J.P.C. 6/47 20 February 1947

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PROPOSALS OF NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF
JOINT SERVICE LIAISON STAFFS

Agendum No.1/1947

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the direction of the Defence Committee the
joint Planning Committee gave consideration to a letter by the NEW
ZEALAND Minister for External Affairs relating to the
establishment of a NEW ZEALAND Joint Service Liaison Staff in
AUSTRALIA.

NEW ZEALAND PROPOSAL:

2. The Committee noted that the NEW ZEALAND Government has
expressed its approval of the arrangements proposed at the Prime
Ministers' Conference in May 1946, for the establishment of joint
Service Liaison Staffs for general liaison duties in different
parts of the BRITISH COMMONWEALTH (P.M.M.(46)20). Accordingly, the
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT proposes, if the AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT
agrees, to organise the NEW ZEALAND Liaison Officer at MELBOURNE,
as a NEW ZEALAND joint Service Liaison Staff (AUSTRALIA). It is
contemplated that the Officer now discharging liaison duties, who
also serves as NEW ZEALAND Representative on JCOSA, will be
supplemented later by an Air Force Liaison Officer and possibly,
also a Naval Liaison Officer.

3. The joint Planning Committee recalled that in Minute No-
515/1946Conference of Prime Ministers, LONDON, 1946-Organisation
for Commonwealth Defence-the Defence Committee expressed its
agreement with the conclusion by the UNITED KINGDOM Chiefs of
Staff in P.M.M. (46)20, para. 10, which states-'To sum up, we
think that provided each Dominion is willing to maintain a mission
in the UNITED KINGDOM, and also, as necessary in other Dominions,
and provided the UNITED KINGDOM maintains a mission in each
Dominion, the necessary basis for a workable system will be
available...' Further, the Defence Committee, in the same Minute,
referred to the fact that only the UNITED KINGDOM and AUSTRALIAN
Organisations had been discussed but stated that the Committee
considered that the systems outlined could be extended to other
Dominions and to the U.S.A. as may be necessary, so long as a high
degree of flexibility is maintained.

4. The Committee recalled, further, that early in the War years,
NEW ZEALAND had established a Liaison Officer in MELBOURNE and
since the formation of the BCOF that Officer has also served as
the NEW ZEALAND Representative on JCOSA. It was understood that
this arrangement has worked satisfactorily. As the proposals now
made by the NEW ZEALAND Government for the establishment of a
joint Service Staff in AUSTRALIA would appear to accord, in
principle, with the organisation proposed as the result of the
Prime Ministers' Conference, the Joint Planning Committee
considered they should be agreed to by the AUSTRALIAN Government.

5. With regard to the intention of the NEW ZEALAND Government to
supplement the joint Service Liaison Staff by the addition of an
Air Force Liaison Officer and possibly, a Naval Liaison Officer,
the joint Planning Committee felt that one officer should be
nominated by the NEW ZEALAND Government as Head of the Staff, with
authority to act as the NEW ZEALAND Representative in AUSTRALIA,
on joint Service matters. It was considered that this would accord
in principle with the views of the Defence Committee (Minute
No.515/1946) that '... only a single Joint Service Representative
should be accredited to these committees in the particular country
...' and '... in view of the possibility of a number of Dominions
being concerned, it is essential that the number of persons
authorised to attend and speak at the various committees should be
kept as low as possible'.

6. With respect to the statement, by the NEW ZEALAND Minister for
External Affairs, that the establishment by the AUSTRALIAN
Government of any equivalent mission in NEW ZEALAND would be
welcomed, the Joint Planning Committee expressed the view that
this appeared to be a matter for determination after the proposals
submitted by the Defence Committee, in regard to the establishment
of joint Service Staffs, in the UNITED KINGDOM and U.S.A. (Minute
No. 516/1946), have been considered by the AUSTRALIAN and other
Governments concerned.

CONCLUSIONS:

7. In the light of the foregoing, the Joint Planning Committee
recommended that-
(a) The proposal of the NEW ZEALAND Government to organise the NEW
ZEALAND Liaison Officer at MELBOURNE as a NEW ZEALAND Joint
Service Liaison Staff (AUSTRALIA) be agreed to;

(b) The NEW ZEALAND Government be requested to nominate one
officer as Head of the Staff, to act as NEW ZEALAND Representative
for consideration of joint Service matters, when the joint Service
Liaison Staff is supplemented by an Air Force Officer, and
possibly, a Naval Officer;

(c) the question of setting up an equivalent mission in NEW
ZEALAND should receive consideration when a decision has been
taken in respect of the proposals submitted by the Defence
Committee in relation to joint Service Staffs in the UNITED
KINGDOM and U.S.A. [1]

H.M. BURRELL Captain
Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff

J.G. WILTON Colonel
A/Director Military Operations and Planning

V.E. HANCOCK G/Captain
Director of Air Staff Plans and Policy

H.D. PRESTON
Joint Secretary
Joint Planning Committee