CINCF.1511/6130/18
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(2)
Our National responsibilitics.
UK EYES ONLY
These were:-
b.
(n) The Beira Patrol this requires five escorts and afloat support.
(b)
A commitment, which we expected to lost from October this year to April next year, of a carrier force and an amphibious force, with a commando emberked, together with the necessary supporting ships including full float support.
On top of this we had:-
(c) The over present need to be ready to support and protect UK nationals in our dependencies and elsewhore by the unobtrusive deployment to a politically unstable arca of an amphibious force, with up to two commandos, to remain poised, possibly out of sight, at inmediato notice to intervenc either to stabilise the situation or to scoure access for air transported troops. This Coruitment was reflected in the inclusion of amphibious forces in some dozen contingency plans.
(a) To provide tangible evidence through our particip- ation in maritime exercises of the continued oxistence of our regional alliancus and alignments and by visits
PRE
to the main ports of Asia, Australia and New Zealand to demonstrate our abiding British military presence and interest in the arca.
to client?
? Aden
From all those it would be evident that no major reductions can be made in the Far East Flect until current operations in the Western Indian Ocean were complete. Once these letter wore over the controlling factor in determining the shape of our Fleet should be to ensure that we retained the ability to meet our national commitments and at the same time be capable of noking an immediate naval and amphibious contribution to our alliances.
The FLEET COMMANDER said that over 65% of the men in ships of the Flect were on unaccompanied service. Practically all the naval baso facilities were concentratod on the North Fast side of the island of Singaporo, for from the city itself. In this laval base area thoro were two components:-
(1)
The Amphibious Forces Base at Sembawang where the Commandos Brigade was located and two or three miles from this
(2) The Hain Support area which consisted of:-
A dockyard
Victualling and Haval Stores and Spares holdings Fuol and Armeronts
and all the other essential services such as berths, power, and water, which any port provides.
This latter part of the base was virtually entirely civilian manned managerial posts were filled mostly by UK civilians and the remainder by local civilians. A small olement of the base was uniformed and
/oovered
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