Royal New Zealand Naval Association Inc.

Received via Fred Wilson

JENNY Side Party BEM

      Died Not known Reported by AE(OL) on 20-Mar-09

      JENNY BEM

      Generations of sailors who visited Hong Kong will mourn the death of

Jenny. She was a much loved living legend who. for all the colony's constant

change, remained the same incomparable institution for over half a century.

      Much of her life was an enigma. However. the authors of her

twenty-seven Certificates of Service generally agreed that she was born in a

sampan in Causeway Bay in 1917. Her mother, Jenny One, according to her one

surviving Certificate of Service, which was copied in 1946 from an older,

much battered and largely illegible document., 'provided serviceable sampans

far the general use of the Royal Navy, obtained sand. and. was useful for

changing money'. She brought up her two daughters to help her.

      Behind her perpetual great gold-toothed grin Jenny complained; "I

vcIIy chocker. All time work in sampan. N0 learn to lead or lite." But what

she lacked in education she made up more than a hundredfold with her immense

and impressive experience in ship husbandry. her unfailing thoroughness and

apparently inexhaustible energy. her unquestionable loyalty and integrity,

her infectious enthusiasm and her innate cheerfulness.

      Officially Jenny's Date of Volunteering was recorded as 1928. From

then until 1997, when the colony became a Special Administrative Region of

China and the Royal Navy moved out. she and her team of tireless girls. who

at one time numbered nearly three dozen, unofficially served the Royal and

Commonwealth Navies in Hong Kong by cleaning and painting their ships.

attending their buoy jumpcrs, and, dressed in their best. waiting with grace

and charm upon their guests at cocktail parties. Captains and Executive

Officers would find fresh flowers in their cabins and newspapers delivered

daily. And many a departing officer received a generous gift as a memento

from Jenny. For all of this she steadfastly refused ever to take any

payment. Instead she and her Side Party earned their keep selling soft

drinks to the ships' companies and accepting any item of scrap which could

be found on board.

      Jenny's huge collection of photographs - too big. she said. to be put

into books - she stored in a large envelope. They dated back to the mid 20th

century and showed her in the ships she so faithfully served, with Buffers

and Side Parties, and with grateful officers. many of whom became

distinguished admirals. In two thick albums she proudly kept her letters of

reference, all without exception filled with praise and affection for her.

One was a commendation by the Duke of Edinburgh for her work in the Royal

Yacht during her visit to Hong Kong in 1959. She has a Long Service and Good

Conduct Medal presented to her in 1938 by the captain of HMS DEVONSHIRE, and

a bar engraved 'HMS LEANDER 1975'.

      Most treasured of all Jenny's distinctions was the British Empire

Medal awarded her in the Hong Kong Civilian List of the Queen's Birthday

Honours in 1980 and with which she, formally named Mrs. Ng Muk Kah, was

invested by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose.

      In later years Hong Kong was no longer visited by the great fleets of

battleships and cruisers which gave Jenny and her Side Party their

livelihood and she found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Yet

she stayed fit and always willing to undertake any work available. To the

end of the Royal Navy's presence in Hong Kong there could be seen in the

shadow of the towering Prince of Wales building within the naval base, a

small round figure in traditional baggy black trousers and high-collared

smock, with a long pigtail and eternal smile who, regardless of time.

remained it seemed for ever - just Jenny.

Jenny died peacefully in Hong Kong on Wednesday 18th February 2009.

She was 92 years old.