Last modified: 2020-07-31 by ian macdonald
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Badge Detail
by Martin Grieve
Source: Michel R. Lupant, Flags of Hong Kong
On their uniform (except for musicians) the cap badge was
always plain silver. Legend has it that the badge was
deliberately designed to look like a mirror in order to repel
any evil spirit a policeman might encounter on the beat. The
same legend also says (although this is baseless given the
uniform was also worn elsewhere within the Empire) that the
buttons on his shirt was laid out like a cross for the same
reason.
Until the late 1960s the scroll read 'Hong Kong Police'. The
'Royal' title was granted for service during the 1967 riot.
Only five police forces have ever received this honour. After
1997 a similar badge and flag has been in use. The main
difference being: modern harbour scene; red bauhinia blossom
replaces the crown; the scroll reads 'Hong Kong Police' in
both English and Chinese.
Miles Li, 9 July 2003
On the vaguely related topic of police cap badges, before
1967, the Hong Kong Police sported an entirely silver badge
comprising the Colonial badge surmounted by a "Tudor" crown
and surrounded by a garland of leaves, from which plant I do
not know. The scroll beneath bore the legend "Hong Kong
Police".
When the distinction "Royal" was conferred, the badge became
somewhat more squat in shape, the "Tudor" crown was replaced
by St. Edward's crown, the leaves in the garland shrank and
the scroll was enameled blue with the words "Royal Hong Kong
Police" picked out in silver. The Colonial badge in the
centre, depicting, some say, Hong Kong's first bribe,
remained largely unchanged.
Peter Johnson, 9 July 2003
by Martin Grieve and Mattias Hannson
When living in Hong Kong during the summer of 1997 I set about to get my hands on a proper 1:2 3x6’ Hong Kong Blue Ensign as used by the Hong Kong Government. This was a hard task. For some reason all the flag makers in the colony made flags in absurdly square looking ratios. 3:5 and sometimes 2:3. The same flags I had bought on a previous visit I now did not want anymore.
So I came across an Englishman selling off a stock of HK Blue Ensigns in time for the handover. I contacted him to ask him why his flags were 3x5' rather than 3x6', but he had no clue. He just said that he had a connection within the HK Government and that he had gotten a stack of flags (50 or so) to sell and they were all either 3x5’or 4x6'. All flags were the same with the exception of two flags. One was a 3x6' HK Governor's Flag (UJ with badge within garland) and the other a 3x5' Royal Hong Kong Police Blue Ensign that had been displayed on an indoor flagpole in the Commissioner of Police's office. That was all he could (or would) tell me. All the flags were high quality fully sewn flags and I was never in doubt that they were made for the HK Government as they had stamps on the white band that holds the cord.
I had heard that some of the Union Jacks and HK Blue Ensigns
were made by inmates in the HK prisons. These all appeared to
be 1:2. But maybe the inmates weren’t producing them
fast enough and an order was placed with a local flag maker
without specifying the ratio? Who knows? In any case I
snapped up the two flags that were different even though the
ratio on the Police Ensign was wrong as I thought it might
have been a rare flag.
Mattias Hansson, 18 April 2003
I sent the image to someone who been in the Hong Kong Police.
He replied that at one time he was visiting the office of the
Commissioner of Police on a daily basis, and that as far as
he could remember, the flag stood in the corner of the
office, and was there more or less as a symbol.
David Prothero, 5 May 2004
by Martin Grieve
Source: Michel R. Lupant, Flags of Hong Kong
Badge Detail
contributed by John Ma
Since 1997, the badge has resembled that of the RHKP, save
that the crown has been replaced by silver, and not red,
bauhinia flower. The scroll is still in blue enamel, but now
bears again the legend, "Hong Kong Police", as well as its
Chinese equivalent. The charming old Colonial badge has been
superseded by a rather bland depiction of our ever-changing
and heraldically challenged waterfront.
Peter Johnson, 9 July 2003
Just by way of an update, this is an image of police flag issued by the Hong Kong Government for the HKPF Marine
Dept use measuring 26.5 x 17.5 inches post 1997.
Keir Heath, 30 October 2009
The flag bears the current Hong Kong police badge,
but I have to say that I have never seen it flown either on a launch or from a
shore establishment of what we used charmingly to call the "Water Police". As
far as I know, police launches fly the red and white "bauhinia" flag from the
stern and the striped marine police flag from the yard-arm.
I suspect that this is the general police flag, although it is very rarely seen.
If you have any further information about this flag, however, it would be
greatly appreciated.
Peter Johnson, 31 October 2009