Shek Kong Army Camp / Barracks [????- ]

Yes, this was our home for 15 months September 1949 to half way through 1951when we were then sent to Korea.

We were British Soliers of The First Battalion The Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, and our duty at this time was to guard the border between Hong Kong ( Kowloon) and mainland China against a possible invasion. There were other Regiments there who were also sent to Korea.

At this time, we had no electricity, no mains water, no flush toilets, and no brick buildings.

The only form of transport was army vehicles...no cars...no buses, and not even any Rickshaws....

The Chinese army on the other side of the border numbered several thousands, and I am sure we would have been no match for them if they had decided to attack..We would have been far outnumbered.....Luckily...they never did.

Bill Griffiths

I served with Queen's Gurkha Signals 1983-84 and although my squadron was based at Gun Club Hill Barracks in Kowloon, I would travel to Borneo Lines in Sek Kong Camp at least once a week to join in regimental activities. Apart from staff exercises, attending conferences and physical training, it was a good opportunity to catch up with my friends in the officers mess over a beer or two and a curry at Shaffi's. Opposite the camp was an excellent tailor, Ah Lee, who made our uniforms as well as Saville Row quality suits and I made sure to replenish my wardrobe before heading back to the UK.

I spent 10 weeks in Malaya Lines within the camp attending the Gurkha Language Qualifying Course and upon successful completion was awarded a small increase in pay which ceased as soon as I was posted. Whilst on the course, I was assigned an orderly whose main job was to help me with my homework (which was tested every day) and to improve my basketball - there was a match between the students and their orderlies every afternoon (which the orderies always won)!

I would be happy to answer any questions about the camp at that time.

Quicksilver might like to know that Ah Lee began as cutter to Jalal Din who had a shop in Stanley Fort in the early 70s when I first went there to have something made. When Jalal Din suddenly returned to Pakistan, Ah Lee set up his famous little shop on Kam Tin Road not far from the entrance to Borneo Lines. He did good very business with army customers & with civilian expats in the know. He made me several shirts, suits and uniform items, later also making up two waistcoats in tartan material I brought him from UK, no easy task, but both perfectly done.  Aged 83, he died in 2013, last seen by me in  late 2007. The shop still in situ today, run by his son who goes by the name Richard  F C Lee. He appeared there in his teens in the mid 70s, a Mandarin-speaker, soon becoming a skilled tailor and acquiring far better a command of English than Ah Lee ever had, having taken over after Ah Lee retired in poor health. My service in Hong Kong was Aug 1969 - Feb 1972, again Sep 72-Oct 74, and Apr76-Apr 77.  On an earlier posting to Kuching (Sarawak) I met more than one officer of (then) Gurkha Signals and personnel of 248 Gurkha Signal Squadron.