Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery, 1940

[Peter Doyle]

Having discovered, via the Army List for 1940, that the Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery sat in the Order of Precedence of the British Army after the Infantry of the Line (and before the Royal Malta Artillery), i'd like to know what cap badge they wore. Anyone got a picture they could post -or did they wear the normal RA pattern badge with other distinguishing marks (titles, etc)?

Help!
Peter

[lettman]

Peter,
There's a drawing of the Singapore RA (Volunteers) cap badge in Rosignoli's Army Badges and Insignia of WW2 Book 2, plate 25. It's the GM RA gun badge with a V superimposed, the motto 'In Oriente Primus', and the scroll with 'Singapore Royal Artillery'.

[Peter Doyle]

Thanks very much; ironically, I've just found my copy of this book today (been in hiding for some years). I've e-mailed the Hong Kong Coastal Defence Museum, and they came back with a slouch hat/pugaree title, but no badge. I wonder if the drawing applies to the combined artillery regiment?

Best wishes
Peter

[lettman]

Hi Peter,
I'm afraid I don't know if the HK part of the unit wore the badge -- I doubt it, though. However, only last weekend Status International auctioned an example of the shoulder title which was obviously shared by both: H.K.S.-R.A.

[Peter Doyle]

Thanks for that - yes that's the one

I'm not either, but I guess if it was well known we'd have seen it by now.

Thanks for your input
Best wishes
Peter

[lettman]

Pleasure. I'd have liked to put in a bid for the title but the reserve was a bit too high for mine.

[Neil Pearce]

Fascinating guys. I live in Hong Kong, and didn't even know about the Coastal Defence Museum. I suppose it never occurred to me!

You learn something every day on this forum...

Regards, Neil

[54Bty]

A brass shoulder title. Worn by members of the Hong Kong, Singapor Brigade Royal Artillery from 1924 to c1930, from 1907 to 1924 it was HKSRGA in an arc.

[Peter Doyle]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

A brass shoulder title.

Thanks very much - one would have thought that there would have been a HK-S version of a RA cap badge, but no evidence of that yet!

(Coastal Defence Museum? It's amazing what you can find on the interweb....)

P

[Peter Brydon]

Peter,

As lettman has said there was a brass "gun" badge for the Singapore Voluteer Artillery it is illustrated in an article by John Gaylor in the MHS Bulletin for November 1964.

As with most illustrations in the early Bulletins,it is not particularly clear.

P.B.

[Peter Doyle]

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

As lettman has said there was a brass "gun" badge for the Singapore Voluteer Artillery it is illustrated in an article by John Gaylor in the MHS Bulletin for November 1964.

Thanks Peter

However, as the name of this unit in WW2 was Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery (I've checked the Army Lists now, btw, thanks for that), I wondered if the combined regiment wore a different badge. If you have this article, any chance you could check the dates worn for me?

Thanks very much
Peter

[Peter Brydon]

Peter,
Yes I am aware that the unit you are interested in is a later unit, unfortunatly there are no specific dates in Gaylors article.

P.B.

[Peter Doyle]

Thanks Peter
P.

[wright241]

My stepfather was in RA on the coastal guns early in the war and used to tell me stories about how they 'picked off' Japanese ships - until they worked out the maximum range and took them from behind - because the military at that time didn't believe that they could attack from the rear. I do have a slip on somewhere. Unfortunately, although he did tell me that pictures were taken at the time, these all got taken off them when they were shipped out to a POW camp in (what sounded like) Sham Shapo.
david

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by Peter Doyle

Having discovered, via the Army List for 1940, that the Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery sat in the Order of Precedence of the British Army after the Infantry of the Line (and before the Royal Malta Artillery), i'd like to know what cap badge they wore. Anyone got a picture they could post -or did they wear the normal RA pattern badge with other distinguishing marks (titles, etc)?

Help!
Peter

The 1st Hong Kong Regiment HKSRA wore standard RA badges and warm weather uniforms. A plain red and blue diamond was worn on the left side of the Felt Bush Hat, a small plain grenade on the General Service Cap, and nothing at all on the khaki Turban. The British Officers had the letters HKSRA embroidered in black on their shoulder strap rank slides. The Regiment consisted of British Officers, NCOs and Sikhs (some of which were Commisioned). I hope this helps.

Another reference (by General Sir John Chapple) has both the straight and curved brass shoulder titles HKS-RA being worn from 1934-1947.