By mid-1945, United Kingdom leaders were proposing that a combined Commonwealth corps comprising five divisions be assembled in India, and that they be introduced to the campaign in Operation Coronet – landings on Honshu, near Tokyo Bay, during March 1946.

MacArthur also proposed that: the corps should be kept in reserve rather than taking part in initial landings; it should not include Indian Army units, due to "linguistic and administrative complications", and; in the interests of rationalising lines of supply, the Commonwealth divisions should be re-organised to resemble US divisions, as well as being trained and equipped with US weapons, vehicles and other key equipment.

[3][4] Besides questions of American national prestige, which undoubtedly weighed heavily, behind these conditions was a desire to simplify the lines of communication and the logistic support arrangements of the invasion force.

[5] On 8 August, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, proposed that the corps comprise one Australian, one British and one Canadian division, as well as two New Zealand brigades.

The Australian government disagreed with the appointment of an officer with no experience fighting the Japanese, and instead proposed Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead for the command.