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b. Hong Kong The garrison at its present strength of five infantry battalions, including three Gurkha battalions, and supporting units, and an artillery regiment.
c.
The Gulf Infantry supported by armoured cars and engineers stationed at Bahrein and Sharjah, to be withdrawn
by ...7
d.
The Mediterranean In Gibraltar, a garrison of one infantry battalion plus a company group, with engineer support;
in
Cyprus, the British contribution of one infantry battalion, an air-portable squadron and logistic support to the United Nations Force, and a garrison of an armoured car squadron and an infantry
in Malta, one infantry battalion in the Sovereign Base Areas;
battalion to be withdrawn in 1971
to be replaced in October
1971 by a Royal Marines Commando group 7.
e. The Caribbean In British Honduras, an infantry company group; in Anguilla, a contingent of Royal Engineers with supporting
elements.
COST OF OTHER ARMY COMBAT FORCES
20. The cost of other Army combat forces in 1971-72 in terms of money and manpower is estimated to be:
Far East (excluding Hong Kong)
Hong Kong
The Gulf
Mediterranean
Caribbean
£m.
Service
Civilian
to be inserted 7
ROYAL AIR FORCE GENERAL PURPOSE COMBAT FORCES
COMPOSITION
21. The general purpose combat forces of the Royal Air Force are all the front line formations and units except those designated Air
Mobility Forces, i.e. the transport and tanker forces.
They consist.
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56.
The operation continued for five weeks during which the British team admitted 94 patients, performed 246 operations and treated 563
Supplies and medical requirements for the team and
out patients.
patients were flown into Amman each day by the Royal Air Force. British Army ambulances and X-ray services were used extensively by other foreign medical teams, while detachments of the Royal Signals provided the communications network between the International Red Cross Headquarters and all the teams involved.
57.
A party of injured who had been flown to Nicosia were, under arrangements made with the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, treated at the British Military Hospital, Dhekelia.
THE FAR EAST
OPERATIONS AND EXERCISES AND MILITARY AID TO THE
CIVIL COMMUNITY
East Pakistan Relief Operation:
58-59 to be drafted7
Local Assistance
60.
Assistance to local communities has been rendered throughout
the theatre. The Royal Engineers have conducted well-drilling operations in Thailand, survey work in Indonesia, and supervised airfield construction and other work in the Solomon Islands and the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The Royal Air Force have flown photo-
All three Services
graphic sorties for survey purposes in Indonesia.
have carried out minor constructional tasks in Hong Kong and Malaysia. Malaysia and Singapore
61. Royal Air Force Shackletons have continued to conduct routine
maritime surveillance of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
Hong Kong
62. H.M. Ships have carried out guardship duties in the colony throughout the year. The Naval presence has been augmented by visits of larger ships of the Far East Fleet, including H. M. Ships
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Bulwark, Intrepid, Fife and Blake. The garrison has continued
to assist the police in the control of the frontier and in the
maintenance of law and order throughout the colony. Army battalions
and Royal Marines Commandos have taken turn in watching likely
trouble spots and helping the Hong Kong Government counter subversion
by patrolling in remote areas and islands. Royal Air Force
helicopters based in the colony have supported the garrison and the
police in their internal security role, and there have been a number
of visits by combat aircraft from Singapore and from the United
Kingdom.
The Beira Patrol
63. The embargo on the importation of oil to Rhodesia through Beira
has been enforced by the Beira Patrol throughout the year. This
operation has been carried out by H. M. Ships with afloat support
provided by ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service, and by
Shackleton aircraft of the Royal Air Force operating from Majunga.
Regular Air Support Command flights have been maintained in support
of the Royal Air Force detachment at Majunga. These combined
operations were carried out in accordance with the United Nations
Security Council Resolution of April 1966.
SEATO EXERCISES
640 In March last year units of the Far East Fleet and Royal Air
Force aircraft took part in the annual SEATO maritime exercise
in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
NATIONAL AND COMMONWEALTH EXERCISES
65. The exercise programme for 1970 was dominated by the joint
British, Malaysian, Singaporean, Australian and New Zealand land,
sea and air exercise BERSATU PAD!! held in the Malaysian area between
April and July, to train and exercise forces in the
conditions likely to have prevailed had the United Kingdom withdrawn
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