Boat Pool / Camber, Naval Dockyard [????-c.1962]

Submitted by David on Wed, 10/17/2012 - 15:17
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

A small basin a short distance east from the dockyard's larger tidal basin.

Stephen Davies writes:

to answer your question about the small basin beyond the naval dockyard’s floating basin. It was the navy’s small boat pool where all the small craft were kept. I can remember leaving from it for a banyan on Stonecutters when I was 4.

Photos that show this Place

Naval Dockyard Camber under construction
1904
1904
1900s Royal Naval Dockyard
1905
See more photos of this place

Comments

Peter Yeates writes:

We all have that fanous wide angle pictures of Hong Kong waterfront and harbour showing HMS Unicorn at anchor, circa 1949-1952, but nothing seems to show the HMS Tamar Boat Pool from whence our Squadrons of Armed Motor Launches operated from 1948 thru to when it was turned into a heliport around te late 60's. The exact location is easy to identify. Just to the left looking from the harbour, is Arsenal Street and the "new" 1955 Police Station, still there, but absorbed by the newer Police HQ. Then next door was the old China Fleet Club, next door was the Flying Angel Missions to Seaman, and fronted by the Fenwick Pier. Our harbour stations were, when it was not possible to enter the small boat pool, attached to a number of buoys exactly in the front of that 1955 "new" Police Station. Thus all the pictures we have of our Patrol boats, at inspections etc, are with the Police Station as a backdrop. So more detailed pictures of that Boat Pool. HMS Tamar, which was not part of the Dockyard. That was next door as it were. The Boat Pool was also known as "Tamar Steps". It was erviced also by an Army RASC Landing Craft which ferried Troops, Families, stores to and from across the Harbour from Kowloon. 

Hey Stephen Davies, so you were one of those privileged little kids I was in charge of sometimes, and we went off to a Banyan on Picnic island, stonecutters Island was not very far ? 

Stephen do you remember the Motor Launches ?  Were you a Royal Navy family member ? We did not think we were that "small craft" Stephen. We had an anti-tank Gun 6 piunder forward, which could punch through the Communist Junks and 20mm Oerlikon Gun aft.

www.hongkongflotillaassociation.co.uk is interesting too!

 

Peter Yeates 

 

The boat pool still exists in a photo from 1961 however the highway either side is half constructed. The highway is complete by 01 February 1963 so I would put the demolishment date as 1962

Thanks for the latest comments reference the famous Hong Kong Flotilla ML Squadron - The " Boat Pool" was the HKF's Base 1948-1960. 

Greetings from the former Officers and Ratings who have just completed their Annual Reunion 2016 & AGM at Truville Hotel Torquay some 70 members attending. The 2nd Reunion of the Hong Kong Flotilla 2016 Estabilished 1999- This thriving association is unique in it's activities in the continuance of the history and story of  the little known Hong Kong Flotilla- whose defense of the Crown Colony of hong Kong was unique, and it's casualties of the pearl River incident of Communist attack against ML 1323 in 1953 are forever remembered.