Dates: 1897 - 1997
HMS Tamar was the name for the Royal Navy’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.
Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer raised the Union Jack and claimed Hong Kong as a colony on Jan. 26, 1841. It erected naval store sheds there in April 1841. The site had been referred to as the "HM Victualling Yard in the Navy’s own register. The first naval storekeeper and agent victualler, Thomas McKnight, appointed on March 21, 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 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 is situated.
The Second Opium War 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.
HMS Tamar, was a 3,650 ton British troopship launched in in 1863. She first visited Hong Kong in 1878 with reliefs crews, returned once in 1886. She finally arrived in Victoria City on April 11, 1897 She was stationed permanently in the harbour from 1897 to 1941, when she was scuttled during the Battle of Hong Kong during World War II, to avoid being used by the invading Japanese Imperial forces.
At the turn of the 20th century, it required land adjacent to the site for expansion. Unable to do so as the site was surrounded by the 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 16 hectares acres of land reclamation, a 3.58 hectare 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.
On November 28, 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 was 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 reclaimation of dry dock in October 1959.
The RN decided to demolish the Wellington Barracks and rebuild a modern naval facility in Hong Kong. The Prince of Wales Building was completed in 1978 and became the new HMS Tamar.
Shortly before the departure of British forces in 1997, the Tamar basin was filled in and the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China occupied the Prince of Wales Building (now Chinese People’s Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building, or Central Barracks).
The Tamar was relocated to Stonecutter’s Island, off Kowloon, prior to the handover in 1997. On April 11, 1997, which marks the centenary of the Tamar’s definitive arrival, the British naval shore establishment in Hong Kong was de-commissioned.
The last Tamar is now a government marine facility; the vacated site in Central is now a valuable piece of real estate, now known as the Tamar site, and will become the location of the new Government headquarters.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Tamar
" anybody in HMS Tamar 59/60 )guard( peewee huntA/b slingerwoods L/S "
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" ...Hi Bob ...when were you in Hong Kong...?...Were you stationed on the shore base HMS Tamar...Or was your photo taken on a stop over?...Here is one of me taken in Kowloon in the Bodega bar & club on Austin Road by the side of Whitefield Barracks...Trev. [Anne & Me Bodega nightclub Oct 1956.jpg] ..."
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" Quoting: Trevor Chapman ...Hi Bob ...when were you in Hong Kong...?...Were you stationed on the shore base HMS Tamar...Or was your photo taken on a stop over?...Here is one of me taken in Kowloon in the Bodega bar & club on Austin Road by the side of Whitefield Barracks...Trev. [Anne & Me ..."
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" Hong Kong, I am off to Hong Kong Tuesday morning ,sleep over in heathrow hotel then wednesday 11/30 am on our wayIam going to take plenty off photos , so our 12 hour flight will be a good memory. I will take in all the sights ,ones, all you old sea dogs remember. like, china fleet club, Hms ..."
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" Hello, every body well Im back from Hong Kong, 10 days away, 12 hour flight, it was very good flight.we stayed at the sheraton hotel Kowloon, 5 minites from the star ferry. What a sight became us, The new Hong kong Air port , We traveled by coach to Kowloon about 1 hours drive the sights were out ..."
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"i remember clear lower deck in tamar and informed that ML1323 had been shot up in the Pearl River and there had been casulties but not known how many.
3 of my friends, in my mess 74 died that day."
