TNAG-0060-FCO40-96-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 58

SECRET

UK EYES ONLY

ANNEX A TO COS 23/68 (Continued)

battalions and that the stockpiled armoured squadron should be held at a scale which would enable them to take part in either internal

The Royal Air security operations or operations on the border.

Force will need to pre-stock limited items of ground equipment and explosives for use by deployed Phantom aircraft.

36. War Maintenance Reserves (WMR). t present war maintenance reserves are held for the authorised garrison (63 major units) plus an armoured squadron for 10 days at sustained rates.

Tanks and

other equipment for the armoured squadron pre-stocked in the Colony may be withdrawn when the resident armoured car squadron is equipped with Swingfire. For planning purposes, the WMR should be based

but some pre-stocking on a permanent garrison of 7 major units;

of war reserves will be required for reinforcing units.

COMMAND ARRANGEMENTS

37. The Hong Kong garri son will become an independent command on 1st April 1970. However, it is the Commander-in-Chiefs Far East's recommendation (16) that, as long as Commander Far East Fleet and Commander Far East ir Force remain in Singapore, they would continue to exercise single service responsibility for naval and air forces in Hong Kong in support of Commander British Forces. Towards the end of 1971, all forces in the Hong Kong operational area will come under the operational command of the Commander British Forces who will delegate operational control to his single service commanders as applicable.

38. At the same time the naval and air forces in Hong Kong will cease to be administered from Singapore and this responsibility would then be undertaken from the United Kingdom. Operational control will have to be exercised locally. small RAF operations staff may have to be established at the Headquarters of Commander British Forces Hong Kong.

390

Our withdrawal by 1971 from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, the concentration of the Gurkhas in Hong Kong and the re-establishment of a resident naval and air presence in Hong Kong offers an opportunity to review the command organisation in the Colony for the period after 1971.

Note:

16. SEACOS 153 (1967).

SECRET

i. - 12

UK EYES ONLY