CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 8

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CO 537/1262

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright |

00194

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Ref.:

CO 537/1262

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet. Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

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6.

In view of the appointment of a Civil Governor and

of the consequent reduced status of the local command in Hong Kong we consiler that it will no longer be appropriate or necessary that this command should be directly responsible to the Chiefs of Staff for the defence of the Colony. In our view the individual services in Hong Kong should be separately responsible to their own Ministries in London. We consider that this responsibility to London should be exercised through C.-in-C. B.P.F., LFSE.. and .C.S....., the last two acting in their British capacity. These three Commanders-in-Chief are already responsible for the administrative support of their respective forces in Hong Kong. dmiral Mountbatten's administrative responsibility would remain unaltered.

Local Command Arrangements

7. Admiral Harcourt strongly advocates that, following the return of the civil governor, a Fortress Commander should be appointed to co-ordinate and control the requirements and activities of all three Services in Hong Kong. He suggests that the present G.0.C. Land Forces should perform the duties of Fortress Commander.

8. imiral Harcourt's arguments in favour of this arrangement are as follows:-

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(a) single commander who can speak on behalf of

the three Services would be an advantage in dealing with the Chinese, particularly in respect of the difficult situation resulting from the use of the port for the transhipment of Chinese Armies.

(b) The appointment of a Fortress Commander would enable responsibility to the Governor for all service personnel at present employed un civil duties to be vested in a single military authority.

We appreciate the force of the arguments advanced by Admiral harcourt but we consider that a satisfactory sclution to the present military problems of Hong Kong could be achieved without the appointment of a local inter-service commander. This would conflict with the chain of responsibility of the individul services, and might lead to difficulties between the Fortress Commander and the C.-in-C. B.P.F., to whom the Commodore Hong Kong must be primarily responsible.

10. In our view the three local service commanders in Hong Kong should be of equal status. Local inter-service co- ordination should be effected through an inter-service committee consisting of the three local commanders. We consiler that a senior member of the civil administration should be incluied in the committee to assist in the co-ordination of matters in which both civil and military interests are involved.

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