CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 791

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CO 537/1262

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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of it may be subject to copyrigh

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National A

Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet.

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

5. In view of the appointment of a Civil Governor and of the consequent reduced status of the local command in Hong Kong, we consider that it is no longer appropriate or necessary that this command should be directly responsible to

In our 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-chief, 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 regarda priority for the Army, Royal Air Force and Civil Affairs should remain unaltered.

6. Under this arrangement, ALFSEA and ACSEA will have

We responsibilities in Hong Kong not shared by SAUSEA. 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:-

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(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. Moreover, although we appreciate the force of his arguments and that conditions in Hong Kong have not yet returned to normal, we consider that no departure from the standard organisation referred to in paragraph 3 above is necessary.

我 J.P.(46) 59

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