SECRET UK EYES A
ANNEX A TO D/CGS/45/4 DATED ) May 93
HONG KONG THE FUTURE OF THE BRITISH GARRISON MANUSCRIPT AMENDMENTS
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Paragraph 7. Recast to read:
It has already been agreed with the Hong Kong government that one of the two Gurkha battalions should be temporarily redeployed to carry out an emergency tour in Belize between October 1993 and March 1994, thus reducing the effective garrison in Hong Kong to two battalions. The UK resident battalion, currently 1st Battalion The Black Watch, could be redeployed to the UK and made available for other duties. The Army have requested at least six months notice of the move and would prefer it to take place during school holidays. Whilst both January and April 1994 are therefore achievable, the preferred date is July/August. The first of these options reduces the garrison to one battalion in January 1994: the second and third postpone the reduction until the later amalgamation of Gurkha battalions which, if continued as planned will see a single battalion capability by July. Once the garrison has
garrison has reduced to a single battalion it would no longer be capable of replacing the police on the border without reinforcement. As such we would need to review the directive to Commander British Forces Hong Kong, and the plans and roles for reinforcement forces.
Paragraph 8. Line 2. Delete "substantial".
Paragraph 9. Recast to read:
"Overall there is substantial risk involved, not least that we might be committed, not only to reinforcement, but also to a continuing roulement should our risk assessment prove to have been inaccurate.
That said the balance is probably in favour of the increased flexibility elsewhere in the Army at a time when commitments in Northern Ireland and with the UN show no signs of reducing."
Paragraph 15.
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Line 7. Recast sentence to read:
"But if these circumstances arose not only might a weak garrison make Chinese intervention more likely, but we would inevitably be committed to reinforcement, and the possibility of continuing roulement.
Subparagraph a. Recast to read:
"...to a single effective infantry battalion by July 1994, in
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SubParagraph b. Line 1. Delete "substantial".
A 1 SECRET UK EYES A
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