TNAG-0060-FCO40-96-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 125

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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ANNEX A to DP 9/68(C)

Directors' Draft (Continued)

21. It might be considered appropriate for the Hong Kong

Government to be invited to meet the cost of stationing the

additional MCM (V)s in the Colony.

Army

22.

The Commander-in-Chief's outline plan (12) for the rundown and

total withdrawal from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, assumes that he will be unable to meet commitments to our dependencies,

including Hong Kong, after 1st September 1971 at the latest.

We have agreed with this assumption and, as a consequence, reinforce- ments to bring Hong Kong to a possible maximum strength of 103

major units will subsequently have to come from the United Kingdom.

However, we recognise that in the event of trouble in the Persian

Gulf or Singapore during our planned withdrawals, the Commander-

in-Chief, Far East may have to relinquish his responsibility for

the reinforcement of Hong Kong before 1st September 1971.

23. We had previously agreed (13) with the proposal of the

Commander-in-Chief that after the withdrawal of our forces from

of Hong Kong Malaysia and Singapore, the permanent garrison/should be 7 major

units. We now re-examine this decision in the light of the

accelerated withdrawal with a view to establishing the size of

the permanent garrison relying on air reinforcement capability to

deploy the immediate reserve batalion from the United Kingdom.

24.

The timely reinforcement of the garrison from the United

Kingdom is dependent on sufficient warning being received;

necessary air routes being available; no delay in over-flight

clearances being encountered; and no simultaneous major air

transport operating taking place elsewhere. Given such circum-

stances, the first reinforcing battelion could be brought to 24

hours notice to move and would be deployed from the United Kingdom

Notes:

12. CINCFE 7/68 dated 14 13. COS 75th Mtg/67

February 1968

the

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