CO129-592-4 Reports on current situation- Police 14-11-1945 - 1-7-1946 — Page 60

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20.12.41.

11 A.

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11.00 12.30. Messrs. Sparrow and Calthrop, Senior Superinten- dents of Police, Bidmead, Superintendent of Police, Wilson and Luscombe, Assistant Superintendents of Police, made representa- tions to the Commissioner of Police :-

(1) that the order directing Police not to evacuate stations in the face of strong attacks made by Japanese Military Forces but to hold out to the last man was not justifiable in view of the lack of military training and arms of the Police and in the absence of military support by our troops, who would be retiring to conform to line;

(2) that Police should not be used as troops in the front line,

in view of their manifold duties in the maintenance of internal security;

(3) that, owing to the existence of conflicting orders, confusion

existed amongst the men as to what resistance should be offered to any enemy encountered:

(4) that the nightly formation of strong European Police patrols

covering the Waterfront, from Wanchai- Kennedy Town inclusive, to guard against enemy landings, in the absence of troops engaged elsewhere, was proving a severe drain on Police strength, and was to some extent, however necessary, inter- fering with the main Police duty of maintaining internal security. The Commissioner of Police obtained instructions from his Excellency the Governor on points (1) (3) and issued the following telephone message :-

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"His Excellency the Governor has today, after consultation with

the Commissioner of Police, ordered that :-

(1) Police are not to be used as military units, since the

Folice are neither trained nor, for the most part, armed for modern warfare.

(2) The position has changed from the time when His Excellency

the Governor ordered that police stations were to be defended at all costs.

(3) 0. I. C's stations will defend themselves against surprise

attacks by civilian lawless elements in the same way as they would in ordinary civil life. The Japanese may use military units dressed in civilian clothes. Should an attack on a police station be delivered in such force and with such skill by bodies in civilian dress as to make it apparent that the attack is by Japanese military units in civilian clothes, the 0. I. C. station will use his discretion to discontinue re- sistance. In such case he will. concentrate on evacuating his personnel and arms.

(4)Should the military fall back on any police station under

enemy pressure the police will evacuate. This should be done in consultation with local military commander.

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