ENG-1995 — Page 368

THE ARMED SERVICES

and operations. This involves a busy programme throughout the year with combined exercises involving the three services.

Exercises are held in Hong Kong in locations such as Lantau 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. As a result, some exercises are held overseas in order to maintain a high standard of military skills. In 1995, the Army joined exercises in Brunei, Hawaii and New Zealand, while ships of the Hong Kong Squadron took part in naval exercises in Australia and Malaysia. HM Ships Plover and Peacock also made what is thought to be the first Royal Navy visit to the Portuguese colony of Macau since the 1950s. In April 1995, HMS Plover rescued 20 survivors after a head-on collision between two Taiwanese-registered cargo ships, seven miles south-east of Waglan Island.

The Garrison and the Community

Apart from the high-profile events that highlight the garrison's presence, and which this year included the 50th anniversary commemorations of the Liberation of Hong Kong, there is much behind-the-scenes activity which largely goes unreported. When a typhoon threatens, the garrison automatically moves to a higher state of alert. Emergency communications are set up and troops placed on standby for any tasks they may be given. The troops are backed up by a wide range of equipment and supplies held in disaster relief stores.

Local people bring a wide variety of skills to the garrison, either in uniform as members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps or the Chinese Division of the Royal Navy, or as civilians in a wide range of jobs. Apart from supplying essential translation skills, they are to be found working as seamen, engineers, drivers, medical orderlies, teachers, secretaries, bookkeepers, clerks, military police, guards, dog- handlers, signallers and mechanics.

As the garrison draws down, the number of Chinese personnel, both military and civilian, will reduce. The future welfare of these employees is of paramount concern and there are extensive resettlement and retraining programmes for the garrison's Chinese employees to equip them for other jobs.

Besides participation in displays and open days enjoyed by thousands of people, smaller groups of servicemen and women and their families support a wide variety of charities and involve themselves in projects concerning the young, the elderly and the disabled.

The Queen's Gurkha Signals Regiment organised and ran its last Trailwalker in 1995. The event is a 100 km walk and run along the MacLehose Trail in aid of charity. Trailwalker started in 1981 as a military event with teams from the Gurkha Field Force HQ and Signal Squadron racing over the trail to raise money for the Gurkha Welfare Trust and local charities. The event was opened to the public in 1985. Although the maximum number of entrants was reached some years ago, the popularity of this event increases year by year, with more than $10 million currently being raised per annum. A third of the sum raised by Trailwalker is donated to the Gurkha Welfare Trust to provide welfare and other facilities in Nepal and to support former Gurkha soldiers and their families. Over the years, nearly $15.5 million has been raised for the Trust. Trailwalker 1996 will be jointly organised by the Royal

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