XN000022-1982-04-11 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, APRIL

+AND THE TRAINING ALSO BUILDS UP SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE, ALL USEFUL QUALITIES IN CIVILIAN LIFE.+

KNOWN BY DIFFERENT NAMES IN ITS EARLIER DAYS, THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT HAS HAD AN ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY ́SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1854 TO REPLACE THE BRITISH GARRISON WITHDRAWN FL THE CRIMEAN WAR. ITS MOST MEMORABLE CHAPTER OF SERVICE WAS DURING THE PACIFIC WAR, WHEN SERVING UNDER THE NAME OF THE HONG KONG VOLUNTEER DEFENCE CORPS, IT LOST NEARLY 300 OF ITS 2 200 MEN IN DEFENDING HONG KONG AGAINST THE JAPANESE. MOST OF THE SURVIVORS EITHER ESCAPED OR WERE INTERNED, OR ELSE WENT UNDERGROUND TO CONTINUE THEIR RESISTANCE.

THE REGIMENT IS TRAINED MILITARILY AS A LIGHT RECONNAISSANCE REGIMENT ATTACHED TO THE GURKHA FIELD FORCE, ALTHOUGH ITS MAIN CONTRIBUTION WILL BE IN HELPING WITH MAINTENANCE OF INTERNAL SECURITY IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY.

PLANS ARE UNDERWAY TO REPLACE SOME OF ITS OLDER TYPE OF EQUIPMENT, AND THESE INCLUDE ITS RADIOS.

COLONEL BARNEBY, WHO IS A TANK AND ARMOURED RECONNAISSANCE SOLDIER BY TRADE WITH THE BULK OF HIS SERVICE IN THE BRITISH ARMY ON THE RHINE AND NORTHERN IRELAND, HAS ALSO SUGGESTED RECRUITING A SMALL SQUAD OF ABOUT 30 WOMEN VOLUNTEERS.

+UNITS IN GURKHA FIELD FORCE,+ HE EXPLAINED, WOULD FIND THESE LADIES, WHO WOULD HAVE TO BE FLUENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, INVALUABLE AS SEARCHERS AND INTERPRETERS IN AN INTERNAL SECURITY SITUATION AND ALSO ON ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DUTIES.+

THIS PROPOSAL IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

THE REGIMENT ALREADY HAS A JUNIOR LEADERS SQUADRON OF 14 TO 18 YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE TAUGHT MANY OUTDOOR SKILLS INCLUDING DRILL, RADIO, CAMP LIFE, SWIMMING, LIFE SAVING, CANOEING AND WATER SPORTS.

THERE ARE PLANS NOW ALSO TO DOUBLE THEIR NUMBER FROM THE PRESENT 135 TO ABOUT 300 AND BASE THE IR FUTURE TRAINING ON THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD SCHEME.

TRAINING FOR JUNIOR LEADERS TAKES ONE FULL SUNDAY AND ONE SUNDAY MORNING EACH MONTH, PLUS ONE EASTER CAMP LASTING FOUR DAYS. AND ANOTHER WEEK-LONG CAMP IN AUGUST.