15
The Armed Services and Auxiliary Services
部和三
「輔軍
助
THE Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force are all represented in Hong Kong under the overall command of the Commander British Forces, Major General Sir Roy Redgrave MC.
The Commander British Forces advises the Governor on matters affecting the security of Hong Kong and is responsible to the Chief of the Defence Staff in London. The Armed Forces are stationed here primarily to assist the government in maintain- ing security and stability and to sustain confidence in the United Kingdom's intention to maintain the British position in Hong Kong.
The size and composition of the garrison, and the contribution Hong Kong makes towards the cost of keeping it here, are determined by an agreement between the Hong Kong and United Kingdom Governments known as the Defence Costs Agreement. The current agreement came into effect on April 1, 1976, and will run for seven years. The garrison comprises five Royal Navy patrol craft, one United Kingdom and three Gurkha Infantry battalions, two Gurkha engineer squadrons, one Army helicopter squadron equipped with Scout and one Royal Air Force helicopter squadron equipped with Wessex, plus the necessary support elements. The United Kingdom has under- taken to reinforce these forces should the circumstances so dictate. -
As part of the Defence Costs Agreement, Victoria Barracks is due to be released to the Hong Kong Government in 1979. Headquarters British Forces will move to a new tower block under construction in HMS Tamar.
The five Royal Navy patrol craft of the Hong Kong Squadron are under the opera- tional control of the Captain-in-Charge, Hong Kong, who commands the naval base HMS Tamar. The Hong Kong Squadron acts in support of the government within the territory's coastal waters, liaising closely with the Marine District of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and other government departments. It also has a responsibility for search and rescue operations in the South China Sea as far south as a latitude of 15° North and within the Hong Kong flight information region. In recent years the Hong Kong Squadron has been involved in the salvage of two merchant ships and has rescued the crew of a third.
A small team of clearance divers are based in HMS Tamar. They assist the Royal Hong Kong Police Force in the recovery of drugs and stolen property in addition to routine naval diving tasks. In September, 1977, they were involved in search and salvage operations following the crash of a CL-44 transport aircraft off Waglan Island. A decompression chamber in Tamar is available for diving emergencies.