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286 Mr John Curtin, Prime Minister, to Lord Cranborne, U.K. Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

Cablegram 65 [1] CANBERRA, 21 January 1942

MOST IMMEDIATE MOST SECRET

Reference your No. 58 [2], it is noted that the only senior
Australian officer proposed to be provided on the Staff of the
Supreme Commander is the Deputy of the Administrative Branch. As
Australia is to have three divisions and possibly a fourth one in
this area, this is quite unacceptable to the Commonwealth
Government.

We strongly hold the view that the General Officer Commanding
A.I.F. [3] should be given a status that will ensure he is fully
consulted in regard to all operational, administrative and other
plans in so far as they affect the A.I.F.

CURTIN

1 Repeated to General Sir Archibald Wavell, Allied Supreme
Commander of the A.B.D.A. Area, as no. 1 and to the N.Z. Prime
Minister as no. 29.

2 Dispatched 14 January. On file AA:A2671, 37/42, It outlined the
command responsibilities at Wavell's headquarters in Java.

3 Maj Gen H. G. Bennett.


[AA:A3196, 1942, 0.2014]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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