B and C Grade Policemen

1910s photo. Look at the footware of the Chinese policeman, ...

Police Officers were graded in 6 levels during the early years after the establishment of the Police Force.

There w6 Grades in the early Hong Kong Police Force

Grade A – European, initially converted or retired infantry soldiers; when Charles May was appointed Captain Superintendent of Police, he started recruiting policemen from London to the force; organized recruitment efforts were made in London and throughout Scotland since 1872 when Walter Deane became police chief, targeting retired police officers.

Grade B – Indian, existing since Charles May's chiefdom; direct recruitment from India began in 1862, targeting mostly Sikhs from Punjab.

Grade C – Cantonese from Hong Kong or China.

Grade D – Chinese from Weihaiwei (威海衛), Shandong Province were recruited to the force from 1922.

Grade E – 25 Belorussians were recruited to form a special anti-pirate task force in 1930.

Grade J – Hong Kong Chinese who joined the police force during the Japanese occupation.

The grading system was abolished in around 1946.