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5.

(a) On passage to the Middle East there is some personnel and material to make good losses sustained in Crete.

(e) In UK. the balance of the equipment to make good losses sustained in Crete is being prepared for embarkation. Most of it can be shipped in W.S.15. Arrangements have been made for passage in W. S. 15 for personnel replacements almost to complete the whole organisation to original establishment, plus 10% first reinforcement for

the Brigade.

Two messages recently received from Middle East refer, Midd East to Troopers 1700/19 (Annex II) and C.-in-C., Mediterranean to Admiralty 1600B/22 (Annex III). The sense of these messages is not quite the same. C.-in-C's Medi berrun Jan message, which is timed three days later than that of Ce-in-C., Middle East, implies that there is no immediate Naval requirement in the Middle East for the M. N. B. D. 0. as a complete organisation. The C.-in-C., Middle East asks, however, that it should be quickly reformed as a complete organisation,

6.

The Admiralty consider that irrespective of any future policy as regards the employment of M, N. B. D.O. I the immediate requirements are:

(a) For the re organised A. A, Brigade with requisite

ancillary and signal units to be moved to Ceylon as soon as possible at the disposal of Go O o Co. in-Co India. (Approved by Chiefs of Staff at their 432nd Meeting.)

(b) For the temporary employment in Diego Garcia of

a detachment of the Landing and Maintenance Unit to assist the Army in installing the defences, (Annex I).

(c) For the early reconstitution and re-equipment in

Ceylon of the full scale Landing and Maintenance Unit, This Unit to be at the disposal of

G. O. C. -in-C., India for the improvement of base defences in the Indian Ocean area, particularly Addu Atoll.

(a) It appears that there is more likely in the

immediate future to be a requirement for the employment of the Coast Artillery Brigade in defence of ports captured in Libya than for its employment in the Indian Ocean area. This Brigade contains almost the only effective C.D. Units available in Middle East for this purpose. All bases in the Indian' Ocean area now have some coast defences, If a requirement arises at a later date for the employment of one or more of the Batteries of this Brigade in the Indian Ocean area, they can be sent from Middle East as were the batteries for Addu Atoll.

(e) For the 11th R. M. Searchlight Regiment to remain

deployed in Middle East.

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