D.0. No.1.
To
:- Major Sterling,
67
COPY.
CIVIL AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank Building,
Hong Kong.
22 Sep 45.
Civil Affairs Staff,
2, Park tos
London, W.1.
Dear Sterling,
We have all had a very busy time since our arrival in Hong Kong. The Colony is in much better shape than I expected it would be, but naturally it will take many months to get it back to anything like its old form.
The two urgent requirements of Civil Affairs are personnel and transport. Anything that you can do to expedite these would be helpful. At present I am the only representative of the General Administrative and Internal Administration Branches, though I hape borrowed a couple of Captains temporarily to help me out. Please let me know, by wire for preference, when I can expect some or all of the Administrative Staff.
To revert to the subject of Transport, the Colony is being run to a large extent one small quantity of captured M. T. which cannot be kept on the road indefinitely, owing to its bad state and lack of spare parts. An R. A.F. Construction Unit is bringing in about 200 two ton lorries, which will improve the situation considerably. They however, have their own commitments for constructing a ladding ground, so we shall not have the use of them indefinitely. only real solution to the Transport problem is to get our .M.T. Company out here as soon as possible. I have earmarked an excellent depot, garage and workshop for them, but the difficulty will be to hold them in face of the persistent demands of the Services for these facilities.
The
I enclose a copy of a report I made to the Brigadier, forty-eight hours after our arrival here, which may be of interest in that it gives first impressions. I want you to come out yourself as soon as you can get away, because there is a lot in your line which requires buttoning up here. Meanwhile I shall do my best to hold your fort as well as my own.
coffees. To:
Colonial Office
Cur-Gent)
CAC
CA 9
CAIT
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd) C.B.H.DELAMAIN,
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