AUSTRALIAN IN COMMAND IN JAPAN

Grey River Argus, 1 February 1946, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN IN COMMAND IN JAPAN

FULL DETAILS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS

P.A. WELLINGTON, January 31

The Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. W. Nash, announced to-night that an agreement has now been reached between the British Commonwealth Governments concerned and the United States Government concerning the participation of a British Commonwealth force in the occupation of Japan. Mr Nash released the following statement, which is also being released, simultaneously, by the Governments in the United Kingdom, Australia. and India, while a similar announcement is being made in Washington, and also by General MacArthur in Tokio: —

“As the result of discussion between members of the British Commonwealth, proposals for a joint British Commonwealth force to participate in the occupation of Japan were agreed upon, and were conveyed to the United States Government by the Australian Government, acting on behalf of the British Commonwealth Governments concerned. “Following recent representations in Washington by Dr. Evatt, the United States Government has now formally accepted the participation of the British Commonwealth forces in the occupation of Japan. Arrangements are now well advanced for the force to proceed, on the following basis:--

“The force is drawn from the United Kingdom, Australia. New Zealand, and India. The Commander-in-Chief of the force is Lieutenant-General J. Northcott, C. 8.,. M.V.0., of the Australian Military Forces. His headquarters is fully integrated with representatives drawn from each service, and from each Commonwealth country contributing to the force. Air Commodore F. M. Bladin, C.8.E.. of the R.A.A.F., has been appointed Chief of Staff to General Northcott. “The force comprises: Firstly, Force and base troops drawn from each of the contributing countries; secondly, a land component, organised as a corps, of one British-Indian Division, and two independent brigade groups, one each from Australia and New Zealand; thirdly, an air component, comprising squadrons drawn from the R.A.F., R.A.A.F., R.N.Z.A.F., and Royal Indian Air Force. “A squadron of the British Pacific Fleet, which includes ships of the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Indian Navy, is stationed in Pacific waters, under the operational' control of an admiral commanding a detachment of the United States fleet. “The British-Indian Division is commanded by Major-General D. T. Cowan, C. 8., D. 5.0., M.C., Indian Army, and includes the Fifth Brigade of the Second British Division, and the 268th Indian Infantry Brigade. “The Australian infantry brigade includes the 34th Australian Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier R. H. Nimmo.

“The Commander of the New Zea- } land brigade, which is coming from 1 Italy, is Brigadier" K. L. Stewart, j c.b'e., D.S.O. j “The Commander of the air com- . ponent is Air Vice-Marshal C. A. Bouchier, C. 8., 8.C.E.. D.F.C., R.A.F. His senior staff officer is Air Commodore I. D. McLaughlan, D.F.C., R.A.A.F. The air component includes: No. 81 Australian Fighter Wing of the No. 3 Mustang Fighter Squadron; No. 11 and No. 17 Spitfire Squadrons; and No. 96 Medium Transport Squadron, R.A.F.; No. 4 Spitfire Squadron, R.1.A.F.; and lhe No. 14 Corsair Squadron, R.N.Z.A.F.” AUSTRALIAN TO COMMAND BRITISH FORCES. The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (8.C.0.F.) will form part of the occupation forces in Japan under the supreme command of General MacArthur. He has assigned the land component to. general operation control of the Comanding General of the Eighth United States Army, who is in military control of the whole area of Japan. The air component has been assigned to the general operational control of the Commanding General of the Pacific Air Command, United States Army. General Northcott, as Commander-in-Chief of the 8.C.0.F., is entirely responsible for the maintenance and administration of the •British Commonwealth Force as a whole. He has direct access to General MacArthur on matters of major policy affecting the operational commitments of the forces. On policy and administrative matters affecting the force, the Com-mander-in-Chief is responsible to the British Commonwealth Governments concerned, through a British Commonwealth organisation set up in Melbourne, and known as the “Joint Chiefs of Staff in Australia”. Their instructions to the Commander-in-Chief, 8.C.0.F., will be issued by the Australian Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Australia (J.C.0.5.A.) comprise the Australian Chiefs of Staff and representatives of the Chiefs of Staff of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Com-mander-in-Chief in India. This organisation is fully associated with the Australian joint service machinery. The Commander-in-Chief, 8.C.0.F.. has the rivht of direct, communication with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Australia on administrative matters affecting the force. On matters of Governmental concern the policy and operations of 8.C.0.F.,, he will communicate, through J.C.0.5.A., to the Australian Government, which acts as the representative of the other Common wealth Governments concerned. LOCATION IN JAPAN. The 8.C.0.F. will initially be located in the Hiroshima prefecture, which includes the cities of Kure and Fukuyama. It will be responsible for the demilitarisation and disposal of Japanese installations and armaments, and for exercising military control of the area, but not for its military gov.ernment, which remains the responsibility of United States agencies. The 8.C.0.F. area will not constitute a national zone. The 8.C.0.F. may be called upon to conduct military operations outside of its normally allocated area. When air support for the land component. of the 8.C.0.F. is required, this will primarily be provided by the 8.C.0.F. air component at Kure. Kure will be the base port for the

8.C.0.F., who will be responsible for the working of the entire port. The Kure naval yard is remaining under United States naval control. Provision is being made for the 8.C.0.F. to be represented in the Tokio prefecture by a detachment, which will probably be of battalion strength. ’ This detachment will be drawn, in 'turn, from each national component of the force. PROVISION FOR WITHDRAWAL, The 8.C.0.F. may be withdrawn, wholly or in part, by an agreemnt between the United States Government and the Commonwealth Governments concerned, or upon six months’ notice by either party. It has also been agreed that progressive reductions in the strength of the force will be made, from time to time, in conformity with progressive reductions which may be made in. the strength of the United States occupation forces in Japan. The Australian Services Mission, hitherto located in Tokio, has been transformed into an advanced echelon of the headquarters of the 8.C.0.F., with the addition of officers from other Commonwealth components. For the present it remains in the Tokio area to facilitate liaison with General MacArthur’s headquarters. Details of the move to Japan of the various components of the 8.C.0.F., cannot yet be announced, but detailed planning is now in progress' on the following basis:— DATES OF ARRIVAL (1) Naval port parties for the working of Kure port to arrive in the first week of February. (2) Leading elements pf the Australian component, including an airfield construction squadron, to arrive in the third week in February. (3) Leading elements of the BritishIndian Division and advanced parties of the British-Indian air component to arrive about March 1. (4) Leading elements of the New Zealand Brigade which is moving from Italy, to arrive about March 23. The organisation of the 8.C.0.F. and arrangements for its control through J.C.0.E.A., which are outlined above, constitute a further development in the 1 closer - integration of British Commonwealth co-operation. They ensure that each of the Governments concerned has a full, effective voice in this joint undertaking. N.Z. AIRMEN GOING. AUCKLAND, January 30. No. 14 Fighter Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as part of the British occupation force for Japan, will travel from New Zealand in a British aircraft-carrier with its new aircraft and all its equipment. The Squadron, chosen from a large number of volunteers of all ranks and trades, is almost up to its established strength of 290 at Ardmore. The unit will be fully self-con-tained and, in addition to pilots and maintenance crews, will include medical and -dental officers and their staffs, as well as its own motor transport, equipment, accounting, signals, and similar ancillary groups. The latest type of Corsair lighter aircraft has been allocated to the squadron, which will take 14 of them to Japan. The officer commanding is Squadron-Leader J. J. De Willimoff, D.F.C. The pilots are, for the most part, young men with considerable war-time flying on operations to their credit. » n\ vo staff officers from Southern Military District and an officer who was formerly stationed in the SouthIsland are to be included in the small party of. New Zealand officers who are to leave for Australia soon to join the British Occupation Force for Japan. These are Captain W. H. Cummings, N.Z.T.S., at present adjutant of A Block, Burnham; Captain A. J. McPherson, N.Z.S.C. (Dunedin); and Captain C. L. Stubbs, N.Z.T.S. (Trentham), who was a wellknown Southland representative footballer some years ago.