CO129-591-12 Military Administration- Civil affairs- directives to force commander and senior officials 24-2-1945 - 13-9-1945 — Page 14

SECTION I. THE ADMINISTRATION.

tion.

1. Units of the British Fleet re-entered the waters of Hong The Military Kong on the 30th August, 1945. On the 1st September the British Administra- Military Administration was established by a proclamation issued by Rear Adminal C. H. J. Harcourt, C.B., C.B.E. from H. M. S. "INDOMITABLE". Prior to the 30th August an interim administration had been set up under the direction of the Colonial Secretary, Mr. F. C. Gimson, C.M.G., and former members of the Colony's Executive Council. By further proclamation (No. 2) certain executive and administrative powers were delegated to Mr. Gimson, who was appointed Lieutenant-Governor, pending the arrival in the Colony of the Chief Civil Affairs Officer. On the 7th September the Chief Civil Affairs Officer, Brigadier D. M. MacDougall, landed in Hong Kong accompanied by nine officers of the Civil Affairs Service, and on the 13th September Procla- mation No. 2 was repealed and certain limited powers were delegated to the Chief Civil Affairs Officer under Proclamation No. 4. On the 4th December full powers were delegated to the Chief Civil Affairs Officer under Proclamation No. 6.

of the

tion.

2. The surrender of Japan had been virtually accepted by First Acts the Japanese Authorities in Hong Kong since the 16th August, Administra- and within a few days they concurred in Mr. Gimson's suggestion that he should make preparations for an interim administration in order to facilitate the eventual re-establishment of British rule in the Colony. As a result of the efforts of Mr. Gimson and his colleagues, who had been allowed to leave the P.O.W. and Internment Camps and to establish an office in the City of Victoria, the relieving naval forces found conditions in the Colony much less disrupted than had been anticipated. The main essential services were already in partial operation, ex-internees and P.O.W.'s were moving freely in the street, food supplies and distribution were adequate for the moment, shops were open and retail business was being conducted on credit or through the medium of the grossly inflated Japanese currency, and the former heads of most Government departments were keeping a close watch on their Japanese predecessors with a view to taking over

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