CONFIDENTIAL.
179-
LA HCR 184/2.77mm. 37°
51
19 JUN 79
GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 1510352 JUN
TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.
TELEGRAM NUMBER 800 OF 15 JUNE, 1979.
IND
DESK O
TO WILLIAMSON H.K. DEPT, FROM DAVIES.
AIR FREIGHTING TENTS:
1. WHEN YOU TELEPHONED AT 0030 HONG KONG TIME ON 13TH JUNE 1979 AND WOKE ME TO SAY YOU NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE DECISION ON WHETHER
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD MEET THE COST OF AIR FREIGHTING
ARMY TENTS TO HONG KONG I SAID THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE
WOULD DO SO.
2. THE CIRCUMSTANCES KNOWN TO ME WERE THAT :-
(A) WE HAD BORROWED TENTS FROM HQBF FOR THE USE OF VIETNAMESE WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT NOT BE SERVICEABLE AFTER USE, AND (B) THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR TENTS AS A RESULT OF REQUESTS FOR REINFORCEMENTS.
YOU ALSO SAID THAT IF THE CONSIGNMENT DID NOT CATCH THE
AIRCRAFT THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENT DELAY.
3. I HAVE NOW BEEN CONCERNED TO FIND THAT :-
1.
(A) THE TENTS LOANED TO US FOR USE BY REFUGEES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING RETURNED TO HQBF AND MOST ARE SERVICEABLE:
(B) HQBF ASKED FOR THE TENTS FOR THEIR OWN USE (NOT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S) FOR REPLENISHING UNSERVICEABLE STOCK ARISING FROM (A) AND TO ESTABLISH A STOCK PILE FOR POSSIBLE USE BY
REINFORCEMENTS:
(C) HQBF REQUESTED THE TENTS TO BE SENT BY AIR. THEY WERE
ASKED BY MOD TO JUSTIFY THIS BUT BEFORE THEY HAD DONE SO
WERE TOLD THE TENTS WERE COMING BY AIR:
(D) THE CONSIGNMENT WAS SENT BY COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT AND
COULD THEREFORE HAVE COME AT ANY TIME, AND
(D) IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE TENTS COULD HAVE BY SEA AS
OTHER MILITARY SUPPLIES,
CONFIDENTIAL
ke
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