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THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES
and a small clearance diving team assists the police in the recovery of drugs and smuggled goods and is trained in the techniques of searching for and neutralising underwater explosives. The Captain-in-Charge also administers the naval staff in Singapore, where the Royal Navy maintains berths and an oil fuel depot.
The final three of the Hong Kong Squadron's new 'Peacock' class patrol craft – HM Ships Starling, Swallow and Swift – arrived in 1985. The first two vessels, Peacock and Plover, had arrived in 1984. All the old patrol craft have been decommissioned.
In other movements during the year, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Sir Bedivere called, and the base was also visited by warships from the United States, Australia, Malaysia and India. Ships of the Hong Kong Squadron called at ports in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea during ocean training deployments.
The new 763-tonne patrol craft, built in Scotland, have been specially designed for patrol duties in local waters, including search and rescue and have the ability to stay at sea during typhoons. All the vessels are of a steel and aluminium construction and are 63 metres long and 10 metres wide.
High-definition radar, direction finding equipment, echo sounder and a gyro compass form part of the equipment fitted to give accurate navigation through confined Hong Kong waters. Boarding tasks are usually achieved by using two rigid inflatable Avon Seariders which are widely used throughout the service. A comprehensive communications system enables the ships not only to talk to boarding parties and shore authorities but also to send messages to any part of the world.
Under the direction of the Captain-in-Charge, a team is training to co-ordinate a scheme of control for the protection of commercial shipping using the Port of Hong Kong in times of tension or war. Personnel include officers of the Royal Naval Reserve, United States Naval Reserve and the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve who are resident in Hong Kong and can be ready at short notice. The team enjoys a close liaison with the Marine Department and the shipping companies.
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The strength of the Royal Navy, including reinforcements, is about 670, supported by about 70 locally employed civilians. The patrol craft are jointly manned by Chinese ratings and United Kingdom naval personnel serving in Hong Kong. Altogether, about 370 locally entered personnel are employed ashore and afloat in the seaman, engineering, supply and medical branches. A further 300 locally recruited merchant seamen serve world-wide on board ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service. Manning laundries on ships of the Royal Navy is another task traditionally undertaken by Hong Kong men.
The Royal Navy plays an active part in the community and during the year personnel provided sea training for the Sea Cadet Corps and the Hong Kong Sea School, and gave assistance to the Home of Loving Faithfulness.
The Army
The Army represents the bulk of the forces in Hong Kong under the direct command of the Commander Land Forces. Command of operational units is exercised on behalf of the Commander Land Forces by the Commander Gurkha Field Force, while logistic units, grouped as support troops, come under the Commander Support Troops.
In 1985, the 2nd Battalion 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was replaced by the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles. Resident throughout the year were the 1st Battalion the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles and the 1st and 2nd Battalions 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Gurkha Rifles.