SECRET UK COMMS ONLY
103
020371
MDHOAN 6350
SECRET
UK COMMS ONLY
FM FCO
TO
IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1214
OF 27180OZ JUNE 91
HKB 063/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HQBF HONG KONG, PEKING INFO PRIORITY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
88
SIC
FCO TELNO 1123: HONG KONG GARRISON: WITHDRAWAL OF THE FIRST
BATTALION
1. FURTHER TO TUR, MOD HAVE ASKED US TO CLARIFY THEIR INTENTIONS BOTH FOR THE REDUCTION IN THE SIZE OF THE GARRISON BY ONE BATTALION AND THE AMALGAMATION OF 1/2 AND 2/2 GURKHA
RIFLES.
2.
AS STATED IN THE 1989 GARRISON WITHDRAWAL PLAN ONE BATTALION OF THE HONG KONG GARRISON WILL BECOME NON-OPERATIONAL IN APRIL
1992, THOUGH IT WILL NOT BE FORMALLY STRUCK OFF THE GARRISON ORDER OF BATTLE. BETWEEN APRIL AND SEPTEMBER 1992, THE NUMBER OF MEN IN THE GARRISON WILL BE REDUCED IN STAGES AS THE PROCESS OF AMALGAMATION BETWEEN THE TWO BATTALIONS IN 2 GURKHA RIFLES CONTINUES. IT WILL NOT BE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1992, WHEN THE AMALGAMATION IS COMPLETE, THAT A BATTALION WILL BE FORMALLY REMOVED FROM THE GARRISON ORDER OF BATTLE.
HURD
YYYY
MAIN
59
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
HD/SAD
NEWS D PLANNERS
DISTRIBUTION
62
PUSD
RAD
PS/LORD CAITHNESS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD
SIR J COLES
MR BURNS
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