Hong Kong 1953 Fathers Trunk.

.Hi David. Thank you this picture, now know your father was attached as REME  L.A.D.to Queens Own 7th Hussars in Sek Kong in New Territories,  on Hong Kong mainland,close to the then border  with the then communist China,  The Hussars left Hong Kong in June/July 1957 at the end of their of duty in Hong Kong.    I thought I recognised the barracks on some of your dads photos,  I was posted to this camp  from REME Command Workshop in Kowloon on 1st.Aug . 1957 after 1st Royal Tank Regiment arrived to replace the Q. O Hussars  and we the REME took over maintaining the Comet Tanks that your father would have been responsible for,  My  regimental Nu. Was 23317091,  quite close to your father number, which indicates he was conscripted May/June  1956.  More later. Regards Bryan Panter.

Tunster, the troopship Nevasa was launched on the Clyde 30th November 1955 and went into service in the summer of 1956 (maiden voyage was on 27th July 1956 from Southampton to Cyprus and then back to the UK again).

Looking at the trunk it looks like he took the Nevasa from Hong Kong to the UK so it can't be 1953 - the ship wasn't built yet. Maybe he enlisted in 1953 when he was 18? Which means we don't know which ship he sailed from the UK to the Far East (yet) but the stops along the way were fairly standard and we seem to have identified most of the locations of your photos with certainty. 

The Nevasa, and later the sister ship Oxfordshire in 1957, were new purpose built troopships that replaced the old troopship Lancashire which retired in March 1956. Traditionally the UK Government's needs for transporting Servicemen and their families have been met by chartering and converting existing passenger liners and German prize ships captured during WWII.

The Nevasa left Southampton on 16th October 1956 to Korea via Durban, South Africa (Mrs Perla Seid le Gibson was there to greet them in song when they got there in November). Note also the Suez Crisis meant the Suez canal was closed to shipping from October 1956 to March 1957 and thus explain a voyage round the southern tip of Africa. 

On 24th November 1956 the Nevasa left Kure, Japan for the return trip to the UK via Hong Kong, Singapore (left 12th December 1956) and arrivied in Southampton on 10th Janaury 1957.

Another voyage of the Nevasa left Hong Kong 16th March 1957 and arrived in Southampton 17th April 1957 having sailed via Singapore, Durban, the Cape and Las Palmas, Canary Islands.  

Another voyage of the Nevasa left Hong Kong for the UK and sailed again via the Cape stopping over in Durban (left 13th July 1957 after less than a 24hour stay as the whole ship was quarantined due to 4 cases of the Asian 'flu on board) and arrived in Southampton on 30th July 1957. The ship carried the 7th Queen's Own Hussars after their 3 year stint in Hong Kong so your father must have been on this voyage. 

Edit up-date: The main body of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars arrived in Hong Kong on 8th September 1954 via the troopship 'Cheshire' to relieve the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. The second party of Hussars arrived the next day on 9th September 1954 by the troopship 'Dunera'. So your father must have been on one of these two ships.

Next time you see him, ask him about the Kowloon riots of 1956. See if that jogs his memory.

Hello David

I am researching the National Service completed by my Uncle Peter Raven and he served in Hong Kong with the Queens 7th Hussars at Kowloon Harbour between November 1954 and December 1956.

I wondered if you had any photos or information you would be willing to share.

Anything at all would be gratefully received.

My email is linda_hyland@btinternet.com

Linda