ENG-1966 — Page 285

THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES

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evacuation and rescue from remote areas. They are also constantly used as transport by government officers and important visitors to remote parts of the Colony. HRH The Princess Margaret and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr Frederick Lee, were flown on tours of the New Territories during their visits to the Colony. Four members of the force were decorated during the year for gallantry in the rescue, in bad weather and difficult flying conditions, of 44 persons from the freighter Nan An which went aground in Mirs Bay.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES CORPS

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The Essential Services Corps proper consists of about 60 units, each responsible for maintaining an essential service such as the supply of electricity, water, communications etc during an emergency, but particularly during civil disturbances involving curfews. Approxi- mately one half of the units are formed from government depart- ments and the other half from commercial organizations. The strength is about 9,000. Each unit is principally staffed by persons of that service who have undertaken voluntarily to continue to serve under emergency conditions. When called out for service members are subject to certain obligations but also become entitled to certain benefits and privileges such as pay, pension in case of death or injury, police powers and indemnities, and identity docu- ments to facilitate movement during curfews. Comprehensive plans for the operation of each unit have been prepared and co-ordinated with the police and military. The Commissioner, Essential Services Corps, who is a full-time government servant, is responsible for keeping these plans up-to-date under the general direction of the Defence Secretary. Since in an emergency most members will con- tinue to perform their normal duties, the Corps does not normally carry out much training, but exercises for the purpose of practising the co-ordination of units are held from time to time. During the year an exercise involving 1,600 members of the food unit was successfully carried out.

Three units of the Essential Services Corps are autonomous, wear uniforms and carry out regular training. These are the Auxiliary Fire Service, Auxiliary Medical Service and the Civil Aid Services. The Auxiliary Fire Service, with a strength of some 780 members, provides a first-line reserve for the professional Fire Service.

URBAN COUNCIL PUBLIC LIBRARIES

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