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CO 537/1261

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

N

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

restrictions Further

information is given in the enclosed Terms and Condiborts of supply of National Archives' leafle

N

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

(47)

(54)

(83)

The War Office have no copies of the most

recent report from S. E. A. and I have asked Colonel Chalmers to go over and read it and make a

short note of its main features.

I do not think that any further action on

our part is called for.

(2) Landing Craft.

The Hong Kong and 3.E.A. Defence Committee Keep

zată în ku Hong Hùng:) wanted 12 landing craft. Six of these are, however, lease-lend craft and must be returned to America in

any case. The Chiefs of Staff, before agreeing that the other 6 should be retained in Hong Kong, have

asked for further information about the purposes for which they are required and the local facilities for

3.E. A. Defence Committee have maintaining them. replied that they are getting this information from Hong Kong (Nos. 85 and 86).

(3) Gendarmeris.

soon as

In July the Chiefs of Staff, on the assumption that Hong Kong was not open to large scale attack from China, asked that, with a view to the

total withdrawal of the British garrison as possible, the War Office and the Colonial Office would consult together about the establishment of a gendarmerie which could in due course take the place of British troops. This proposal was withdrawn for

further consideration in the light of a report

from 3.E.A. Defence Committee that the possibilities

of large scale attack from China still remain, and are likely to remain for an indefinite period. Chiefs of Staff have now accepted that the withdrawal

The

of all British troops is not practicable "at present" but they have placed it on record that they adhere to the view that the ultimate plan must be to replace the military garrison by a gendarmerie and ask that

/plans

CO 537/1261

Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives

your use of it may be subject to copyrigh

restrictions Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Nabonal Archives' leaflet

s short of the local demand (a)

field artillery for Hong Kong

(b) not earmarking after

Pield artillery regiment for

at short notice if necessary.

arising from the and are due to the

deliberate,one Ffrat because

to the second because of

tillery reserves in South East

gather, only two field

In the area. The Chiefs of Staff's

icated to S. E.A. Defence

The reply, No. 86, does not

ely refers to a special report

sent to the War Office.

This

learnt, suggests that no field

Included in the Hong Kong

is evidently the origin of the

▷ No. 79. We have therefore sent

ch was not originally distributed

office, to the War Office and I

el Nangle in support of it.

that the present position is that

agree with the latest

ith East Asia, and have so

gran and asked them to think

I reply in two or three days and

the C.I.G.S. who is shortly

do not expect any further

has arrived there and been

ers on the spot. But their

ather, that no case has been

ation in the dispositions

I that 1 field artillery

to Hong Kong in April.

/The

2

I