00090
PPMIDIX II
Cow of letter from the Colonial Office
to the War Office dated 24th .ugust.
I must apologise for the delay in answering your letter M.0.12/BM/1105 of the 31st July on the subject of the Hong Kong garrison. The question raised required some consideration horo, And art from that I have been on leave for a few days.
2.
As I understand it, the Chiefs of Staff have agreed for the present to defer consileration of the proposal to withdraw all British forces from Hong Kong, and the policy romoina as laid down in 003 telegram C3.1403 of the 3rd April, namely that the garrison will remain, as now, at two Brigades but be reduced to one when the police force of the Colony is fully rastablished.
3.
While appreciating the point that it would take some time to work out the details of a scheme for a gondarmerie to replace the troops, we feel that there are some aspects of the question of the replacement of troops by a gendarmeric which require further consideration before going into the dotails. An apreciation has been prepared by the Hong Kong Defence Committee on cortain Defence questions which were remitted to them for consideration by the South East sie Defence Comittee. I enclore a copy of this appreciation which we have only recently received from the Governor of Hong Kong. (Would you please return it when you have finished with it as it s our only copy)+ It takes the form in part of a commentary on the Report br the Joint Planning staff on the "Hong Kong Defence Plan" (J.2. (46) 10 (Final) (Revise)) dated the 8th .pril ich was proved by the Chiefs of Staff at their meeting on 1 pril. You will see that the Hong Kong Defence Committe. do not accept the view that sporadic guerilla attacks on Hong Kong as a result of internal unrest or civil or in South Chien ère hat imprcb-ble. They state that whilst on loo-l intelligcace there is considered to be no immolite thu eat n attack by Chinese Wer Lords, the situation in Chino is reply sterioreting and renewed hostilities between Totalists Communists may well be prelude to the appearonco al War Lor ic aquipped with modern come. They a thret it is impossible to predict this eventuality unre than six months hool. On the question of the arme rrecs to be intainct in Hong Kong, they express th. view that until uch a time as the police and volunteer forces are up to stroth and fully trainal, the minimum gorrison required for Jolony la:
2 Britial I Contr
rigades
2 Fiell rtillery Regimenta
and
Incillary troom.
4. Once the police and volunteer forces are in a position to take over their comitent end the move went of Chinese troops through Kowloon hea ccone, however, they consider that it would be sufficient to i one of the above brigades and one regiment of artillery at cell from .E... reserve and not necessarily permanently stationed in the Colony.
+ Returned to Colonial Office.
-8-
cm
Ref.
CO 537/1261
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