ENG-1992 — Page 341

THE ARMED SERVICES

Moving to Stonecutters will be the Navy's three Peacock-class patrol craft, plus all related operational and support facilities. Headquarters British Forces will continue to operate from the Prince of Wales Building in west Tamar after the move.

During 1992 the Royal Navy was again active in continuing operations at sea to counter smuggling and illegal immigration; and was again called upon in its search and rescue role when maritime disasters struck civilian shipping.

The Army comprises the largest element of the garrison, although its size was reduced with the amalgamation of two Gurkha battalions in the autumn of 1992. This reduction reflected the completion of the handover of responsibility for the Sino-Hong Kong border from the garrison to the Royal Hong Kong Police.

This adjustment resulted in a smaller infantry brigade made up of one United Kingdom battalion (currently The Black Watch, which took over from the 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales in January 1993) and two Gurkha battalions supported by Gurkha engineer signals and transport regiments. Army units in Hong Kong are completed by an Army Air Corps squadron, equipped with Scout helicopters, and a maritime troop, part of the transport regiment, which operates three landing craft.

The Royal Air Force is based at Sek Kong in the New Territories where it operates a squadron of Wessex helicopters.

Training and Operations

As the garrison is unique in its make-up, so is it in its ability to use its blend of troops and skills in a wide range of training and operations. This involves a busy programme throughout the year with combined exercises involving the three services and the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, as well as Five Power Defence Agreement exercises with the armed forces of Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

Exercises are held in Hong Kong in locations like Lantau Island and the New Territories, but Hong Kong lacks suitable areas for realistic training with some of the weaponry with which British Forces are normally equipped, which means that some exercises are held overseas in order to maintain a high standard of military skills; for instance the infantry go to ranges in Australia to fire the Milan anti-tank weapon.

During 1992, the garrison was not called upon to send troops to operate outside Hong Kong's boundaries in the same numbers as in the previous year, but a squadron of Queen's Gurkha Engineers was sent to Western Samoa to assist with hurricane relief operations and individuals were called upon to assist with United Nations operations, including in Cambodia.

Vietnamese Migrants

In 1992, despite the small number of Vietnamese migrants arriving in Hong Kong, the garrison continued to provide logistical and technical support in dealing with the problem. The western end of RAF Sek Kong continued to be used as a temporary camp, but the numbers of migrants accommodated there reduced throughout the year as the camp gradually closed down.

The Lo Wu training camp also continued to serve as a departure centre for migrants awaiting voluntary return to Vietnam. During the year the Army's maritime troop moved some 10 000 migrants between locations and the Royal Navy assisted in the transfer of hundreds of returnees under the Orderly Repatriation Programme.

287