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THE ARMed servICES AND AUXILIARY SErvices
HMS Tamar is the Naval Shore Establishment in Hong Kong. It is the Headquarters of the Commodore-in-Charge and the Base for the squadron of ships. It also provides essential services to frigates assigned for duty in Hong Kong and to other ships of the Far East Fleet and Commonwealth Navies visiting Hong Kong for maintenance or recreation. Major warships which visited the Colony in 1969 included the Commando Ship HMS Albion, Assault Ships HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless and the Guided Missile Destroyer HMS London. HMS Tamar recruits and trains Hong Kong Chinese Naval ratings for service in the Naval base and in the Western and Far East Fleets. HMS Tamar is also the agency for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service and operates a licenced crew department for the recruitment of Hong Kong Chinese seamen for RFA vessels world- wide.
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Under command of Headquarters Land Forces, there are two Army formations, 48 Gurkha Infantry Brigade, which has its head- quarters at Sek Kong in the New Territories, and 51 Brigade which commands units both in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island, and which has its headquarters in Kowloon. Headquarters Land Forces is at Victoria Barracks on Hong Kong Island. Units which have been stationed in the Colony during 1969 include C Squadron, the Queen's Own Hussars, 18th Light Regiment Royal Artillery, 25th Light Regiment Royal Artillery, 1st Battalion the Royal Welch Fusiliers, 1st Battalion the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers; and from the Brigade of Gurkhas, 1st and 2nd Battalions 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles (who subsequently amalgamated and became the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles), 1st and 2nd Battalions 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, together with squad- rons of Engineer, Signals and Transport units of the Brigade. In addition tours of duty have been served in the Colony by A Squadron, 15th/19th the King's Royal Hussars and 200 Hovercraft Squadron Royal Corps of Transport; and from the Royal Marines, A Company 40 Commando and a Special Boat Section of Number 1 Raiding Squadron.
The Royal Air Force Station at Kai Tak is a separate enclave alongside the civil airport and uses the airport's runway and control services. The RAF has its own radar and signal facilities for the