Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally

257 Commonwealth Government to U.K. Dominions Office

Cablegram 11 CANBERRA, 6 January 1942, 1.05 a.m.

IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET

Your telegram No. 16 of the 3rd January. [1] Commonwealth Government agree to the despatch of the sixth and seventh A.I.F.

to Singapore together with corps of troops and maintenance and base organisations from the Middle East to the Netherlands East Indies. [2] We assume that adequate measures will be taken for their security both in respect of naval escorts and air protection when approaching destination.

1 AA:A3195, 1942, 1.426.

2 This sentence was apparently mutilated in transmission. The relevant sentence of War Cabinet minute 1667 of 5 January (in AA:A2673, vol.10) read: 'That the Government agree to the transfer of the 6th and 7th Divisions from the Middle East to the Netherlands East Indies, together with Corps troops and maintenance and base organisations.'

[AA:A2937, FAR EAST POSITION 1942]

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