CO129-577-6 Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force- training establishment 28-2-1939 - 28-2-1939 — Page 16

F.M.S. CORNFLOWER TELEPHONE 31850

TABDY

TOWN OFFICE TELEPHONE 33487

FRATITER

HONG KONG NAVAL VOLUNTEER FORCE.

Appendix to letter of 21st December, 1938 from Commanding Officer, Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force to Commodore, Hong Kong.

Imperial Defence - Relation of Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force

thereto.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve status has not yet been granted to Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force. By adoption of that status H. K. N. 7. F. would become a part of the scheme of Imperial Defence and would supply trained personnel firstly for local and secondly for Imperial Defence.

2. H. K. N. V. F. is a unit formed and maintained by Hong Kong Government without financial assistance from the Imperial Government.

3. When the offer was made by the Admiralty to loan H.M.S. Cornflower to Hong Kong Government it was estimated, in the scheme put forward, that the annual expense of upkeep of the ship would be $12,000 per annum. When emoluments to care and maintenance personnel are included the total sum actually expended on the ship by Govern- ment over five years is $120,000 or approximately 50% of the money voted to maintain H. K.N.V.F.

Volunteer Drill-ship.

4. The condition of the hull of H.M.S. Cornflower renders necessary a decision as to whether approximately $50,000 should be expended in making the ship seaworthy even as a hulk, to reduce her, in addition, to hulk status or to abandon Ship-Headquarters in favour of a shore establishment.

Upkeep.

5. The only major structural alteration to the ship since she was loaned by the Admiralty was in the construction ofa Decontamination Centre in 1938.