TNAG-0539-FCO40-634-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 30

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENI I AL

already well advanced.

43. The principles upon which the restructuring has been based

are:-

a.

Elimination of a level of command and extension

of the span of command at formation and unit level;

b.

Economy through pooling certain specialist

functions, for example the concentration in specialist

units of transport vehicles;

C.

Improvement in the

man-to-weapon ratio;

d. Closer integration of the Territorial and Army

Volunteer Reserve, (TAVR). with the Regular Army.

49. All Arms and Corps of the Army will bear some share of the

reduction in manpower. Many headquarters are to be disbanded with

consequent economies in overheads.

The strength of fighting Arms

is to be adjusted to achieve an overall net saving; but, in line

with the principles of the restructuring, proportionally greater

savings will be achieved in the supporting services.

50. The effect of this restructuring will be to maintain fully

and in some respects enhance the fighting capability of the

British Army of the Rhine, and to improve our ability to reinforce

it and put it on a war footing, We will

prune some rear headquarters and support areas. The brigade level

of command will be eliminated with a consequent reduction in head-

quarter overheads. Units will be commanded directly by smaller-

sized divisional headquarters. The span of command will be increased

at both the formation and unit level, with the result that there will be

fewer formation headquarters overall, and fewer but larger units. Unit

I

G

23

CONFIDENTIAL,

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 30Page 31