CO129-591-12 Military Administration- Civil affairs- directives to force commander and senior officials 24-2-1945 - 13-9-1945 — Page 43

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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5. These POW were accommodated in Whitfield Barracks, Argyle Street Camps and Shamshuipo Camp with the Civilian internees in Stanley Camp.

6. No. 3 Commando Brigade (less one commando on Hong Kong island) is accommodated in some 28 requisitioned buildings on the mainland. The Brigade HQ. is in the town of Kowloon while three commandos are accommodated in the New Territories.

7. An extensive area of some 75 civilian buildings had to be set aside in Kowloon (the Garden City at Kowloon Tong) as a staging post for the 1st, 8th, 13th and 93rd Armies on their way through Hong Kong to Manchuria.

Future Plans

8. It is proposed to build four camps in the New Territories- three for British infantry and the fourth for a Bde. HQ. This plan is based on the assumption that the final Garrison will com- prise two bdes. of which one bde. will be accommodated in the New Territories. These proposals await War Office approval.

9. It is also proposed to turn Shamshuipo Camp into an administrative area to comprise:—

10.

Field Supply Depot

Ordinance Depot

Medical Stores

Signal Stores

Engineer Stores Depot

REME Workshops

On the completion of these plans, the only requisitioned buildings to be retained will be the Force Headquarters Officers' messes on the Island and five or six officers' messes on the mainland.

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E. RELATIONS WITH THE CHINESE MILITARY IN

CHINA

1.

In general the establishment of good relations with the Chinese military authorities has been governed almost directly by the degree to which it has been possible to make personal contact with the senior Chinese officers.

Whenever and wherever senior British officers have been able to meet senior Chinese officers a marked improvement in co- operation has invariably followed.

2.

In particular the military authorities in Canton would appear to have gone out of their way to maintain a cordial understanding with the British in Hong Kong. This would appear to be due, first, as a result of frequent interchange of visits between senior officers from Hong Kong and Canton, second because of the prac- tical and material assistance which Hong Kong has been able to to make to Canton and third, by reason of the friendly and helpful attitude shown by us to Chinese troops who have passed through Kowloon on their way to North China.

3.

Discipline of the Chinese troops, over 100,000 of whom have now embarked from Hong Kong has been most satisfactory and it is quite clear that it is due in the main to the pressure which has been brought to bear on formation and unit commanders from above.

It has been made easier, again, through the same underlying cause, namely former contacts between the General Officer Com- manding and a number of Chinese commanders during the Burma Campaign.

4. General Chang Fa-Kwei, Commander-in-Chief of the Kwang- tung-Kwangsi Provinces, whose Headquarters is at Canton, has sent a personal liaison officer together with a small unit of Chinese military police to work with the British military authorities and be responsible for the maintenance of the discipline of Chinese troops passing through Hong Kong and of the heterogeneous collection of officers, officials and others who appear in Hong Kong from time to time, dressed in uniform, on various forms of business and/or pleasure.

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