NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
SECRET
these units compet
Thangth of Day total / uniformed Warsommer,
there units comprise
a total strength of approximately 9,000 uniformed personnely
to preserve law and order depends essentially
on maintaining the confidence of the Chinese
population in the British intention to stay.
The majority are politically inarticulate.
Their wish is to trade and survive. They do
however not wish/to be on the losing side and once
their confidence started to slip the process
would be cumulative and there would be an
increasing tendency to transfer allegiance to
Peking.
Garrison
3. At the end of 1966 British military forces
in the Colony were 63 major Army units, four
fighter aircraft and three coastal minesweepers
4. The Army units were to have been reduced
to 53 major units during 1967-68; but this
decision was never publicly announced and has
never been implemented because of the distur-
bances in the Colony in 1967. The garrison was
in fact reinforced by one battalion from
Singapore during the earlier stages of the
disturbances and its strength remained at 73
major units until June, 1968, when one battalion
was withdrawn. The fighter aircraft were with-
(if needed was to be drawn in March 1967 and air cover/has since been
provided from Singapore.
The naval vessels
(which were to have been withdrawn) have been
retained.
Future Garrison
5.
Her Majesty's Government's decision to
withdraw their Forces from Singapore and
Malaysia by the end of 1971 will mean that it
will thereafter not be possible to reinforce
the Hong Kong Garrison from those sources in
time of need. Nor will it be possible to
continue to provide fighter cover from
SECRET
/ Singapore
OTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.