1941, Thursday 27 November,
It had all begun with the sailing of the 27th Australian Brigade to Singapore back in August, and a previous commitment made that Australia would provide troops to garrison a number of strategic Dutch islands to the north, part in defence of the Dutch East Indies, and part in a forward defence of Australia, herself. With the 27th Brigade, the last troops of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force, raised to fight on foreign soil, gone, who would garrison these outposts.
Australia still had plenty of troops for home defence, the Citizen Military Forces or Militia, but by the government Defence Act of 1903 these forces were precluded from serving outside Australian territory. One answer was to raise yet more 2nd AIF units, but the idea of serving as garrison units in the backwaters of island chain was less than appealing. And there was a moral argument that Australia shouldn’t be relying on her volunteers for her defence, the conscripted should play a bigger part. So, the other answer was modifying the Defence Act, and allow Militia units to rotate duties there.
The Australian government under Robert Menzies had only managed to remain in power thanks to the support of two independents, it remained so when Menzies resigned and Arthur Fadden took his place, but only lasted another 40 days, when the two independents crossed the floor and joined the Australian Labour party in opposition, causing the government to fall. Governor-General Lord Gowrie was reluctant to call an election for a Parliament barely a year old, especially given the international situation. He summoned Coles and Wilson (the independents) and made them promise that if he named John Curtin, the Labour leader, Prime Minister, they would support him for the remainder of the Parliament to end the instability in government. The independents agreed, and Curtin was sworn in as Prime Minister on 7 October.
Still a minority government, but with the promised backing of the two independents, Curtin could effectively make some changes and one thing he looked at was the strategic defence of Australia. The way Australian troops had been used by Churchill and the British Chiefs Of Staff was something he was very unhappy about, and he was determined to ensure that there was more accountability as to their use. But what came with that was Australia having to play a more active role in her own defence, and not rely on the Singapore Strategy to defend her, a plan that was increasingly unlikely to happen, should Japan attack. And Japan was coming south, of that he was sure, it was just the when and how, which meant Australia had to be ready.
Despite opposition from some members of his own party, a number of opposition MPs supported him, and he was able to get the Defence (Citizens Military Forces) Act (1941) passed through parliament on the 27th November 1941. This extended the area the Militia (CMF) were allowed to serve in from the 110th to the 159th meridians of longitude up to the equator, for the duration of the war and up to six months of Australia ceasing to be involved in hostilities. From now on the Dutch East Indies islands to the north of Australia could have Australian Militia garrisons if the Governor General declared them as being territories of strategic importance to the defence of Australia.
