Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
15 April 1981
My Dear General
It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you and some of your colleagues during my recent visit to Hong Kong, and I would like to thank you for looking after us so splendidly.
Although I was not entirely unfamiliar with the work of the forces in Hong Kong, I found it most useful to be brought up to date at the briefing which you gave and during my subsequent helicopter tour of the operational areas. I was greatly encouraged by the results which you have achieved since Operation Champion came into effect, and was given a first rate account of the problems on the ground by Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie when I visited Man Kam To.
I of course could not fail to be impressed by your skilful planning in arranging for an invasion by some ninety Chinese junks on the day of my visit, which enabled the combined forces to display to me and the press your ability to cope with any situation with quiet efficiency!
Suncaidy
Major General J Chapple CBE
(CARRINGTON)