CO129-585-10 Assembly of aeroplanes in Hong Kong 8-1-1940 - 31-7-1940 — Page 33

Tel. No. ABBEY 3411.

EXT..........5232

S.43698/S.6.

30

33

AIR MINISTRY,

DEPT. OA.

KING CHARLES STREET,

SECRET

WHITEHALL, S.W.1.

31st May, 1940.

25.

Dear Gent,

I am now doing the work for which Reynolds was formerly responsible and I am therefore replying to your letter 53846/40 dated

May, 1940, about the four American aircraft intended for the Chinese Government which are held up at Hong Kong because His Majesty's Government cannot permit them to be assembled there.

We have now considered Ashley Clarke's suggestion that His Majesty's Government might wish to purchase the se aircraft, and have decided that the answer must be No. While we are not too well off for transport aircraft, these particular machines are types for which we have no spares, and as they are so far away, and would have to be assembled and flown to this country, I am afraid they would be more trouble than they are worth.

I am sending copies of this letter to Ashley

Clarke and to Morley.

Yours sincerely,

G.E.J.Gent, Esq., D.S.O.,0.B.E.,M.C.,

Colomial Office,

S.W.1.

↑

Wg. Now Bown