CONFIDENTIAL
received I shall inform you. By midday snipers were active in S.T.K. (B.T.) at close range pinning down the garrison in the police post and the police in the Rural Committee offices completely.
4. At 1140 hours it was decided to order one battalion of Gurkhas forward to the main police station 2000 yards south-west of S.T.K. These began to arrive about 1300 hours. Meanwhile a party of men in civilian clothes were reported seen carrying a L.M.G. from C.T. towards high ground in B.T. overlooking S.T.K. from the west. At 1255 hours it was decided to send one company of Gurkhas as soon as possible to eliminate this threat. The area was occupied but nothing was found.
5. At 1330 hours a group of C.C.A. soldiers 50-100 strong were seen moving along the border some 3 miles to the west of S.T.K. and about 1430 hours a further group was seen moving into S.T.K. (C.T.). None of these troops were seen in the immediate area of the border. Shortly after, at about 1500 hours, there were renewed attacks on the police post including the reported employment of a heavy machine-gun from C.T. Fire bombs were also used as well as small arms and home- made bombs.
6. At 1500 hours it was decided that a military operation should be mounted to relieve the police in the advanced post. At 1.550 hours 1/10 Gurkha Regiment advanced with two troops of armoured cars. By 1655 hours the forward police positions had been relieved and the curfew, declared at 1545 hours, brought into effect. There was some sporadic but ineffective firing up to about 1700 hours. The army did not fire their weapons. There were no further incidents. Army with police reinforcements in support took up defensive positions for the night, the armoured cars being withdrawn. On the morning of 9 July, 3 or 4 armed border guards were visible as usual within Chinese territory. Soldiers were observed sandbagging the machine-gun positions referred to earlier and a 107 mm. recoilless rifle was also being sandbagged in. At 0930 hours an estimated platoon of soldiers fully armed arrived in 2 junks at Sha Tau Kok Pier. The best military estimate is that there are now the equivalent of a battalion of Chinese troops and border guards in Sha Tau Kok. One Gurkha battalion is in the area on the British side, together with 2 police platoons. Joint patrolling well within British territory is being carried out.
7. Total police casualties were five dead (two Pakistanis and three Chinese) and eleven wounded. No arrests were made and no bodies of civilians were recovered.
8. The men involved in the attack are believed to have been from C.T. including militia. There is no evidence of any uniformed personnel being involved. Two or three light machine- guns appear to have been used and several rifles. There are unsubstantiated reports of the use of a heavy machine-gun, of grenade dischargers and of mortars. The latter two are thought to be unlikely. The police so far debriefed are convinced that in the opening stages fire came from C.T. particularly from the machine-gun referred to in paragraph 2. They also believe the heavy machine-gun fire to have come across the border. There is known to be a heavy machine-gun in the area. The fact that the attacks appeared to be co-ordinated, at least in the early stages, the accuracy of fire and the use of automatic weapons all indicate that many of those taking part had military training.
/There
CONFIDENTIAL
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