283

Chifley to Bruce

Cablegram 275 CANBERRA, 2 October 1945

SECRET

Your letter 31st August 1945 [1], reparation claims by Australia against Germany.

Owing to delay in receipt of complete copy of invitation and two annexes [2] the figures required for Annex B are not yet available. These will be forwarded immediately they come to hand.

Information requested in Annex ‘A’ is as follows:

Damage to and loss of property other than military equipment and installations in the course of the war against Germany-

Amount Amount Year Damage A U.S.$ occurred 1. (1) Industry and Commerce 200,000 777,600 1940 (2) Shipping (a) 946,000 3,678,0481 940 165,0006 41,520 1941 Cargo (b) 33,070 128,576.16 1940 (3) to (II) [3] Nil Note The above Australian figures are based as far as possible on 1938 replacement values and have been converted to 1938 U.S.$ at 3.888 dollars per A selling.

II. Budgetary expenditure A Millions Year 55.1 1939-40 170.3 1940-41 152.6 1941-42 84.3 1942-43 81.6 1943-44 69.0 1944-45 Total 612.9

III. (1) Man years Figures in Year ALLOCATABLE TO WAR 1,000’s against Germany 174 1939-1940 449 1940-1941 403 1941-1942 174 1942-1943 138 1943-44 122 1944-1945 Total 1,460 (2) [4] Nil (3) Loss of life Killed 11,043 Missing 1,018 Wounded 16,330

IV. [5] Nil.

V. Loss of wages paid to seamen A109,500 captured as result of ships being sunk by German action and repatriation expenses of survivors.

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1 On file AA : A1066, H45/1015, iii.

2 See Document 224. Annexes A and B requested information on the cost of losses and damage and of the war effort to Australia, and details of German assets or holdings in Australia respectively. On the file cited in note 1.

3 This category covered losses not included in foregoing categories, including transport, roads, agriculture, public institutions and buildings.

4 This category concerned losses through deportation of forced labour to Germany.

5 Costs incurred during German occupation.

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[AA : A1066, H45/1015, iii]