Dennis vehicle in

Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps

 

Vehicle No. 1

 

I am seeking assistance in identifying and obtaining technical information on a Dennis Lorry.

Let me first introduce myself. My name is Alfred Lai and I am researching on the armoured fighting vehicles of Hong Kong and in particular AFV of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC) and the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) the post WWII successor of the HKVDC. I served as an officer RHKR(V) in the late 1980's and for the last twenty years I have been living in Toronto, Canada and served with the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and now a signals officer.

While growing up in Hong Kong I developed a deep interest in and collected information on the Battle of Hong Kong. I was vaguely aware of the part taken by the armoured vehicles of HKVDC in the battle. After completing my studies in the U.K. I returned to Hong Kong to start my civilian career and at the same time commissioned into the RHKR(V). I attended RMA Sandhurst in 1989 and visited the Royal Armoured Corps Museum at Bovington. The curator at the time Col. George Forty presented me a manual of the first armoured car of the HKVDC. It was based on a Dennis lorry chassis. My research partner and I have been doing research ever since. However, life and careers intervened and before the advent of the Internet, trying to locate and get in touch with subject matter experts like the Dennis Society was difficult, as a result our research was slow and sporadic. Now that I come across your organization, I look forward to enlist your expert knowledge to help with our research.

I have enclosed some photographs of Armoured Car No. 1 and would be glad if you could help to identify which model Dennis lorry she was and advise on obtaining technical information. From the archive, No. 1 was built on a Dennis lorry chassis and in service in 1925. It should be safe to assume that if she was a brand new vehicle, she would be manufactured a couple of years prior. However, there is a possibility that she was a WW I war surplus. From the photos she had six spokes front wheels and eight spokes rear wheels.

If you can help in any way please e-mail secretary@dennissociety.org.uk

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