ENG-1975 — Page 215

15

The Armed Services and

Auxiliary Services

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THE British Army, Navy and Air Force are all represented in Hong Kong and are under the command of the Commander British Forces, Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Bramall.

The Commander British Forces advises the Governor on matters affecting the security of Hong Kong and is responsible to the Chief of Defence Staff in London. The Armed Forces are stationed in Hong Kong primarily to assist the government in maintaining security and stability.

Army units predominate and are under the direct command of the Commander British Forces, who has the additional appointment of Commander Land Forces. Royal Navy ships are under the direct operational control of the Captain-in-Charge, Hong Kong, who also commands the naval base HMS Tamar. The Commander Royal Air Force commands the Royal Air Force station at Kai Tak and associated units, including No. 28 Squadron which is equipped with Wessex helicopters.

The major part of the naval force is the permanently assigned Hong Kong Squadron at present consisting of HMS Chichester and some patrol craft. The Hong Kong Squadron acts in support of the government within the territory's coastal waters.

Royal Navy divers have assisted the Hong Kong Government in recovering several million dollars worth of drugs, and the patrol craft of the squadron work in conjunction with the marine division of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force in patrolling territorial waters.

The Royal Navy in Hong Kong employs 550 locally recruited Chinese naval ratings in various fields, including cooks, stewards, technicians and seamen. Some 200 of the cooks and stewards are serving in HM Ships throughout the world. A further 150 locally recruited seamen and storehousemen serve worldwide in the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries which provide logistic support for Her Majesty's Fleet. Laundering, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing facilities are provided for the fleet by 300 Hong Kong Chinese seagoing civilians. Within HMS Tamar, some 150 Hong Kong Chinese civilians are employed mainly on clerical, storekeeping, transport and labour tasks for the naval base and ships of the Hong Kong Squadron.

In a neighbourly spirit, the Royal Navy provides much help to villagers in the rural areas of the Sai Kung and Tolo peninsulas. Recent projects have included the installation of generators and the provision of electricity for schools, villages and street lighting; the construction of children's playgrounds; and the provision of dental treatment for children from orphanages and charitable organisations such as the Hong Kong Sea School.