Volunteers.

However, the medical checks were quite severe for volunteer airmen and some were apparently rejected by the supervising Doctor.

Similar group pictures exist for the following years, listing the names of those in the picture.

Submitted by moddsey on Sun, 2017-04-23 13:37.

Source: RHKAAF Archives

First Airborne Volunteers - 1936

Back row left to right: Geoff Polglase, Andy Pears, Derek Ryde, Brazier-Creagh, Burson

Front row left to right: Dr. McGowan, John Potter, Bill Murray (Chief Flying Instructor), Vic Neyle (later Chief Engineer Instructor), Mickey Wright

I think Bill Murray was W. F. Murray who was the Commandant of the Far East Flying Training School (FEFTS).

The FEFTS was responsible for training the Volunteer Air Arm of the HK Volunteer Defence Corps. The Air Arm was limited to ten members. After a year's training, the Air Arm would carry out two long weekend camps, normally spanning 3 days at a landing site in the New Territories (probably Kwanti Racecourse near San Wai)  and gain practical experience in operating aircraft in the open away from hangars and workshops. I guess the photo above is from 1935/36.