THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES
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border and in recent years its major task has been to help combat illegal immigration, with individual battalions spending an average of four and a half months a year on border duties. A high level of border vigilance has been maintained, although there has been a significant reduction in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter Hong Kong. Improvements to border security are constantly being made and anti-illegal immigration operations continue to play a major part in the daily life of the army.
The Hong Kong-based units again demonstrated their prowess in competition with the rest of the British Army at the 1981 Bisley Meeting in England. The rifle shooting competi- tion was won by the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, and six of the first nine places were taken by units serving Hong Kong.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Queen's Own Highlanders at Stanley Fort and 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles at the border and the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Edwin Bramall, took the salute at a passing out parade of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps.
Royal Air Force
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The headquarters of the Royal Air Force Hong Kong is at Sek Kong in the New Territories where its No. 28 (Army Co-operation) Squadron operates eight Wessex helicopters with support by engineering and administrative squadrons. There are other units at Hong Kong International Airport and at Blackdown Barracks, San Po Kong. RAF personnel also serve on the staff of Headquarters British Forces.
The Wessex helicopters are employed in direct support of the army and can carry 14 troops or 1 400 kg of freight anywhere within Hong Kong.
Although illegal immigration has been substantially reduced across the land border, significant numbers still attempt to enter Hong Kong by using speedboats. These clandes- tine operations are normally carried out at night but are countered by combined operations involving surface vessels and helicopters. The Wessex uses its 65 million candle-power 'nitesuns' to illuminate the area and disorientate the speedboat driver to facilitate capture by surface vessels.
On a monthly rotational basis with the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, a helicopter is on permanent standby for territory-wide medical evacuation. These vary with cases ranging from heat exhaustion and heart attacks to traffic accident victims and pregnancy cases. On one such flight in June, a Vietnamese girl was born on board a helicopter. During the dry season the helicopters, which can carry 1000 kg of water, provided assistance in fighting fires in areas inaccessible to normal fire appliances. The Wessex have also assisted in several construction projects, including the removal of a crane from the top of the new power station on Lamma Island.
Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)
The role of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers), a light reconnaissance regiment which supports the British Army, is primarily one of internal security but also includes reconnaissance in anti-illegal immigrant operations. It also assists other govern- ment departments in the event of natural disasters.
The regiment has more than 700 volunteers who serve in four reconnaissance squadrons, a home guard squadron and a headquarters squadron which includes an escort and liaison troop, a boat patrol troop, the regiment recruit training wing and command and adminis- trative elements. There is also a regimental band made up of part-time musicians and a junior leaders' squadron of 135 boys who are trained in youth activities and leadership.