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Frea
103
TOP LECRET CYPHER TELEGRAM
From: A.M.S.S.O.
To
DESPATCHED BY 0.T.P.
: Commander-in-Chief Hong Kong)
Info: British Pacific Fleet
= 6372
'02-5489 TOO 031505Z
TOP 031759945
TORO
)Passed by Admiralty as )T.0.0. 031518.
S.4.C.S.E.A.
5489
1.
3rd September, 1945.
Following from Chiefs of Staff.
It is clear that in the immediate future airfield facilities at Hong Kong are likely to be inadequate to provide fully for all requirements. Apart from the needs of the R..F. contingent of the garrison Transport Command will need staging post on route from India to Japan and Commander-in-Chief British Pacific Fleet will require facilities at the R.A. F. Base Kaitak to disembark Fleet Air Arm squadrons. Chinese now appear to be expecting facilities but as far as we can judge from here it does not look as if we could do much for them.
20
SHIELD Force has been placed under your command on disembarkation and you are free to use its personnel for guard and patrol duties until arrival of adequate land forces for these purposes. It is however essential that you should use SHIELD Force as soon as and as much as posS- ible on its proper task of improving and extending airfield facilities at Hong Kong bearing in mind urgent need to use staging post for heavy transport aircraft.
3.
You should immediately review the airfield situation at Hong Kong and render a report to the Chiefs of Staff on its capacity and probable rate of development with the facilities available. Any conflict over priorities of use of airfield capacity which cannot be resolved locally will be determined by the Chiefs of Staff.
(Circulation) Foreign Office First Sea Lord C.I.G.S. C.A.S.
C.O.
S. of S.
T.0.0. 031505Ż
India
S. of S. Colonies
of S. Dominions Minister of War Transport Defence Office
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