Telegrams: (SHIPPING) "SHIPMINDER, TELEX,
Telephone: ABBEY 7711
LONDON."'
(Inland Transport) "TRANSMINRY, TELEX, LONDON.''
EXTN. .3809
Any further communication should be
dressed to:-
THE SECRETARY, address as opposite)
and he following reference quoted :—
CDS 13001.
Your Reference.....54357/48.
opened byone in wor
(17) m248.
51
End
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT,
BERKELEY SQUARE HOUSE,
LONDON, W.1.
11th. January 1949.
Dear Vallace,
I am sorry I have not been able to reply to your letter of 23rd. December before.
We have gone into our records pretty extensively but it is not possible to give any precise information on the history of the craft.
The Ministry owned craft were allocated to ALFSEA and SACSEA and I think that whoever is responsible for Civil Affairs records in the War Office is the right person to give you the answers to Para. 2.
This information should also be readily available from the records of the Port Commandant Hong Kong for the period prior to the changeover to Civil Administration, if these are still available locally, and no doubt Hong Kong will say.
So far as the draft saving gram is concerned, as I said on the telephone I agree that "Ministry of Transport" in line 2 of Para.6 were better amended to read "here".
I have copied this to Russell Edmunds.
Yours sincerely.
A.H.Jones.
J.Wallace Esq., Colonial Office, The Church House,
Westminster, S.W.1.