ENG-1995 — Page 369

THE ARMED SERVICES

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Hong Kong Police, the Auxiliary Medical Services and the Civil Aid Services personnel from the Queen's Gurkha Signals will be on hand to offer help and advice. Garrison teams and individuals also played a leading role in the territory's sporting programme. In 1995, for the first time, stewarding of the Hong Kong Sevens International Rugby Tournament was entirely in military hands with more than 250 Gurkhas from the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles bringing their special brand of friendly authority to the stadium. Gurkha military engineers provided the design expertise and manpower for various youth projects, and several hundred youngsters attended camps run by the garrison to experience a variety of activities including physical training, assault courses, shooting, map-reading, first aid, hill-walking, canoeing and sailing.

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The Hong Kong Locally Enlisted Personnel Welfare Trust was officially launched in 1994. It aims to help any Hong Kong ex-servicemen, and their dependants, who find themselves in hardship, distress or poverty after the departure of the British garrison. It is run by a board of military and civilian trustees and will come into effect on July 1, 1997.

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers)

The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) was disbanded on September 3, 1995, bringing to an end 141 years of volunteer, part-time, military service to Hong Kong.

The Regiment was founded in 1854 as a result of the temporary withdrawal of British naval forces. Volunteers were called for to defend Hong Kong Island and 99 people signed the Colonial Secretary's Circular of May 30, 1854, becoming the first military volunteers. This unit disbanded shortly afterwards but was re-formed between 1862 and 1866. In 1878, the Hong Kong Artillery and Rifle Corps was formed and a volunteer force existed continuously from then up to 1995.

Volunteers were always available to counter both internal and external threats to Hong Kong's security and assisted the civil power on many occasions during their long history. In 1864 they helped quell rioting on the streets of Hong Kong; they defended Kowloon from attack in 1899; undertook guard and patrol duties during World War I; and patrolled the streets during the Seamen's Strike of 1922 and the General Strike in 1925.

The Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps was on active service at the outbreak of World War II and fought gallantly during the defence of Hong Kong in December 1941. Out of a mobilised total strength of 2 200, 289 were killed, listed as missing or died of their wounds during the battle or while prisoners of war. Their services. were recognised by the award of 19 decorations and 18 Mentions in Dispatches for gallantry and good service and the Corps was awarded the Battle Honour 'Hong Kong'.

From 1961 onwards, the Regiment was organised as a light reconnaissance unit, equipped with Land-Rovers and, for a time, armoured cars. It was called out during the 1966 riots and played an important role during the 1967 emergency. The Regiment was again called out in 1979 to assist the government with the problem of illegal immigration from mainland China. On several occasions during 1980 the whole Regiment deployed along the border. In 1988 and 1991 it was heavily involved