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Shetlands Defences, C. in C., Home Forces, and G.0.0. in C. A. ^. Tommand; a procedure which it is suggested could not be entirely satisfactory under normal conditions and liable to introduce serious complications in times of emergency.

6.

To deal with the items of the amended Annex Ţ seriatim: (a) and (b) are matters which in the case of an isolated fortress such as Orkney and Shetland should prop- erly be dealt with by the most interested party, in this case the Naval authority. (c) is a matter of the security of a command on which it is the duty of a local Naval authority in any area to make representation if he is not satisfied with the existing arrangements. (d) and (e) in the particular case of Orkney and Shetland are, because of the isolated nature of the Command and the peculiar Naval interests, matters on which the local Naval authority should have sole and independent authority to issue requirements direct to the local Military Commander.

7. From the Admiralty point of view it is immaterial whether the Army formations in the Islands are controlled by the higher authority of the "ar Office or Home Forces as the channels of communications to both are excellent as they are between the Admiralty and A. C.0.3. However, no matter what changes are considered to be desirable in this respect it is most undesirable to make any modifications in the local system of operational control which, as far as the Admiralty are a are, has worked satisfactorily for over a year.

ANNEX I.

signal dated 1st February, 1941 from Admiral Commanding

Orkney and Shetland to Admiralty.

250. The following are my remarks on A. I.M. 01108/41 of 22nd January, 1941.

2.

I have always understood Government have vested me with operational command of military forces in Orkneys and Shetlands for chief reason that Scapa Flow is Fleet's main base. This control in terms of all the items enumerated in paragraph 2 of Annexe is I consider necessary for defence of Fleet. It is also necessary so that I am in a position to co-ordinate naval, military and air force measures for defence of Fleet and of Shetlands. I hope nothing will be done to deprive me of this control and of a position which has worked exceedingly well in practice.

3.

With regard to paragraph 4 of the Chief of General taff's memo I do not quite understand why the Land Forces of the Orkneys and Shetlands cannot be considered in isolation and why the defence must be closely co-ordinated with the Land Defence of the North of Scotland. There is no possibility of reinforcing military forces in the Orkneys and Shetlands in under 12 hours at the least. In particular the arrangements for reinforcing aerodromes in the Islands when attacked must be carried out by troops "in the island". A delay in reinforcing them even by one hour would in all probability necessitate operations and reinforcements on the scale of that necessary to recapture the Islands.

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