Rangoon Port Defence Volunteer Corps
The Rangoon Port Defence Volunteer Corps boasted Artillery, Naval and Electrical Engineering Units. The Rangoon Volunteer Artillery Corps had been raised in October 1879 and the Naval and Engineering Units in September 1892. (At this time a Fife Band was attached to the Rangoon Naval Volunteers Corps 1). To overview these three branches, the Rangoon Port Defence Volunteers Corps was formed as an Administrative Battalion by Sir Richard Carnac Temple in 1893.
In April 1902 the engineering unit was restructured and divided into a submarine mining corps and an electrical engineering corps but the Corps was reorganised in May 1905 and, subsequently, only the electrical engineering corps continued 2.
Contents
Uniform
The uniform of the Artillery was white, although the working apparel was khaki. The Electrical Engineers wore khaki and the Naval Unit wore a naval dress -see photo at note 2
Strength
By 1914 the land units comprised 2 Artillery Companies, 1 Electrical Engineer Company and 1 Machine Gun Company. Enrolled strength 1913-1914 = 560. Efficients = 580 3
Notes
1 Notes & Statistics in Four Parts – Rangoon 1892 archive.org
2 Rangoon Port Defence Volunteers “Southeast Asia Visions” on website of Cornell University. The article discusses the history and activities of the Corps and also contains a photograph showing Uniform of the Rangoon Port Defence Artillery Volunteer Officers
3 Indian Army List April 1915
External Links
Biography of Richard Carnac Temple, 1850-1931 Website on the History of Kempsey, Worcs, UK.
