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COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NO. 677
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18 APRIL, 1968 (HWB 10/9)
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YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1705 OF 18 NOVEMBER: HONG KONG GARRISON, CHIEFS OF STAFF ARE AT PRESENT CONSIDERING A PAPER PREPARED BY ARMY DEPARTMENT ON SUBJECT OF UNACCOMPANIED TOURS IN HONG KONG. PAPER MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ARMY DEPARTMENT IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO
IDEA OF UNACCOMPANIED TOURS. RELIEFS FOR ARMOURED CAR SQUADRON (OCTOBER 1968) AND LIGHT REGIMENT R.A. (FEBRUARY 1969) HAVE APPARENTLY ALREADY BEEN WARNED FOR ACCOMPANIED REPEAT ACCOMPANIED SERVICE IN HONG KONG. NEXT PLANNED RELIEF IS FOR LATE 1969 FOR INFANTRY BATTALION (1.L.F.). PAPER ACCORDINGLY RECOMMENDS THAT DECISION WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE CHANGE TO UNACCOMPANIED SERVICE BE LEFT OP EN UNTIL EARLY 1969 WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR NORMAL SIX MONTHS NOTICE TO BE GIVEN TO RELIEVING BATTALION.
2. WE HAVE INFORMED MINISTRY OF DEFENCE THAT WE MUST RESERVE OUR VIEWS UNTIL WE HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY OF CONSULTING YOU. CHIEFS OF STAFF HAVE ASKED TO MEET YOU DURING YOUR FORTHCOMING VISIT TO LONDON AND WE HAVE ACCORDINGLY ARRANGED FOR MEETING AFTERNOON 30 APRIL (DETAILS OF OTHER ENGAGEMENTS MADE FOR YOU ARE ON THEIR WAY TO YOU BY LETTER). MINISTRY OF DEFENCE HAVE AGREED THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO INFORM CHIEFS OF STAFF OF YOUR VIEWS ON UNACCOMPANIED TOURS.
3. ARMY DEPARTMENT PAPER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO STUDY ON YOUR ARRIVAL HERE. MEANWHILE YOU MAY LIKE TO HAVE FOLLOWING BRIEF SUMMARY OF ITS ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNACCOMPANIED TOURS:-
1) EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT A BACKING OF THREE UNITS IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN EACH UNACCOMPANIED UNIT. ONCE HONG KONG GARRISON IS COMPOSED SOLELY OF BRITISH UNITS (THIS COULD HAPPEN IF GURKHAS WERE TO BE DISBANDED IN THE EARLY 1970S) THERE WILL BE INSUFFIC- IENT UNITS IN U.K, ALONE TO MEET WHOLE REQUIREMENT. IF UNITS STATIONED IN EUROPE WERE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE FOR UNACCOMPANIED TOURS IN HONG KONG, THIS WOULD INTRODUCE DEGREE OF TURBULENCE FOR SERVICE FAMILIES WHICH WOULD HAVE EFFECTS ON MORALE,
/.......RECRUITMENT
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