TNAG-0590-FCO40-723-Authentication-of-alleged-copy-of-instrument-of-surrender-of-1976 — Page 7

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L

MR. T. J. DAVID

Foreign and Commonwealth Office HONG KONG Department,

King Charles Street,

LONDON S.W. 1.

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L

METROPOLITAN

WEST HAMPSTEAD POLICE

21, Fortune Green Road,

West Hampstead N.W. 6.

POLICE

Station

Ref. No...

Your Ref..

Dated

15th October

Crime Book Maj.1382

76

19.

Subject........

Instrument of Surrender of Hong Kong

Sir,

With further reference to our telephone conversation of the 13th October 1976, regarding the aboye document. Please find the enclosed photostat copy of the original document, plus a letter addressed to Mr James O'CONNOR, which you may find helpful in your enquiries to establish whether, in fact, the document alleged to have been stolen from Mr Vernon WARBURTON, of "The Grafton Arms Public House", Eburne Road, Holloway, N. 7. (Telephone 272-2171) is genuine.

I have asked Mr Warburton how he came to be in possession of this document and he states he has had the document for 7 years which he found amongst his family papers. He further informs me that this document was taken to Sothebys for valuation purposes, who advised him to send it to Wallace & Wallace, Military Auctioneers, of Lewes, Sussex for auction purposes. This he did. In turn, Wallace and Wallace forwarded it to the Imperial War Museum at Kennington, and later to the Gravesend Maritime Museum for their opinion as to its value. It was then returned to Wallace and Wallace for auction with a minimum sale value of £1,000) However Mr Warburton later withdrew the document from the proposed auction on payment of a Commission fee of £63.

Mr Vernon Warburton also alleges that Mr A.J.P.TAYLOR, the celebrated Historian, who has seen the document, states that it is priceless.

It is asked that when your enquiries are completed you will notify us of your findings and whether the document is genuine.

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Victor Kiboite

Detective Constable 'E'