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(iii)
one body to whom their work and records will be of value and this section obviously must go. These officers have never been in the forward areas and hence the same objection to them serving with the Civil Affairs Unit does not apply.
Those whose main value lies in their up-to-date contacts with and knowledge of the people in KWANGTUNG. In this category fall the senior officers such as Lt. Col. HOOPER and myself; I would stress again our value lies in our continued contact; I understand from DIMI/7609 of 29th March 1945 that the present plan is to relieve me of my command here and post me to the Civil Affairs Unit. What the C.A. Unit most requires is constant liaison with the B.A.A.G. officers who are still in close personal touch with the situation in the forward areas, a situation which is constantly changing. If these officers are removed permanently from the field the whole scheme will suffer.
I think therefore that senior officers should remain with the B.A.A.G. until the end of its work in South CHINA maintaining close personal liaison with the C.A. Unit both before and after the reoccupation. This liaison will be of greatest value during the pre- reoccupation planning stage and for this one or two senior officers should be sent to the C.A. planning unit for consultations.
(a) I would therefore suggest the following for consideration:
(1)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
That the B.A.A.G. should continue to perform its military functions in South CHINA as at present constituted until such time as there is no longer any military necessity for its existence.
During that time it should only be used in the planning and the operations for the recapture of HONG KONG in so far as its Charter, as approved by the Chinese, allows.
Until the C.A. Unit moves into HONG KONG, there should be the closest liaison between the C.A. Unit and the B.A.A.G. H.Qs. This can best be achieved by the passing of our intelligence reports concerning HONG KONG and South CHINA to the C.A. Unit and if necessary by visits of our senior officers or members of "T" Section to the C.A. Unit.
After the C.A. Unit moves into HONG KONG, the B.A.A.G. should have its supply base in HONG KONG. Complete liaison with the HONG KONG Government could be maintained through this base with the officers in the field.
(e) I understand from Mr. Mac DOUGALL that he proposes to send one of his officers to South CHINA to recruit personnel for the future HONG KONG services.
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From the point of view of policy this would be fatal. To start with it would ruin us. It should be abundantly patent from the above and it has been our experience right from the start that any foreign activities, even non-British, are associated with the B.A.A.G. The local authorities would make it absolutely impossible for both Mr. Mac DOUGALL's officer and ourselves.
From the practical point of view, how is this officer going to get there? The B.A.A.G. EAST move approved by the W.0. last November has not taken place yet! If he does go to South CHINA how are he and his recruits to be maintained when maintenance sorties cannot even be provided for our officers over East now?
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/From the military point....
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