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+
FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1978
+THE DECISION TO REPROVISION THE R.A.F. FACILITIES AT SEK KONG AND TO RELEASE THE MILITARY LANDS AT KAI TAK FOR CIVILIAN USE WAS MADE AS RECENTLY AS JANUARY 1976 AND TO HAVE ASSESSED REL. IREMENTS, PREPARED DESIGN AND WORKING DRAWINGS AND RELATED CONTRACT DOCUMENTS AND COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE 26 PROJECTS IN THE REPROVISIONING PROGRAMME BY TODAY HAS BEEN NO MEAN TASK.+
MR. MCDONALD THANKED ALL THE PEOPLE CONCERNED WITH THE PROJECT, PARTICULARLY THE SERVICES AND THE PROPERTY SERVICES AGENCY, FOR THEIR HELP AND CO-OPERATION.
WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE, HE SAID, HE DOUBTED WHETHER THE P.W.D.'S ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE COULD HAVE COMPLETED THE VERY LARGE AND COMPLICATED PROGRAMME OF WORKS SUCCESSFULLY WITHIN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
GROUP CAPTAIN HONLEY SAID THE CLOSURE OF R.A.F. KAI TAK CAME SOME 52 YEARS AFTER THE ENSIGN OF THE R.A.F. WAS FIRST RAISED ON THE SITE ON MARCH 10, 1927.
HAPPILY, HE SAID, THIS DID NOT MEAN THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE R.A.F. FROM HONG KONG AS THE R.A.F. HAD ALREADY HOISTED ITS ENSIGN AT ITS NEW LOCATION AT SEK KONG IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED, THE CLOSURE COINCIDED WITH A REDUCTION IN THE SIZE OF THE R.A.F. PRESENCE IN HONG KONG.
GROUP CAPTAIN HONLEY THANKED ALL THOSE CLOSELY CONCERNED WITH THE PROJECT FOR THEIR COUNSEL, GUIDANCE, PATIENCE AND CO-OPERATION.
IN PARTICULAR, HE EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION TO THE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS OF THE P.W.D. WHO HAD BUILT WHAT WAS VIRTUALLY A NEW STATION AT SEK KONG IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 MONTHS.
+ IT HAS BEEN A MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ALL CONCERNED CAN TAKE PRIDE IN THE RESULT, + HE SAID.
TO MARK THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION, THE ENSIGN OF THE R.A.F. WAS LOWERED FOR THE LAST TIME.
THE HANDING-OVER CEREMONY ENDED WITH A FLY-PAST BY FOUR AESSEX HELICOPTERS OF NO. 28 (A.C.) SQUADRON, R.A.F., IN A LAST SALUTE TO THE EASE WHICH HAS BEEN THE SQUADRON'S HOME ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1948.
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