CONFIDENTIAL
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
CONFIDENTIAL
MO 9/1/1B
PRIME MINISTER
Nthe pa N thos
24/7
WHITEHALL LONDON SWIA 2K9
TELEPHONE 01-218 9000
DIRECT DIALLING 01-218
Hkk dball
2111/3
RECEIVED 1947 NO. 51
2 4 JUL 1978
DK OFFICER
INDEX
ذله
PA
Action 1 en
Defence Soft..
444
P3/M. Judel A/ Land faw. Réberts
PX/Pus Su Adult by Catani An Miberly
u the way
THE FUTURE OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS
SEAD
HKSU
I have considered the implications for the Brigade SAD of Gurkhas of our agreement to continue stationing a Gurkha battalion in Brunei for a further five years. I believe that in the light of this we should now modify the Defence Review decision to reduce the Brigade from a strength of 7,000 to 6,000 by 1st April 1979, primarily by cutting the number of infantry battalions from five to four through the amalgamation of two existing ones; the Defence Review assumption was that the Brigade's Far East task would be similarly reduced by the early ending of the Brunei commitment. I have already delayed the amalgamation pending the outcome of the protracted negotiations with the Sultan.
-
three in
2. The Brigade has five infantry battalions Hong Kong, one in Brunei and one in the United Kingdom. The Sultan pays for the Brunei battalion, and the Hong Kong Government pays 75% of the cost of the garrison there.
3. The Gurkhas have served mainly in the Far East, and since 1948 have been a key part of the Hong Kong garrison. The Brigade could not however remain militarily effective if it were confined exclusively to that restricted task and environment. Since 1970 we have kept a battalion
This enables Gurkha battalions,
in the United Kingdom.
in
=/7
•
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
/ rotation