FO371-46255 — Page 202

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TOP SECRET

CIPHER TELEGRAM

This message will not be distributed outside British Government Departments or Headquarters or re-transmitted, even in cipher, without being paraphrased. (Messages marked O.T.P. need not be paraphrased.)

From:

War Office

To:

S. A. C. S. E. A.

Rptd:

C in C INDIA

C in C HONG KONG

MO12/BM/370

Desp.172230 Sep.45.

DTO 171945 A

TMEDIATE

187

C in C B. P. F.

BALORAN

General Gairdner

32

74323

•

cipher 1012

Sep)

TOPSEC

(7 sex) 2012 SEP 1345

Your cipher SEAC (RL)34 TOO 051353Z and

cipher SAC 20579 TOO 011149Z.

There is no question of Major General

Festing taking over from C-in-C HONG KONG (Admiral Harcourt) who will probably remain Head of Military

Administration until Civil Administration is

re-established in the Colony.

Question of Command and control of

garrisons of other CHINA ports and of your administrative responsibility for HONG KONG will be subject of

further telegram.

Meanwhile General Festing with his HQ will

command Army troops in HONG KONG pending further

instructions.

C.6(Tels).

Gopios.to Copies to :-

S of S

PUS

DMI

US of S

DDMI (I) (P) MI 2,17

FM

DCA

DDCA(MG)

CA 4

AG

CIGS

QMG

VCIGS ACIGS(0) DMO DDMO(A)(B) IO 1,12 D Plans

GS(P)

D of AP

VQMG

Brig Q(Ops)

DCIGS DSD

SD 2,5

Head of War Reg (Admiralty)

AMCS (Air Min) Foreign Office (Mr. Sterndale

Bennett)

India Office

(Brig Reynolds) Colonial Office

(Lt-Col Chalmers) Defence Office

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