The China Station covered a theater so large that a modern map might divide it among three commands. The Army and RAF had no equivalent senior commander there, leaving the naval commander in chief as the effective commander of all British forces in the Far East. That authority required a large wartime staff, perhaps drawn in part from flagship personnel. Regional knowledge therefore had to be backed by a headquarters that could expand before reinforcements arrived.
Notable Point · 32:03-33:05
China Station's joint command and headquarters burden
The China Station commander needed a theater headquarters able to direct other services and absorb a much larger wartime staff.