TNAG-0181-FCO40-217-Order-in-Council-for-evacuation-of-Hong-Kong-in-an-emergency-1968 — Page 82

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Registry No.

| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret

Confidential.

Restricted.

nelassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

..In Confidence

DRAFT Memorandum

To:-

Flag D

Type 1 +

From

W

Gominara

Telephone No. & Ext.

Department

The Requisitioning of Ships Order, 1955

From the early 1950's until the beginning of 1968,

plans were held in readiness for requisitioning a con-

siderable tonnage of shipping for the evacuation of Hong

Kong in the event of an emergency. The necessary requi-

sitioning powers were originally provided under United

Kingdom Defence Regulations, but in 1955 those Regula-

tions lapsed and the Royal Prerogative was then invoked ..

(the Registhand over 1959) by way of an Order in/Council/which took power to

requisition British/ships wherever they might be, for

the same purpose. The Order in Council (Annex A) was

never published or brought into force; it was and still

is held in readiness against the occurrence of an emer-

gency in Hong Kong.

that

2. The powers to requisition shipping were an integral

part of the plan for the evacuation of Hong Kong. At

the same time that, plan was drawn up, it was envisaged

that in the event of Chinese military aggression against

Hong Kong, the Colony's garrison would fight a determined

"last ditch" rearguard action with the object of gaining

time for the evacuation plan to be carried out. However,

subsequent developments in the Far East and elsewhere

led, at the beginning of 1968, to the scrapping of the

plan (plan "Digit") for evacuating Hong Kong in an emer-

gency and it is unlikely that any substitute evacuation

plan will be prepared.

/3.

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