I lost 20 pounds in weight under the pressure of been to a new member of training company, the Officer Major was famously known as the hardest and highest expectation on his NCOs abilities. I experienced his strange temper when I met him in the interview on the date I reported duty. I can remember that sooner his office’s door opened the Sergeant Major marched me in and halted at in front of his disk, the Major stared at me fund that a different (previous unit’s) badge was still pinned on my beret and with no strip (sign of rank) on arm, he immediately berated me to get change within FIVE minutes.

To be a training instructor absolutely isn’t easy. By that time, I was totally inexperienced in “Method of Instruction” and “Weapon Training Skill”, even didn’t fully understand some essential contents on the weapon training pamphlets. It’s no doubt that I made misleading occasionally on teachings so the Major keep accusing me plus hard time on job.

Fortunately this Training Major tended to give me chances and advices on the correction ands improvement for my military skill plus teaching technique, even more he sent me to UK for many military training instructor courses. Actually I had not let this kind Major down that I obtained many good results in consequence. After personal familiarization on various teaching skill and smart personal drill, I became an outstanding NCO among my colleagues and sooner and rapid promotions were absolutely amazing to me. In 1984, I’d been to the rank of Staff-Sergeant. Another prompt promotion of Warrant Officer class 2 informed me that after the completion of RQMS course, I’ll replace the RQ which was British WOII taken place.

However, luck not always be with me! Meanwhile I was waiting the promotion; the Commandant was changed duty, a new Lt. Col. Turn up. My good dream was turned down! The new Commandant had been whispered by a high-senior Corps member that my previous promotions were unbelievable fast because I’m a shoe-shining-boy擦鞋仔, in fact corrupting the Ex Commandant for promotions. In progress of the interview regarding my promotion cancellation, I clearly recalled as follows:

Commandant:    “Li, I’m sorry that your coming promotion is turned down. The reason’s I found that you’d jump promoted 3 times within two years time, it’s very unusually! And, I need to observe your capability and verify this recommendation. Don’t worry young man, if you’re really that smart & distinguished, you won’t be suffered.”

Paul:                “Sure Sir!,,.. I do think my further promotion has being turned down, it’s not my loss! It’s Army’s loss.”

Commandant:    “I’ll see…..

I enjoyed as a Drill Instructor in The training Depot. In one occasion of our Company Sergeant Major on course so I was acting his rank therefore I need to carry a pace stick, and because marching a pace stick was my favour drill. One day on my way of marching my stick from the drill square toward my office, suddenly I heard a loud voice, “Well-done Staff,, you’re the first one I have seen in the corps who plays the stick!” I seen there’s the Commandant of course immediately I saluted to him and said “Thank-you Sir”. At the Lunch-time in the Sergeants Mess, other pace-stick carriers were blaming about due to all of them had been ordered to practise their own skills on marching a pace stick.

After 20 weeks recruit training, I attended another driver training course then was posted to a transportation unit to be an ambulance driver. During my driver training, I was definitely a very naughty and immature soldier. But I did appreciate a senior Sergeant who had given me opportunities for manner-consolidation & work performance. Just share a little piece with you.

After this case I though I would having hard time due to arguing with the training leader; nevertheless, I had been offered a very patient instructor who was a very out standing master to me. It was no doubt that some instructors were greedy in Yum Chai飲茶. But my master never requests any dim-sum & tea.

After driver training completed I was posted to a transport unit it mainly served the transportation for British Military Hospital in King’s park. What a coincidence that the kind Sergeant was there as well, so I met him again. I sensed that this Sgt always kept eye on my performance so I had to work hard and to perform smart including keep turn-out well ironed and boots polished plus keeping vehicle in clean & tidy condition. Form time to time, the Sgt was very impressed upon my capability. Two years gone, Honestly, the shifts of ambulance driver duty was boring and lack of interest to me. Fortunately I got an opportunity to replace a Junior Cadre vacancy which was given up by a senior-driver who tended to go for an overseas training. I really believed that's all control by my destiny, in consequence I was promoted and become a training NCO in the Depot. It was in 1979

The weather was so hot in the torrid sun at 1973’s mid-autumn, hence hard training and frequent penalized by the NCOs, a lot of recruits (including me) quite often went out to bully civilians specially targeting on bad-guys (drug-dealers & gangsters) or even longhairs teens along 筲箕灣 to 銅鑼灣, but never been interfered by policemen (don’t know why), I think they were merely concentrating on their corruption business by that time so they rather keep eye closed than getting trouble with British Army Personnel. Therefore, we became another gang of rascals with an icon of jarhead+sandals. Only that we wouldn’t touch female & children or elderly, nevertheless we were already under surveillance of PTU which was just newly formed for violence control.

In September the violence between Police and HKMSC soldiers was induced by an arrest for three recruits that I clearly recalled the incident because I involved. In one Wednesday’s evening we(10 recruits) went to Garden Restaurant to din & chat for leisure hours then going to leave, fortuitously there were 2 more intake-male came into the restaurant so three guys including me stayed behind with the 2 new arrivals continued to talk and drink for minutes more. And the other 7 recruits left and headed to barrack.

At about 9:30pm, the rear 5 recruits left the restaurant and returned to barrack by a taxi when turning left at the road junction which towards to the barrack. We saw many barrette head dressed policemen (PTU) had blocked the road and stopped our taxi to go through, so we got off and to see what happen. I seen three intake-mates were lying prone on the ground with handcuffed at their back and screamed for help. We attempted to rescue them but the PTU booted us away, we (5 recruits) immediately ran back to barrack and report the case to the guard room.

An hour later, almost 80 recruits and soldiers had ran to surrounded the whole 筲箕灣警署

I joined the British Army - Hong Kong Military Service Corps family in 1973 because of reading recruitment on newspaper when just turning to 18 of age. I never heard that Chinese people could be enlisted in British Army even more the pay was far more than I earning at that time, (Recruit got $329 a month).

On the day of recruiting in Lyemun Barrack which located at the hill top of 筲箕灣 I was so excited by hearing the loud & sharp voices of Call-Out-Timing on the Drill square where a drill lesson was taken place,

It was the first time to hear this remarkable sharp and heart beating sound. “One…..Two Three,, One,” it’s soul-stirring to me.

My recruit training began in early July/1973, a very hot and humid season for physical exercises particularly outdoor trainings that’s why we always been made a joke by our Education Instructors, “You guys all disliked English class and loved PT lessons when studying in school, but now doing opposite!”… We laughed and answered that we loved air condition, No sweat!! Certainly we can enjoy smoking during the class..
Recruits scared to training instructors (named NCOs) because NCOs would give recruits punishment without any reason, it may be polishing a pair of boot, some extra cleaning duties or toilet washing. We had to arrange our time consumption on daily room job and polishing boot plus uniform ironing, in addition some naughty guys would climb over fence to escape from barrack in night for own reasons or entertainments therefore time is worth to recruits. Due to the recruits were not allow to leave barrack during the weekday evenings but they often ran away for a free movie at Wing Wah cinema or having dinner or even bullied the civilian for venting our angers when being punished by NCOs….

At the time of 8^th week, we had done a DRILL test, granting a pass result permitted recruits to leave the barrack for few recreation hours after the dinner but must retuned barrack before 22:00 hrs.

In the middle of August, 1973, a very serious big fight between Police & HKMSC soldiers was occurred.

To be continued,,…..

我相信於某程度上，小弟的確是名 “攪事份子”，是否好事或壞事則取決於((觀點與角度))了。

第一段

第二段 

住院期間常問自己一個問題 “仲有乜可以做呢What else can I do?”

於1989年我離開復康院回家從新生活後好像找到了答案，因為經過了醫院攪事的關係和認識了一位臨床心理學家(簡稱TK)，我決定就以電腦為工具及利用互聯網作媒介，推動傷殘人士自學自助和組織法定自助團體。當然這位學者TK給了我很多資料及支持，但他永不會替我們組員辦事，於是所有文件上及籌辦工作，都要組員親身處理。而且我亦是軍隊出身，很自然被推舉為組織的首腦，興幸在軍隊時也學過小許人事管理，所以也樂此不疲。

團體成立之初期，是非常繁忙的，絶對是一項吃力而不討好的任務，出錢出力不在話下，還會有些時候從其他人聽到“潑冷水”的閒言閒語。但不管怎麼辦，我已決意要攪這個自助團體就要幹到底,,..，那管它失敗或成功也好，只管盡自己努力吧。原因是我要証明給我的家人、親戚、朋友和其他與我類似 “傷殘程度” 的病友知道，李銀康係一名不拆不扣的“軍佬”,,..仲係 Tough 個隻！….所以在那時期 “軍佬” 就係我的稱號。

我體會到朱太現在最需要的是能得到警務處的承諾，於朱警員醫療判症之前會繼續支付薪金及福利津貼給其太太。讓朱太可以減輕負擔，專心照顧朱警員。