LOCAL FORCES

179

Hong Kong Women's Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Hong Kong Women's Auxiliary Corps, and the Hong Kong Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

Training obligations vary in the different units. In most units members must attend annually, as a minimum require- ment, sixty instructional parades of one hour's duration, six full days' training and fifteen days' training at camp. An instructional allowance is granted in respect of every instructional parade. For full days training, and for attendance at Camp, officers and members are paid at the appropriate rate for regular officers and men of equivalent rank. The Force is financed from funds voted annually by the Legislative Council.

Most of the officers of the Force are found from amongst its members, but a few regular officers and N.C.O's are attached for the purpose of training.

The Force provides an excellent illustration of men and women of different races, both volunteers and conscripts, working together in all three Services in the common interests of the Colony.

OTHER AUXILIARY DEFENCE SERVICES

a

In addition to the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force, the Special Constabulary and the Police Reserve, number of other services have been raised and organized to assist in the defence of the Colony in an emer- gency. Legally, these are all parts of one service, the Essential Services Corps, which is raised and maintained under the Essential Services Corps Ordinance. In practice, however, the Essential Services Corps is split into four autonomous Units: the Units of the Essential Services Corps proper, the Auxiliary Fire Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, and the Civil Aid Services.

The conditions of service of the Essential Services Corps as a whole (including its autonomous Units) have been approximately equated to those of the Defence Force, and the same training obligations are, broadly speaking, imposed; except that members are not required to undergo 15 days training in camp, or to do any full-day training. Moreover, those members of the Essential Services Corps who in an

Share This Page