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44. The Royal Air Force has continued to provide a widespread
network of search and rescue facilities around United Kingdom
coasts, by means of Nimrods from Kinloss and St Mawgan and several
helicopter detachments. To the eight Whirlwind detachments there was
Just before
added in October a Wessex detachment at Manston, members of which rescued
their first five civilians while still under training.
Christmas 1974 a notable rescue was achieved at Hoy in the Shetlands
when a helicopter picked up, and transferred to a waiting lifeboat,
nine survivors from a Belgian trawler which had run aground in
heavy seas only 20 yards from the base of a 600 feet cliff. This
was the last major RAF rescue in a year in which their helicopters
had responded to a total of 653 incidents involving 388 people.
During this period three officers and three senior NCOs were
awarded decorations or commendations for gallantry.
Mountain Rescue
45. Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Teams have continued their
close liaison with local civilian organisations and have assisted
on numerous occasions in rescuing members of the public in
difficulties.
Other Operations
46. Aircraft and ships of the Royal Navy have given increasing
assistance to the Departments of Trade and Industry in surveillance
of the traffic separation scheme in the Dover Straits, in which the
French Navy also participates. In November 1974. HMS Kent assisted
the Department of Trade and the Ministry of Defence team which
successfully vented toxic arsine gas from the hold of the Asia
Freighter in the open sea to the south west of the Scilly Isles.
III 24
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