Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III
248 — The Prime Minister of New Zealand to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs1 — [Extract]
248
The Prime Minister of New Zealand to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs1
[Extract]
With reference to your Circular telegram of 17 January [No. 245], His Majesty's Government in New Zealand note with pleasure that it is proposed to provide some form of fixed defences for relatively isolated ports, which they understand to refer to such places as Fanning Island, Ocean Island, etc., and not to secondary ports in New Zealand for which cover is provided by the Air Striking Force.
2. His Majesty's Government in New Zealand have expressed their concurrence in the proposals made by the Commonwealth Government to provide fixed defences, inter alia, at Nauru and Ocean Island, and have indicated their willingness to provide personnel for the battery at the latter island. In this connection please see my telegram No. 6312 of 19 February….3
2 Not published.
3 See Fanning Island, No. 329, for text omitted.
5. The Chiefs of Staff have considered the question of the installation of fixed defences at Nukualofa and Papeete and have come to the conclusion that they are unnecessary. In this connection reference is invited to my telegram No. 39 of 7 February.3
6. His Majesty's Government in New Zealand assume that if the recommendations for the provision of fixed defences at the places referred to in this telegram are accepted, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom will, at the same time as guns are provided, arrange also the supply of an adequate reserve of ammunition….4
1 Hon. H. L. Anthony; Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Minister of Commerce, 1940; Minister of Transport, Jun – Oct 1941.
2 In a telegram dated 27 March the Prime Minister said that heavy guns were not recommended for Makatea.
3 Not published. The Government supported a recommendation of the New Zealand Chiefs of Staff that the port defences of Wellington be increased by the installation of two 6-inch naval guns originally intended for Papeete and asked that they be retained in New Zealand.
4 In the text omitted the United Kingdom Government was asked to provide guns and ammunition for the ports of Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and Dunedin.