TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1980
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POLICE MOUNT GUARD FOR PRINCESS ALEXANDRA ******
AFTER WALKING THE BEATS OF KOWLOON, MOUNTING GUARD AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE MIGHT SEEM LIKE A HOLIDAY FOR MANY POLICE OFFICERS. BUT FOR THE MEN OF THE POLICE TACTICAL UNIT, THE GUARD DUTY PRESENTS A RARE HONOUR.
THE MEN OF NO 2 PLATOON, GOLF COMPANY, CHOSEN TO MOUNT GUARD FOR HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS ALEXANDRA WHILST SHE IS
IN RESIDENCE AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KNOW THAT WHEN THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE IS SELECTED FOR ROYAL DUTIES, THE PTU IS THE POLICE CONTINGENT TRAINED TO REPRESENT THE FORCE. THE PRINCESS IS THE HONORARY COMMANDANT-GENERAL OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE,
+TWO MONTHS AGO THESE MEN WERE ALL POUNDING BEATS IN KOWLOON, + SAID CHIEF INSPECTOR ALAN NEWTON, THE POLICE TACTICAL UNIT OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARING THE PLATOON FOR ITS SIX DAYS' GUARD AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, +NOW THEY'RE TRAINING HARD FOR THEIR ROYAL DUTIES.+
THE 32 MEN OF NO 2 PLATOON WILL FORM FOUR SQUADS OF SEVEN CONSTABLES AND A SERGEANT GUARD COMMANDER. THEY WILL WORK AS TWO GUARDS, MAINTAINING AN ALERT PRESENCE COMBINED WITH CEREMONIAL PROCEDURES AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
WHEN HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ARRIVES AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE ON FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 8) AFTERNOON, GUARD COMMANDER SERGEANT CHAN HUNG-FUN WILL CALL OUT THE FIRST GUARD SQUAD AND GIVE THE ORDER TO PRESENT ARMS FOR A ROYAL SALUTE.
FROM THEN UNTIL THE PRINCESS LEAVES HONG KONG ON FEBRUARY 13 THE POLICE WILL STAND GUARD OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT HOUSE FROM 8 AM TO 8 PM EVERY DAY.
WHEN HER ROYAL HIGHNESS LEAVES GOVERNMENT HOUSE THE GUARD WILL AGAIN BE TURNED OUT, THIS TIME FOR INSPECTION BY THE IR HONORARY COMMANDANT-GENERAL. THE GUARD COMMANDER ON THIS OCCASION WILL BE SERGEANT LUK SHIU-PANG.
IT WILL BE THE SECOND TIME THAT THE POLICE TACTICAL UNIT WILL BE REPRESENTING THE FORCE ON ROYAL GUARD_DUTIES, IN 1972, WHEN PRINCESS ALEXANDRA MADE HER FIRST VISIT TO HONG KONG AS THE HONORARY COMMANDANT-GENERAL OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE, THE UNIT WAS CHOSEN TO PROVIDE THE GUARD.
+THE MEN HAVE BEEN HAND PICKED FOR THEIR SMARTNESS, + SAID MR NEWTON. THEY ARE WORKING HARD EVERY DAY TO LEARN THE DRILL AND I KNOW THAT THE SATISFACTION THEY WILL GAIN FROM MOUNTING GUARD FOR HER ROYAL HIGHNESS WILL MAKE THEIR EFFORTS ALL THE MORE WORTHWHILE.+
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