THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1984
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THE ACTING COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR RAYMON ANNING, THE "OMMANDANT (AUXILIARY), MR NYLON TS'O AND SEN FOR AUXILIARY
FFICERS WILL ATTEND THE CEREMONY.
ON PARADE WILL BE SEVEN CONTINGENTS FROM VARIOUS AUXILIARY FORMATIONS, WHILE THE AUXILIARY POLICE PIPE BAND AND THE SILVER BANDS OF THE REGULAR FORCE WILL PLAY MUSIC,
WHILE 1984 CELEBRATES THE SILVER JUBILEE OF AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1959, THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG'S VOLUNTARY POLICING GOES BACK TO 1914 WHEN A POLICE RESERVE WAS FORMED TO REPLACE THE REGULAR OFFICERS WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED FOR MILITARY SERVICE IN WORLD WAR 1.
WITHIN A FEW MONTHS 352 MEN, BOTH CHINESE AND RESIDENT EXPATRIATES, WERE SWORN IN AND, BY 1916, THE FORCE GREW TO A STRENGTH OF 575.
IN 1925, IT WAS MOBILISED AGAIN TO DEAL WITH A LOCAL SEAMEN'S STRIKE AND TO STOP THE INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA.
IN THE IMMEDIATE PRE-WAR YEARS, MORE AND MORE MEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE JOINED THE POLICE RESERVE, WHICH REACHED A STRENGTH OF 1 000 BY 1941. AT THIS TIME A SECOND AUXILIARY FORCE - THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY -- WAS ESTABLISHED.
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BOTH FORCES PERFORMED WITH GREAT BRAVERY AND DEDICATION DURING THE JAPANESE INVASION.
IN 1959, THE TWO FORCES WERE AMALGAMATED AND BECAME THE HONG KONG AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE.
AT PRESENT, THE AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE HAS AN
ESTABLISHMENT OF 5 435, WITH ITS MEMBERS SERVING IN 30 FORMATIONS, INCLUDING LAND DIVISIONS, EMERGENCY UNITS, SPECIAL DUTY COMPANIES, MARINE DIVISIONS, COMMUNICATIONS UNITS, A TRAFFIC FORMATION AND A HEADQUARTERS UNIT.
THE AUXILIARY FORCE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE REGULAR FORCE. ITS MEMBERS WORK ALONGSIDE THEIR FULL-TIME COUNTERPARTS, PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN DAY-TO-DAY CONSTABULARY DUTIES AND INTERNAL SECURITY SUPPORT DURING TIMES OF EMERGENCY.
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BOTH FORCES WERE AWARDED THE TITLE ROYAL FOR THEIR LOYALTY AND DEDICATION DURING THE 1967 CONFRONTATION.
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