37/D Hoi Sing Court, South Horizons,
Apleichau,
Hong Kong.
9 Nov 93.
Mrs Norma Major, 10 Downing Street, Westminster,
London.
Dear Mrs Mager.
In Hong Kong there are 25 old ladies, the youngest is in her 70's, whom the British Government continues to deny a full British Passport. These women are war widows. Their husbands gave their lives in the service of the Crown because they believed in what Great Britain stood for.
Now Great Britain has no need of them, and their sacrifice is noted and promptly ignored. There are only 25 of them, by no stretch of the imagination can they be considered a threat to anyone and there is no reason to believe that they will all immediately wish to take up residence in the UK anyway.
Why then, does the Government not have the grace to recognise them as worthy of a passport under the category of special service for the crown?
What does it benefit anyone to deny these ladies the comfort and assurance of knowing that, in their hour of need, Britain repays them the debt that they are owed? These ladies do not wish to immediately rush to Leicester Square to claim Social Security benefits. What they want is to know that they will not be left to the tender mercies of a regime which they have no love for.
These ladies lost their husbands because they fought for Britain, not for China. What thanks do we give them?
It is a great disgrace that this matter should ever have been allowed to drag on for as long as it has. I write to you to ask for your support in resolving this shameful matter. Would you be so kind as to help them, and use your influence, with Mr Major and others, to settle this matter for once and for all in the decent way.
The very fact that a small and insignificant matter such as this should have to be taken as high as the Prime Minister of the land is, in itself, somthing which no one should be proud of. This could so easily have been dealt with at a more junior level a long time ago. Sadly, we have little option but to bring this to his attention.
All that is required is that the Government acknowledge that "service in the interests of the Crown" includes the slight inconvenience of having one's husband killed in the line of his military duty.
Please help these ladies. What Honour the country has left is being jeapordised for want of 25 passports for war widows.
Yours faithfully,
Ford Gallo
Peter A Gallo.