After 33 years of service on the Force, Elms retired at the rank of senior superintendent. While recalling memories of July 1, 1997, Elms said he was an auxiliary police, and was told that on the stroke of midnight the force were to change their cap badges.
"Some of them said that it was rather emotional, because it was like stepping into something else. Although by and large, I think after that, everything settled down and we more or less did the job as it was," Elms said.
Elms shares special keepsakes —— badges from different times as a police officer in Hong Kong. When he joined the force in 1964, the cap badge was still bore the crown of the reigning British monarch as its emblem. In 1968, the police were granted with the title "Royal Hong Kong Police".
After June 30, 1997, the badge evolved to its current iteration of the Hong Kong SAR police. The Queen's crown was replaced with the Hong Kong SAR emblem. The "Royal Hong Kong Police Force" became the "Hong Kong Police", and the crown was replaced by a beautiful bauhinia.
Before 1997, Elms was encouraged, almost even threatened to leave Hong Kong, as someone believed he would be punished after Hong Kong returned to China. Elms had also saw many of his friends leaving the city before 1997.
"I said, 'Look here, my friends, the whole world might want Hong Kong to fail after 1997. There is one country that would not want Hong Kong to fail, and that’s China.' I'm glad to say, I've been proven right."
After 33 years of service on the Force, Elms retired at the rank of senior superintendent. While recalling memories of July 1, 1997, Elms said he was an auxiliary police, and was told that on the stroke of midnight the force were to change their cap badges.
"Some of them said that it was rather emotional, because it was like stepping into something else. Although by and large, I think after that, everything settled down and we more or less did the job as it was," Elms said.
Elms shares special keepsakes —— badges from different times as a police officer in Hong Kong. When he joined the force in 1964, the cap badge was still bore the crown of the reigning British monarch as its emblem. In 1968, the police were granted with the title "Royal Hong Kong Police".
After June 30, 1997, the badge evolved to its current iteration of the Hong Kong SAR police. The Queen's crown was replaced with the Hong Kong SAR emblem. The "Royal Hong Kong Police Force" became the "Hong Kong Police", and the crown was replaced by a beautiful bauhinia.
Before 1997, Elms was encouraged, almost even threatened to leave Hong Kong, as someone believed he would be punished after Hong Kong returned to China. Elms had also saw many of his friends leaving the city before 1997.
"I said, 'Look here, my friends, the whole world might want Hong Kong to fail after 1997. There is one country that would not want Hong Kong to fail, and that’s China.' I'm glad to say, I've been proven right."
