TNAG-0868-FCO40-1078-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 75

CONFIDENTIAL.

179-

LA HCR 184/2.77mm. 37°

51

19 JUN 79

GR 400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 1510352 JUN

TO IMMEDIATE F.C.0.

TELEGRAM NUMBER 800 OF 15 JUNE, 1979.

IND

DESK O

TO WILLIAMSON H.K. DEPT, FROM DAVIES.

AIR FREIGHTING TENTS:

1. WHEN YOU TELEPHONED AT 0030 HONG KONG TIME ON 13TH JUNE 1979 AND WOKE ME TO SAY YOU NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE DECISION ON WHETHER

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD MEET THE COST OF AIR FREIGHTING

ARMY TENTS TO HONG KONG I SAID THAT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE

WOULD DO SO.

2. THE CIRCUMSTANCES KNOWN TO ME WERE THAT :-

(A) WE HAD BORROWED TENTS FROM HQBF FOR THE USE OF VIETNAMESE WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT NOT BE SERVICEABLE AFTER USE, AND (B) THERE WAS LIKELY TO BE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR TENTS AS A RESULT OF REQUESTS FOR REINFORCEMENTS.

YOU ALSO SAID THAT IF THE CONSIGNMENT DID NOT CATCH THE

AIRCRAFT THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENT DELAY.

3. I HAVE NOW BEEN CONCERNED TO FIND THAT :-

1.

(A) THE TENTS LOANED TO US FOR USE BY REFUGEES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING RETURNED TO HQBF AND MOST ARE SERVICEABLE:

(B) HQBF ASKED FOR THE TENTS FOR THEIR OWN USE (NOT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S) FOR REPLENISHING UNSERVICEABLE STOCK ARISING FROM (A) AND TO ESTABLISH A STOCK PILE FOR POSSIBLE USE BY

REINFORCEMENTS:

(C) HQBF REQUESTED THE TENTS TO BE SENT BY AIR. THEY WERE

ASKED BY MOD TO JUSTIFY THIS BUT BEFORE THEY HAD DONE SO

WERE TOLD THE TENTS WERE COMING BY AIR:

(D) THE CONSIGNMENT WAS SENT BY COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT AND

COULD THEREFORE HAVE COME AT ANY TIME, AND

(D) IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THE TENTS COULD HAVE BY SEA AS

OTHER MILITARY SUPPLIES,

CONFIDENTIAL

ke

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