The British Army, the Gurkhas and Cold War

This book argues that postwar Britain's "imperial over-extension" has been exaggerated. Britain developed and adjusted its defense strategy based upon the perceived Communist threat and available resources. It was especially successful at adapting to meet the strategic and resource challenges from the Far East from 1947-54. There British and Gurkha forces were deployed only in contingencies that threatened vital British interests, while the US and Commonwealth allies were persuaded to accept key wartime missions, thus preserving Britain's ability to fight in Western Europe.

Raffi Gregorian is Senior Advisor on Balkans issues in the State Department's Office of Kosovo and Dayton Implementation.

List of Tables

ix

List of Figures

x

Acknowledgements

xi

Preface

xiii

Glossary of Abbreviations

xvi

Introduction

1

(10)

Sources

6

(3)

Approach

9

(2)

`Future Defence Policy': the Far East as Strategic Backwater, 1945-48

11

(21)

Introduction

11

(7)

Global strategy

18

(6)

From SEAC to FARELF: military strategy in the Far East, 1945-48

24

(8)

National Service, the Gurkhas and the Reorganization of the British Army, 1946-48

32

(19)

Development of the postwar British Army

33

(3)

Filling the manpower gap: the origins of the British Army Gurkhas

36

(6)

GHQ FARELF, local forces, and the `Gurkha Project'

42

(2)

Development of the Gurkha division

44

(2)

Teething pains: the Gurkhas arrive in Malaya

46

(2)

The Brigade of Gurkhas

48

(1)

Conclusion

49

(2)

FARELF and the Malayan Emergency, 1948-50

51

(26)

The Communist threat

52

(2)

FARELF and the British response

54

(4)

`Ferret Force'

58

(1)

Despatch of the `fire brigade'

59

(2)

Training

61

(1)

The Gurkha Division

62

(1)

Local defense forces

63

(2)

A new C-in-C shakes things up

65

(2)

A fillip to the MCP: Communist victory in China

67

(1)

Renewed call for reinforcements

68

(6)

Conclusion

74

(3)

`To the Last Round': the Defense of Hong Kong, 1948-50

77

(32)

The 1946 Hong Kong defense policy

78

(2)

Rethinking Hong Kong defense policy

80

(2)

A Communist threat on the horizon

82

(1)

Colonial Office jitters

83

(1)

The garrison's role and the reinforcement dilemma

84

(3)

Assessing the strategic implications

87

(3)

HMS Amethyst and a brigade group for Hong Kong

90

(1)

Contemplating war with China

91

(2)

Scoping the effects of suppositional reinforcements

93

(2)

For The decision to defend

95

(3)

Thinking in the long term

98

(1)

Military preparations in Hong Kong

99

(2)

Thinking about Hong Kong in a global war

101

(1)

Hong Kong and British recognition of the People's Republic

102

(3)

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

105

(2)

Conclusion

107

(2)

Adapting to Reality: the Far East and Cold War Strategy, 1950-54

109

(26)

The strategic impact of a Communist China: the view from Whitehall

110

(3)

The view from Singapore

113

(1)

Singapore's call for coordinated containment

114

(2)

The Colombo conference

116

(1)

ANZAM

117

(1)

Updating Far East strategy and policy

118

(1)

The Far East and the 'global strategy and ' defence policy' of 1950

119

(3)

'In light of the present situation': updating DO(50)45

122

(3)

The strategic reappraisal of 1952

125

(3)

The `Radical Review'

128

(5)

Conclusion

133

(2)

Between the American Scylla and Chinese Charybdis: Hong Kong, 1950-54

135

(30)

Hong Kong, FARELF and the Korean commitment

136

(2)

Land forces for Korea

138

(4)

Reassessing the threat

142

(1)

Strategic deception and a new policy for Hong Kong

143

(4)

The United States, Hong Kong, and the war in Korea

147

(1)

Mixed signals

148

(3)

Getting Hong Kong on the allied agenda

151

(1)

'Indefensible'

152

(3)

The US and Hong Kong: from deception to commitment?

155

(4)

Five Power planning for Hong Kong

159

(2)

Reduction of the garrison

161

(2)

Conclusion

163

(2)

Manpower, the Strategic Reserve and the Malayan Emergency, 1950-54

165

(15)

Malaya at the start of the Korean War

166

(1)

Malaya, colonial troops, and the new strategic reserve

167

(2)

A Federation Army

169

(3)

India, Nepal and the British Army Gurkhas

172

(3)

The Communist campaign against the British Gurkhas

175

(1)

The end of the Gurkhas?

176

(2)

Conclusion

178

(2)

Siam and the Commonwealth Defense of Malaya

180

(23)

Siam in relation to the defense of Malaya

181

(1)

The `Songkhla position'

182

(3)

Planning begins under changing strategic assumptions

185

(2)

Plan IRONY

187

(1)

Revised force requirements

188

(1)

A change in Allied strategy and new thinking about reinforcements

189

(1)

The role of deception

190

(1)

I Plan RINGLET

191

(1)

Ministerial briefing

192

(1)

Reassessing the initiating triggers

193

(1)

The improving situation in Siam

194

(2)

Plan WARRIOR

196

(2)

A Commonwealth role in the defense of Malaya

198

(2)

Conclusion

200

(3)

Limited Liability and the Defense of Southeast Asia, 1950-54

203

(22)

The importance of French Indochina to British Southeast Asia

204

(1)

American aid for Indochina

205

(1)

Thinking about collective security

206

(3)

Tripartite talks

209

(3)

The effects of a possible French withdrawal in 1952

212

(2)

Five Power Staff Agency (FPSA)

214

(1)

Dien Bien Phu and the American call for 'united action'

215

(3)

The US request for British intervention

218

(3)

The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty

221

(1)

Conclusion

222

(3)

Conclusion

225

(12)

Strategic sufficiency

230

(4)

Epilogue

234

(3)

Notes

237

(71)

Select Bibliography

308

(15)

Index

323

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The British Army, the Gurkhas and Cold War Strategy in the Far East, 1947-1954

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials