Tai Lam Camp [????-c.1960]

Submitted by Admin on Tue, 07/05/2016 - 16:18
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

Described in the 1950 Military Installations Closed Areas document as "The military camp known as Tai Lam Camp near So Kun Wat including Officer’s Mess at point 362083. The former being bounded by a wire fence."

The camp is clearly shown on the 1952 map.

It was closed in the early 1960s and the newer Perowne Barracks was built on this site.

Tags

Photos that show this Place

NRP Military Service 1948-49 Page 011
1949
NRP Military Service 1948-49 Page 015
1949
NRP Military Service 1948-49 Page 016
1949
See more photos of this place

Comments

I've just printed off the 3D picture from Google maps and can see exactly where it is. I was at Tai Lam Camp, which was the Royal engineers camp when I was there, (Feb. 1959 to July 1960). The entrance appears to be where it was then. Where there are red and green buildings and what look like shipping containers is where our 'square' was. The silk Road Cafe is where our cookhouse and mess were. The white building just inside the entrance, on the left, is where our Guardroom was. Our squadron office was up the road going left from the entrance along with the MT yard. Carrying on straight past the 'square and turning right  Plant Troop was on your left and if you take the next right B and C Troop huts would be on your left. If you had taken the second right after leaving the Plant troop area you would pass behind B and C huts, which is where the vehicles alloted to those troops were kept. Castle Peak road was the main(only) road along the coast at that time, the Tuen Mun road, and the town itself are the latest additionsto the area. 

I served with 56 Field Squadron RE at Gordon Camp from February 1956 until the regime moved back to Blighty in July 1958 Before the move I commuted between 56 and RHQ about half a mile down the road at Tai Lam camp that of 54 Field Squadron. I found these photos that you have put up and firstly would like your permission to take a copy of them. The reason I have replied to those is that I noted that the photos appear to be back in 1949. Were the photos of members of 54 Field Squadron and was it the squadron that occupied the camp at that time?.  I have accumulated a lot of photos and other bits and pieces of 24  Field Engineer Regiment in the Tai Lam area and also the demise of the camp and the area since the Gurkha Regiment vacated Gordon Camp in around 1997?. It would be interesting if anything else regarding the Regiment and its Squadrons occupying part of the Tsuen Mun area over that period can come to light. Perhaps some photographs or a chin wag with a Sapper who served or has any photos they would like to pass on for my collection, I would be most grateful. Regards Bill