Page 259
· Campbell
Wallace
BRIEF for
THE KT. HON. JOHN HARE, 0.B.E., M.P.,
Secretary of State for War.
TOP SECRET
HONG KONG GARRISON
After the riots in October 1956, C.B.F., Hong Kong,
(321) on DEF.75/51/02 Part D.
made a new assessment of the forces which he required in
Hong Kong in order to fulfil his directive.
These forces
Copies for:
The Secretary of State.
Lt.Col. A.F. McGill,0.B.E., War Office (110.2).
DEF.75/51/02
Page 259
were to cover his three main tasks:-
2.
(a) to assist the police in the maintenance of
internal security;
(b) to maintain local confidence by being able to
put up a show of force on the frontier;
(c) in extreme emergency to cover the evacuation of
civilians (of whom there a e about 14,000,
and many loyal Chinese).
and
To meet these respective requirements C.B.F. said
that the following were necessary:-
(a) 3 infantry battalions, each with an armoured
(b)
scout detachment of 8 armoured cars each;
R.A.F. jet squadron and an armoured regiment;
(c) 4 infantry battalions, one field regiment of
Royal Artillery and a field squadron Royal
Engineers. The 4 infantry battalions were
in addition to the 3 in (a).
The total of (a), (b) and (c) is 9 major units,
plus a Venom squadron.
Page 259
This