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THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES
isolated communities, and to engender confidence, has continued at a high frequency.
LOCAL AUXILIARY DEFENCE SERVICES
The local auxiliary defence services, the Royal Hong Kong Defence Force and the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police (dealt with in Chapter 10) have a total strength of over 4,000 volunteers. These Services are raised and administered under local legislation and are financed by funds allocated by the Legislative Council. The Royal Hong Kong Defence Force comprises the Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) and the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
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The Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) has a strength of about 600. It is a light reconnaissance regiment and comprises a headquarters squadron, four reconnaissance squadrons (three equipped with landrovers and one with scout cars) and a Home Guard squadron. The regiment is fully mobile and its role is to operate in support of the regular army battalions stationed in Hong Kong with tasks which make use of the volunteers' detailed knowl- edge of the Colony and the people.
The Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force has a strength of 85 volun- teer members and operates two Alouette helicopters and four Auster aircraft. The main functions of the force are internal security, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, aeromedical services and conveyance of government officers to remote areas. Some 50 casualty evacuations were carried out during the year under review and sorties were flown to assist the Marine Police locate missing yachts and vessels carrying illegal immigrants. The aircraft have also been used to deliver weekly newspapers to remote villages in the New Territories and the outlying islands.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS
The Essential Services Corps comprises four autonomous serv- ices-the units of the Essential Services Corps proper, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Civil Aid Services and the Auxiliary Fire Service. The Corps proper consists of some 60 units which can be mobilised during severe emergencies to maintain public utilities and