CONFIDENTIAL
10035
2
00 HONG KONG (DESKBY 120100Z)
GRS 219
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 12010OZ
FM FCO 111700Z JUN 82
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 442 OF 11 JUNE
INFO MODUK (DS11 AND DS5)
FOR GOVERNOR AND POLITICAL ADVISER FROM CLIFT
FCO TELNO 433: HONG KONG CASUALTIES IN FALKLANDS
1.
wp
MOD HAVE NOW INFORMED US THAT THEY CANNOT AFTER ALL YET GIVE
A FINAL FIGURE FOR SURVIVORS OF HONG KONG SEAMEN ON SIR GALAHAD.
THIS IS BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY WORK FROM FIRM NOMINAL ROLLS AND
NOT FROM GENERAL FIGURES. ON THIS BASIS THE PRESENT POSITION IS
AS FOLLOWS: OUT OF A TOTAL HONG KONG CHINESE COMPLEMENT OF 51 (REPEAT 51) THERE ARE 20 SURVIVORS, 2 MISSING PRESUMED DEAD, AND
29 UNACCOUNTED FOR. NEXT OF KIN ARE BEING INFORMED ALTHOUGH IT
IS BEING STRESSED THAT 'UNACCOUNTED FOR DOES NOT (NOT) MEAN THE SAME AS MISSING PRESUMED DEAD'.
2. WE HOPE THAT THE FINAL POSITION WILL BE MORE ENCOURAGING.
THE MASTER OF THE SIR GALAHAD HAS REPORTED THAT IN
HIS VIEW A TOTAL OF 49 HAVE SURVIVED. HE HAS BEEN ASKED TO PRO- VIDE A NOMINAL ROLL ON THE BASIS OF WHICH MOD WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION TO NEXT OF KIN.
3. I AM SORRY THAT THE INFORMATION IN OUR TUR WAS PREMATURE. THIS REFLECTS THE EXTREME DIFFICULTY OF ESTABLISHING THE EXACT - SCALE AND NATURE OF CASUALTIES. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THERE
IS FURTHER FIRM NEWS. MEANWHILE I SHOULD STRESS THAT NO (NO) DETAILS ABOUT CASUALTIES ARE YET BEING PUBLICLY RELEASED.
PYM
NNNN
DIST
LIMITED
COPIES TO:
HONG KING GOVT OFFICE,
LONDON
Aldri.
218 3085
HKGD
EMERG UNIT
DEFENCE DEPT
PS
PS/LORD BELSTEAD
PS/PUS
MR GIFFARD
WE DONALD
MR GILLMORE
CONFIDENTIAL
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