CO129-523-7 Removal of Navy Armament Depot from Hong Kong to Stonecutters Island 6-2-1930 - 8-1-1931 — Page 41

Copy.

CEinc.012/30.

118/Abroad/1714 D.L.1.a.).

CONFIDENTIAL.

The War Office,

London, S..l.

41

31st January 1930.

<<

Naval Armament Depot, Hong Kong Proposed removal from Kellet's Island and Hong Long to Stonecutters Island.

sir,

With reference to your letter of the 8th instaut, No. CEinc.0148/29/275a, I am commanded by the Army Council to state that subject to the reservations indicated below, they will raise no objections to the proposed transfer to the Admiralty of an area of land in military occupation on Stone- cutters Island.

Ähe reservations are as follows:

(1) Centurion battery will require to be retained by the

War Department.

(11) No restriction must be placed on the arcs of fire of

the 4.7-inch battery at Centurion at any future date consequent on the proximity of the proposed Naval buildings to that battery. Whilst it is difficult to forecast future requirements in arcs of fire for Centurion Battery, provision should be made so that these guns could be remounted on modern mountings providing all round fire and possibly enti-aircraft fire as a secondary role.

(iii) A reasonable area must be retained as har Department

property around Centurion Battery including the D.E. L. installations and any other military estab- lishments in the area coloured pink

(iv) Access to (iii) by suitable road or roads from the

landing stage and other War Department establishments will be reserved to the war Department.

The Secretary,

The Admiralty,

Whitehall, S.k.l.

/(v)...