CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 784

00089

TY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

s paper has been strictly limited.

ersonal use of

hof Chalmers

Copy No....99

49.

ar the consideration of the Chief: of " AL

E

OHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE

JOINT PLAINING STAFF

1.6

MAND OF SERVICES IN HONG KONG

ort by the Joint Planning Staff

with instructions we have revised our

n the arrangements to be made for the

se Services in Hong Kong after the return

nor. We have consulted the Colonial Office.

into account:-

expressed by the Chiefs of Staff;

from the Colonial office, enclosing

telegram from the Colonial office lovernor of Hong Kong;

of Admiral jarcourt which are

ed in three telegrams to the

of staff.

00090

N

CMS

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 copyrigh

2

External Chain of Military Responsibility

4.

When Admiral Harcourt was Commander-in-Chief and Head of the Military Administration, he commanded, in the former capacity, the forces of all three Services stationed in the Colony.

He was directly responsible to the Chiefs of Staff

In his capacity as Head of for the defence of the Colony. the Military Administration he was responsible to the Secretary of State for War.

In our

5. In view of the appointment of a Civil Governor and of the consequent reduced status of the local commend in Hong Kong, we consider that it is no longer appropriate or necessary that this command should be directly responsible to the Chiefs of Staff for the defence of the Colony. view the individual Services should be separately responsible to their own Ministries in London through Commander-in-Chiar B.P.F., ALFSEA and ACSEA, the last two acting in their British capacities. These three Commanders-in-Chief are already responsible for the administrative support of their

The administrative respective forces in Hong Kong.

responsibility of the Supreme Commander, South East Asia as regards priority for the Army, Royal Air Force and Civil Affairs should remain unaltered.

We

6. Under this arrangement, ALPSEA and ACSEA will have responsibilities in Hong Kong not shared by SACSEA. consider, however, that this disadvantage should be

accepted

as a short-term arrangement, since the system we advocate will conform with the long-term policy for command in the Far East, which has been proposed".

Local Command Arrangements

7. Admiral Harcourt advocated strongly that a Fortress Commander should be appointed to co-ordinate and control the His reasons activities of all three Services in Hong Kong.

were as follows:-

8.

(a) The appointment of a single commander who could

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 trans-shipment of Chinese Armies.

(b) The appointment of a Fortress Commander would

enable responsibility to the Governor for all Service personnel at present employed on civil duties to be vested in a single military authority.

Admiral Harcourt's proposal would conflict with the chain of responsibility of the individual Services, particularly in the case of the Navy. Although we approci to the force of his arguments and that conliti ns in Hong Kong have not yet roturned to normal, we consider that no doparturo from the standard organisation referred to in paragraph 3 above is nocousury, and the appointment of a Fortress Commander would not be justified.

* J.P.(46) 59

paper

we have proposed that local command

lonial territories should be standardised on

3:-

ice co-ordination should be effected by tee of the local Service Commanders;

sion of civil and Service requirements

e undertaken by Local Defence Committees

.ng local Commanders under the chairmanship jead Political Representative of His

s Government.

'ound we examine the particular cane of

S.(45) 70th utg., Item 5.

(46) 34.

S.(45) 36.

ulated under cover of COS.560/6.

48, 956 and 967.

(46) 102

-1-

-2-

า

Ref.:

CO 537/1262

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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

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