The Scots Guards [????- ]

The Scots Guards spent almost 14 months in Hong Kong in 1927 and 1928.

16 May 1927 - The Scots Guards arrive in Hong Kong

Though they didn't leave their ship until the next day:

TROOPS DISEMBARK.

DISPOSITION OF THE BATTALIONS.

Holt’s Wharf presented a busy spectacle this morning when the task of disembarking three battalions of infantry with their equipment, from the troopships Nevassa and City of Marseilles, was commenced.

Contrary to early information, the contingents on both vessels spent the night on board, delaying disembarkation until first thing this morning.

It has now been decided that the 2nd. Batt. Scots Guards will join the 2nd Batt. Welch Regiment in the Peninsula Hotel, the 1st. Batt. Northamptonshire Regiment will proceed to the hut encampment at Shamshuipo, while the 1st. Batt. Queen's Own Royal (West Surrey) Regiment will be split up amongst the barracks in Hongkong.

The disembarkation will, it is understood, be completed this afternoon.
Source: p.7, The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1927-05-17

The larger-than-usual number of troops in Hong Kong meant that accommodation was tight. The recently finished Peninsula Hotel was temporarily used as accommodation for the troops.

New barracks had also been erected in a rush at Shamshuipo.
 

?? ??? 192? - They leave the Peninsula Hotel and move to huts at Shamshuipo

In later years the accommodation at Shamshuipo is described as the Hankow Barracks and the Nanking Barracks, however the article reporting on the Scots Guards departure from Hong Kong (p.6 of the Hong Kong Daily Press, 1928-06-29) described their camp as the "Nanking Hutments". The Guards' Commanding Officer wasn't very impressed with the huts, as the same article quoted him saying "Though they have not had the most pleasant of quarters the Guards have proved themselves far too old campaigners to be upset by anything of that kind and have cheerfully settled down to the life of the Colony."
 

?? ??? 1927 - They built a stone copy of their crest on a hill in the New Territories

While the Scots Guards were out at Lo Wu Camp, they built a stone copy of their crest on a nearby hillside known as Crest Hill.

Traces of the crest can still be seen when one of Hong Kong's occasional hill fires burns away the vegetation.

29 Jun 1928 - The Scots Guards depart for Shanghai.

There were stirring scenes at the Kowloon Dock quay this morning, when the 2nd Battalion The Scots Guards were given a hearty send-off on their departure by the s.s. Yuen Sang for Shanghai, where they are to relieve the Suffolks, who have left for Weihaiwei. [...]
Source: p.1 The Hong Kong Telegraph, 1928-06-29

21 Jan 1929 - They sailed from Shanghai, heading home to Britain

They boarded the City of Marseilles on 20 Jan, and sailed the next day. Source: p.1 The China Mail, 1929-01-21.