TNAG-0477-FCO40-542-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 77

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27.

have a deterrent value on the border and in the early stages of an IS situation. Although less easily adaptable for use as infantry than a battery, the squadron could be used in this role. The loss of the Scorpion would, by restricting the all arms content of Land Forces, limit professional training, in addition to reducing the prestige and value of British Forces in their presence and deterrent roles.

Command Structure. It will always be necessary to have a Command headquarters on Hong Kong Island, to deal with Government and Police Headquarters, and to have, at the very least, one properly established operational headquarters on the mainland with prime responsibility for the border. Under conditions of stringent economy, where cuts in staffs rather than troops are infinitely preferable, one brigade headquarters might have to be dispensed with and Headquarters British and Land Forces pared down, although, there is an interaction between these two possibilities. The loss of the Kowloon brigade administrative function may well preclude the hoped for reduction in Land Forces staff. Under these circumstances, which would produce a number of important disadvantages particularly in A and Quartering matters, a reinforcement brigade headquarters would certainly be required to handle IS on the Island and on Kowloon peninsular.

28.

Training Organisation. Very few savings will be possible in the training organisation consequent on any reduction in the Garrison field force. Moreover, it should be remembered that Gurkhas and locally enlisted soldiers are vastly cheaper than British soldiers and they both have to be trained in Hong Kong. In particular:

!

a.

Engineer Specialist Training. With any reduction of the UK Engineer element, the training wing of the Gurkha Engineers may actually require enlargement to train the support troop specialists.

b. Training Centre Brigade of Gurkhas. In the main, this is responsible for conducting the nine months recruit training syllabus for the Brigade of Gurkhas and for subsequent training of NCOs and specialists. resolute re-examination of this unit could produce marginal economics only.

C.

A

Depot Hong Kong Military Service Corps. This is responsible for the basic training of the T,200 locally enlisted troops. It is already run on a shoestring and could not be reduced.

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BRCUNST