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Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume II
56 — General Freyberg to the Chief of the General Staff (Wellington)
56
General Freyberg to the Chief of the General Staff (Wellington)
Reference my telegram of 5 January (No. 54) to the Prime Minister and your telegram of 2 January (No. 53).
We are training to take the field at the latest by 1 April. It is therefore desirable to make any changes in appointments as soon as possible.
Our present Brigadiers are Inglis, Kippenberger, Barrowclough, and Weir.1 The loss in Commanding Officers and Artillery officers has been heavy.
It would help us if you stated your requirements by numbers and categories rather than by names, and we could submit names to you. You can, of course, depend on our wholehearted support.2
1 Major-General C. E. Weir, CB, CBE, DSO; CO 6th NZ Field Regiment, Sep 1939–Dec 1941; CRA 2nd NZ Division, Dec 1941–Jun 1944; commanded 2nd NZ Division, 4 Sep–17 Oct 1944; commanded 46th British Division, Nov 1944–Sep 1946; Commandant, Southern Military District, 1948–49.
2 General Puttick replied on 18 Jan that he would welcome any officers and NCOs either on loan or permanently. Personnel with active service experience ‘able to teach the doctrine of modern warfare’ were required; they would be employed at schools of instruction and with units.