TNAG-0060-FCO40-96-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 185

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ANNEX A TO DOP 4/68 (Final) (Continued

Command and Control

19. The Medium Ter Rundown Plan (2), which envisaged a unified headquarters at Changi, is now invalid. It is now planned that single-Service headquarters should run down in their present locations. However, a small joint headquarters may be required to control the later stages of the withdrawal. The main subordinate headquarters would reduce as follows:

a. Royal Navy. The Commander Far East Fleet would be embarked by Soptember 1971 when the appointments of Flag Officer Second-in-Command and/or Commodore Amphibious Forces might have lapsed.

10.

Army. Headquarters Far East Land Forces would be reduced but remain in being until the final withdrawal. By the end of 1970 the Commander Far East Land Forces would probably be of two star rank, and might combine the appoint- ment of Major General Brigade of Gurkhas.

C. Royal Air Force. Headquarters Far East Air Force would be reduced steadily and the post of Air Commander would probably become a two star appointment in April 1971.

Communications

20.

The plan states that the rundown of communications facilities cannot be formulated until the future requirement emerge.

Real Estate

21.

The plan shows a forecast for the relinquishment of real estate which is based on the premise that it is more economical for units to run down in situ. However, a request from the Government of Singapore to release certain sites is still being studied and a revised forecast may emerge.

22.

THE CCMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S VIEWS ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN ACCELERATED RUNDOWN

CINCFE has attached to his outline plan an enclosure setting out some of the problems and implications of the plan for an accelerated rundown. His main points are summarised below.

LEC/LEP Redundancy

23. The plan would result in a large scale discharge of LEC during the last twelve months of the rundown. Any large- scale increase in unemployment could give rise to an unstable local political situation and therefore the later the discharges Occur the more time there would be to develop opportunities for alternative employment.

24.

Although the LEP runout figure would not be so significant, some redundancy would occur. It would be necessary, therefore, for a scale of compensatory payments to be negotiated.

Note:

2. CINCFE 30/67 dated 26th September 1967

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