TNAG-0059-FCO40-95-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 86

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DP Note 27/67(A)

Draft (Continued)

Unaccompanied Service

8.

Commander-in-Chief's Views. The Commander-in-Chief has

assumed that by the mid-Seventies the Gurkha rundown will be

complete and the Hong Kong garrison will consist of United

Kingdom troops only. He states that the bulk of these troops

must be unaccompanied on the grounds that in the event of internal security troubles, families in such numbers would

not be acceptable. He further states that he supports the

recommendation of both the Governor and the Commander British

Forces Hong Kong that, as combat units reliefs take place in the future, they should change to unaccompanied tours, al- though the battalion on Hong Kong Island and the static units

The Governor does and headquarters would remain accompanied.

not envisage that such a policy would affect the confidence

of the colony if it was introduced in this manner.

9. Comment. These proposals raise a new concept for the

garrison of Hong Kong, which have serious implications for the Army, and would set a precedent affecting other Services and civilian families. You have already endorsed (8) the

view that accompanied service overseas is one of the most

As more attractive features of a career in the Services.

than 50% of Servicemen are married, a reasonable expectation

of family unity is clearly of fundamental importance if a

career in the forces is to maintain any attraction to those

in it, or to offer any inducement to those considering enlist-

ment. You recommended that there should be no change in the

present arrangements for accompanied service in the Far East

Theatre. If for the operational reasons put forward by the

Commander-in-Chief you were to reconsider the policy of

accompanied service for the Hong Kong garrison, the implica-

Note:

8.

COS 29th Mtg 67

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