# Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force

The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) was a Hong Kong Government department based in Hong Kong. It was formed as an air force in 1949 as part of the Hong Kong Defence Force. In preparation for the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, the unit was disbanded on 31 March 1993.

## History

The history of the unit goes way back to the early days of Hong Kong as a British colony. On 30 May 1854, with the departure from Hong Kong of the British men-of-war on anti-piracy duties in the north, following the Shanghai precedent, an appeal was made by the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir William Caine, for willing citizens to assemble for the purpose of forming an auxiliary police force to protect the lives and property of Hong Kong’s inhabitants. Ninety-nine worthy men turned up and the Hong Kong Volunteer Corps was formed. Following numerous incarnations, the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) and the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force were spawned from this original corps of volunteers.
The HKAAF came into existence as an air force in 1949 as part of the Hong Kong Defence Force. From 1949 to 1970, it was known as the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (HKAAF). Its royal title was approved by King George VI in 1st May 1951, as was that of what became the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force (RHKDF). This was the first time that a volunteer force had been so honoured.
When the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force was disbanded in 1970, the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) and Royal Hong Kong Regiment (RHKR) were formed under new ordinances as separate units. The RHKAAF was finally disbanded on 31 March 1993, and succeeded the following day by the Hong Kong Government Flying Service (GFS), a newly created civilian unit using the original service staff of the RHKAAF.
Although technically an armed military unit, run on the lines of an RAF squadron, latterly the unit's responsibilities were mostly involved in providing non-military aviation services such as police support, search and rescue, flying doctor, air ambulance and firefighting in the colony.
The RHKAAF was based at Kai Tak Airport from 1949 to 1993.

## Badge

The last badge of the force was used until 1993, after which time, the Hong Kong Coat of Arms was used on GFS aircraft, until the handover in 1997:
* St Edward's Crown
* Octagon-shaped badge with a Hong Kong dragon, propeller
* Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force is contained on the band of the badge
* Motto contain the wording Semper Paratus (Latin, "Always Ready")
* Oak Laurel wreath

## Personnel

RHKAAF personnel were a mixture of full-time and part-time staff. Most were locally recruited, in the latter years mostly local Hong Kongers. The ranks used were the same as those of the Royal Air Force, up to Air Commodore.
| NATO code | OF-10 | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-1 | OF-1 |
| Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force | | | | | | | | | Air commodore | Air commodore | Group captain | Group captain | Wing commander | Wing commander | Squadron leader | Squadron leader | Flight lieutenant | Flight lieutenant | Flying officer | Flying officer | Flying officer | Pilot officer /acting pilot officer | Pilot officer /acting pilot officer | Pilot officer /acting pilot officer |
| Government Flying Service vte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Government Flying Service vte | | | | | | | | | Controller | Controller | Chief Pilot Chief Aircraft Engineer | Chief Pilot Chief Aircraft Engineer | Senior Pilot Senior Aircraft Engineer Senior Aircrewman Officer | Senior Pilot Senior Aircraft Engineer Senior Aircrewman Officer | Pilot I Aircraft Engineer Aircrewman Officer I | Pilot I Aircraft Engineer Aircrewman Officer I | Pilot I Aircraft Engineer Aircrewman Officer I | Pilot I Aircraft Engineer Aircrewman Officer I | Pilot II Aircraft Engineer Aircrewman Officer II Chief Aircraft Technician | Pilot II Chief Aircraft Technician Senior Aircraft Technician Aircrewman Officer III | Pilot II Chief Aircraft Technician Senior Aircraft Technician Aircrewman Officer III | Cadet Pilot Senior Aircraft Technician Aircraft Technician Aircrewman Officer III | Cadet Pilot Senior Aircraft Technician Aircraft Technician Aircrewman Officer III | Cadet Pilot Senior Aircraft Technician Aircraft Technician Aircrewman Officer III |
| Rank group | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers |
Commanding officers
| Start date | Name |
| 1 May 1949 | Sqn Ldr M.N. Oxford |
| 1 October 1950 | Wg Cdr A.W. Wood DFC BEM |
| 1 January 1955 | Wg Cdr J.E.L. Larsen, AFC |
| 15 October 1955 | Wg Cdr P.O. Scales, AE |
| 12 October 1962 | Wg Cdr G.J. Bell, OBE, AE & clasp |
| 19 September 1966 | Wg Cdr R.P. Smith, OBE, AE & clasp, JP, QCVSA |
| 1 October 1971 | Wg Cdr S.P.J. Ellis, AE |
| 1 June 1975 | Wg Cdr R.G. Penlington, OBE, AE & clasp |
| 1 April 1983 | Wg Cdr A.P. Asprey, OBE, AE, JP |
| 1 January 1988 | Wg Cdr R.W. Brooks, MBE, AE & clasp |
| 1 January 1991 | Wg Cdr P.D. Yip, MBE, AE & clasp, JP, QCVSA |

## Fleet

On 31 March 1993, the RHKAAF fleet comprised:

### Aircraft

| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
| Transport ||||||
| Cessna 404 | United States | transport / utility | | 1 | |
| Super King Air | United States | patrol | 200C | 2 | |
| Britten-Norman BN-2 | United Kingdom | drug interdiction / utility | | 1 | |
| Helicopters ||||||
| Sikorsky S-76 | United States | SAR / utility | A+/C | 6 / 2 | equipped with a FLIR |
| Sikorsky S-70 | United States | utility | S-70A-27 | 2 | transferred to the GFS in 1993 |
| Aérospatiale SA 360 | France | SAR / utility | 365C | 2 | |
| Trainer ||||||
| T67 Firefly | United Kingdom | basic trainer | M200 | 4 | |

### Historical aircraft

| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
| Combat Aircraft ||||||
| Supermarine Spitfire | United Kingdom | fighter | Mk 24 / XVIII / XIX | 16 | 2 Mk 19 variants were used for reconnaissance |
| Transport ||||||
| Taylorcraft Auster | United Kingdom | utility | V / T7 / AOP6 | 1 / 5 / 4 | in service from 1949 to 1971 |
| Beechcraft Musketeer | United States | utility | | 2 | in service from 1971 to 1979 |
| Helicopters ||||||
| Westland Widgeon | United Kingdom | utility | | 2 | in service from 1958 to 1965 |
| Aerospatiale Alouette III | France | utility | | 3 | in service from 1965 to 1980 |
| Trainers ||||||
| BAe Bulldog | United Kingdom | training / patrol | Model 128 | 2 | in service from 1977 to 1988 |
| North American T-6 | United States | trainer | | 11 | transferred from Far East Air Force |