CAB11-57-14 — Page 66

CHAPTER III (F).

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4. The Officer i/c Transport will at once place himself in communication with the Harbour Master, and will, with his co-operation, charter any extra launches, cargo and water boats, which he may be unable to obtain under existing contracts, for the distribution of all personnel and matériel.

5. Table F (ii), war stage, shows the detail of transport required for the distribution of troops, with their equipment, to their sections of defence, the points at which it will be required, and how it will be furnished. All the transport detailed in this table will be maintained until all the troops and stores have been distributed to their sections, when the whole or part thereof may be discharged, at the discretion of the Director of Supplies and Transport, who will bear in mind the contingency of sections having to be reinforced, and provide therefor.

840 coolies will be required for the carriage of the ammunition of the movable armament on the first day. The guns of the movable armament, other than 2.95, will be moved into position by the R.G.A.

125 coolies will be required for Hong Kong Volunteers on the first day of mobilization for the transport of 15-pr. guns and ammunition.

Table F (iii) shows the detail of transport permanently required for—-

(1.) The delivery of rations.

(2.) The supply of ammunition and stores other than those enumerated in Table F (i).

2.95

(3.) The removal of sick and wounded.

(4.) The supply of water to Stonecutters and Lyemun.

(5.) 360 coolies of the permanent coolie corps will be allotted for the transport of guns into position on first day of mobilization.

6. Two coolie corps will be formed, consisting of 6 superintendents, 6 headmen, and 240 coolies each. The 6 headmen will be English-speaking Chinamen. These numbers will vary from time to time according to circumstances. of these coolie corps will be, one in the Victoria Barracks, Victoria, and the other at The headquarters Whitfield Barracks, Kowloon, which will be vacant when the troops are mobilized, and thus available for this purpose.

Each particular batch of coolies would be employed on the same journey, with a view to minimize the errors made by illiterate Chinese in the delivery of stores, &c., and with a view to ensure greater regularity and despatch.

N.B.-Coolies required as telephone linesmen will be provided by the C.E.

7. The Hong Kong Volunteers employed as telephonists will provide their own transport to their respective stations, sending in claims to the Officer i/c Transport.

(2.) Supplies.

8. The D. of S. and T., assisted by the officers A.S.C., will at this stage form two main ration depôts-one on the recreation ground at Victoria, where the gun-sheds, when built, will become available as godowns, supplemented, if necessary, by mat-sheds; and the other at Whitfield Barracks, Kowloon, where ample accommodation will be found.

9. He will in addition form sub-depôts for the various sections of the defence, as under, where one week's rations of preserved meat, biscuit, groceries, potatoes, onions, and fuel for British troops, also oil for signalling purposes and magazine candles, will at once be stored, and one week's rations for native troops, according to scale, which are not perishable :-

Gap,

No. I Section-

(a.) Stonecutters.

(b.) Belcher.

No. II Section one sub-depôt at Sanitarium. One sub-depôt near Wong-nei-Cheong

No. III Section at Lyemun.

No. IV Section at section headquarters camp, north of Kowloon City.

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