TNAG-0347-FCO40-383-Dormant-Commission-for-Commander-of-British-Forces-in-Hong-K-1972 — Page 40

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4. At the time when the Commission was drawn up Hong Kong was

within the theatre of the Korean war.

There was a large garrison

stationed in the Colony and the Chinese potential for agression

was then under-developed.

In any event any Chinese military

aggression against Hong Kong was likely to be moderated by

China's own involvement in the Korean war and by the fact that

the Americans were already involved in that war.

5.

Although the Chiefs of Staff agreed in December 1950 that

it would not be possible to defend Hong Kong against a full

scale Chinese attack, they considered at that time that the aim

of our Forces in the Colony in the event of such an attack should

be to put up the strongest possible co-ordinated resistance

until eventually driven back to the sea; and that as the end

approached there should be a progressive evacuation of both

civilians and military personnel. At a certain stage in the

battle, when military considerations became paramount, the

Commander British Forces would assume overall command by bringing

the Dormant Commission into operation.

6. The assessed capacity of the Hong Kong Garrison at that

time to resist any such aggression was reflected in the Military Directive to the Commander British Forces which was

then operative and which contained the following sentence:

"Task. Should an attack on the Colony develop you will

take all measures necessary to defeat it and restore the

situation in the Colony."

2.

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17.