ENG-1979 — Page 240

THE ARMED SERVICES AND AUXILIARY SERVICES

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of the Hong Kong Squadron. Owing to the growing number of illegal immigrants from China and refugees from Vietnam, additional forces were added consisting of two Sea King helicopters, two SRN 6 hovercraft and a fast patrol boat. These forces operated from Sek Kong, Stonecutters Island and the naval base at HMS Tamar.

The principal task of the Royal Navy is to support the Hong Kong Government in maintaining the integrity of Hong Kong waters. In practice this primarily involves support- ing the Royal Hong Kong Police Force in intercepting illegal immigrants from China and refugees from Vietnam. In addition, the Navy carried out almost continuous patrols by air and sea outside Hong Kong waters to intercept large ships carrying Vietnamese refugees. The Captain-in-Charge has a responsibility for search and rescue operations in the South China Sea within the Hong Kong flight information region as far south as a latitude of 15° North. The Royal Navy maintains a small clearance diving team which assists the police in the recovery of drugs and stolen property, as well as routine naval diving tasks. The Navy has a total permanent strength of about 600 personnel principally based in HMS Tamar. This number was considerably increased by reinforcements in 1979. Of the permanent strength of 600, about 250 are British personnel, 270 are locally-entered Chinese ratings of the seaman, engineering and supply branches and about 60 are locally-employed civilians. A further 500 locally-recruited merchant seamen and storehouse men serve world- wide on 9 ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service providing logistic support for ships of Her Majesty's Fleet. Laundering, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing facilities are provided for the fleet by a further 260 Chinese sea-going civilians from Hong Kong.

In addition to the main operational tasks, the Royal Navy carries out tasks to help the local community. The principal organisations supported are the Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps, of which the Captain-in-Charge is Chairman of the Area Committee, and the Hong Kong Sea School at Stanley. Considerable support is given to both organisations by the ships of the Hong Kong Squadron which regularly take the boys to sea. In addition, the Navy provides sea transport for other service projects, repairs electricity generators in remote villages and receives visits from many youth groups.

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When conditions permit, the ships of the Hong Kong Squadron visit other countries in the region to provide ocean training for the crews, to exercise with other navies, and for a change from their patrolling duties in Hong Kong.

The Army

The Army provides the bulk of the forces in Hong Kong, under the direct command of the Commander British Forces. Operational units are concentrated into one formation - the Gurkha Field Force - and logistic units are grouped as support troops under the command of the Deputy Commander British Forces.

Permanently stationed in Hong Kong are the Queen's Gurkha Engineers and the Queen's Gurkha Signals.

Infantry battalions stationed in Hong Kong during 1979 were: 1st Battalion the Royal Green Jackets; 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles; 6th Battalion Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles; and the 7th Battalion Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles.

Other major units include the Training Depot Brigade of Gurkhas; Composite Ordnance Depot Hong Kong; the Gurkha Transport Regiment; the British Military Hospital; 50 Command Workshops Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; Depot Hong Kong Military Service Corps; and the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers).

In addition reinforcement units included: 1st Battalion the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) later replaced by 42 Commando Royal Marines from

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