Recently I met a fellow CAP member who had immigrated to the US from Hong Kong, he was telling me a story about how the founder of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps was a former CAP member. While we are preparing to celebrate CAP's 70th Birthday, the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps just finished their 40th Birthday.
This got me interested and this is what I found from the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps 40th Anniversary facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=145755715468336&set=o.122914814413789&type=1&theater (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=145755715468336&set=o.122914814413789&type=1&theater)
======
Time to know the Founder of HKACC, our late Wing Commander Warren H. Geddes (1945-1986).
In late 1967, after serving his Country as an US Marine in Vietnam, Wg. Cdr. Geddes came to Hong Kong to work and to learn something about real estate business. He had a passion for flying, very much wanted young people to share his dream and achieve success in aviation. Since he was a former member of the CAP, he started to teach aviation subjects with the new Air Scout Troop in Wah Yan College, Kowloon. However, he believed that Hong Kong youths should have a more military discipline formatted, totally aviation orientated organization. Thus, by November, 1970, he started the HKACC by emulating the CAP and ATC. He was soon joined by 4 friends who shared his objectives, they assembled about 40 young cadets and adult officers, many of which had Boy Scouts and Girl Guides experience, in particular Air Scouts and Air Rangers, and the HKACC was born.
Wg. Cdr. Geddes almost totally funded the HKACC in the beginning by using his own money, and raised donations from mainly the American business community in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Aero Club was also helpful in granting air experience flight seats whenever available to cadets.
The first so called 'flight meeting' was held at the Far East Flying & Training School, with both officers and cadets together on parade and attending aviation classes. The Headquarters at that time was located in a small room in a tin-roofed old, hot and dark warehouse about 5 blocks away, and later moved to a cellar under the staircase of a building nearby. With the help of the late Father Cunningham of Wah Yan College, Kowloon, the HKACC was able to transform its inception flight into its first unit ~ Flight 200 at Maryknoll Convent School, Kowloon. From that time, HKACC continued to grow and developed into what it is today.
The photo of Wg. Cdr. Geddes was taken in 1972, please note the rather US styled uniform, especially the non-medal ribbons. Actually, HKACC had its own distinctive uniform, which was different from that of the ATC and CAP. It looked US styled only because of the use of the ribbons and cadet ranks from the CAP.
Paul Chu,
Wing Commander (Rtd),
Ex-Commandant
— with Wing Commander Warren H. Geddes, Founder HKACC.
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/62338_145755715468336_100001017263667_225038_399828_n.jpg)
(Geddes died in a aircraft accident in 1986).
=============
HKACC Logo
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/ACC_logosmall.png)
====
Early HKACC Cadet uniforms from the early mid 1970s resembling more CAP (AF Style) then British RAF, later the HKACC changed their uniforms to look more British RAF (probably since it was British Hong Kong at the time).
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=128273507216557&set=o.122914814413789&type=1&permPage=1 (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=128273507216557&set=o.122914814413789&type=1&permPage=1)
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/34933_128273507216557_100001017263667_145175_758296_n.jpg)
Interesting. I wonder how the group was affected by the communist takeover? Does it still exist?
Yes the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps still exist and is very active, they also participate in IACE so you might see some on an IACE visiting CAP units and vice versa.
While Hong Kong was return to China it is a Special Administrative Region of China under the "One country two systems" meaning Hong Kong retains a high degree of autonomy.
Thanks very much for posting this. Warren was my father, and my family worked with Paul Chu to help construct his biography for the HKACC anniversary. He's the reason I became involved in aviation. Though he passed when I was only 4 years old, he planted the seed that has brought me to where I am today, a captain in the Air Force. I just registered with CAPTalk so I could post this thank-you note, although I did serve a bit of time with the flying castle CAP unit at Tinker.
Best Regards,
Capt Phil Geddes
Beale AFB, CA
This story and the reply from Capt. Geddes has to be one of the coolest things I have seen on CapTalk yet.
:clap:
Good to hear!
That was very interesting indeed. Thanks to everyone for sharing :clap:
Awesome!!
The past few years HMRS has actually hosted 2 or 3 HKACC members; its interesting to watch the end of the weak P&R....they stand out with their British style of marching, otherwise it has been a good experience, the members I have had the opportunity to chat with have thoroughly enjoyed the school
mk