Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume II

3 — The Governor-General of New Zealand1 to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs2

3
The Governor-General of New Zealand
1 to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs 2

23 March 1940

In a telegram dated 4 March the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia asks whether the New Zealand Government would be willing to combine the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force with the 2nd Australian Imperial Force to form an Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. My Ministers would be glad to receive an early expression of the views of the War Office on this proposal. 3 The telegram reads as follows:

[Text of telegram No. 1]

1 Governors-General of New Zealand during the war were:

1935–41 Rt. Hon. George Vere Arundell Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, PC, GCMG, DSO, OBE; died Mar 1943.
1941–46 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Louis Norton Newall, GCB, OM, GCMG, CBE, AM. (Created Baron, 18 Jul 1946.)

2 Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs in the United Kingdom Government during the war were:

28 Jan 1939–3 Sep 1939 Rt. Hon. Viscount Caldecote, PC, CBE, KC (then Sir Thomas Inskip).
3 Sep 1939–12 May 1940 Rt. Hon. Robert Anthony Eden, PC, MC.
12 May 1940–5 Oct 1940 Viscount Caldecote.
5 Oct 1940–21 Feb 1942 Rt. Hon. Viscount Cranborne, PC.
21 Feb 1942–28 Sep 1943 Rt. Hon. Clement Richard Attlee, PC, CH.
28 Sep 1943–3 Aug 1945 Viscount Cranborne.
3 Aug 1945–7 Oct 1947 Rt. Hon. Viscount Addison, KG, PC.

On 2 Jul 1947 the title of this office was changed to Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations.

3 A similar telegram was sent to General Freyberg.