MOUNTBATTEN (Earl Louis of Burma, 1900-1979, Admiral of the Fleet)

Fine Typed Letter Signed (‘Dickie') with autograph salutation and subscription to “My dear Malcolm”, MACDONALD (1901-1981, Politician and Diplomat) saying that “although you only came to South East Asia at the very end of my time, I felt it might interest you to have a copy of the Report which I have submitted on South East Asia to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, since it covers the immediate post-war phase not only in Malaya, but in the whole of South East Asia. I am therefore sending you a copy which please keep if you want to, provided you appreciate that it has not yet been approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff who might wish to cut out certain passages. Although I am sorry that your partnership with Miles is to be broken up, you will see from foot-note 15... that I have always held the view that only a single very high official was required in South East Asia. I have send Miles a copy... and a copy perhaps for the use of the Defence Committee or Joint Planning Staff in Singapore...”, 1 side A4, The Viceroy’s House crossed out, Government House, New Delhi, 22nd October

Malcolm was initially a Labour Member of Parliament, but in 1931 followed his father Ramsay MacDonald in breaking with the party and joining the National Government, and was consequently expelled from the Labour Party. MacDonald was a government minister during the Second World War and was later Governor of Kenya. After his term in Canada ended in 1946, MacDonald moved on to serve in other Imperial posts based in Singapore: as Governor-General of British territories in Southeast Asia from 1946 to 1948 and then Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia covering regional affairs as well during the communist insurrection.
During his time as Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Theatre, Mountbatten’s command oversaw the recapture of Burma from the Japanese by General Sir William Slim. A personal high point was the receipt of the Japanese surrender in Singapore when British troops returned to the island to receive the formal surrender of Japanese forces in the region led by General Itagaki Seishiro on 12th September 1945. South East Asia Command was disbanded in May 1946 and Mountbatten returned home with the substantive rank of rear-admiral. That year, he was made a Knight Companion of the Garter and created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, of Romsey in the County of Southampton, as a victory title for war service. He was then in 1947 further created Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Baron Romsey, of Romsey in the County of Southampton. Attlee advised King George VI to appoint Mountbatten Viceroy of India on 20 February 1947.

Item Date:  1947

Stock No:  42580      £275

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