The FESR originated from a June 1953 letter from Harold Alexander, the British Minister of Defence, to Philip McBride and Tom Macdonald, his equivalents in Australia and New Zealand ministries, respectively.
ðə fˈɛsɚɹ ɚɹˈɪdʒᵻnˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌm ɐ dʒˈuːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti θɹˈiː lˈɛɾɚ fɹʌm hˈæɹəld ˌælɪɡzˈændɚ, ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ mˈɪnɪstɚɹ ʌv dᵻfˈɛns, tə fˈɪlɪp mək bɹˈaɪd ænd tˈɑːm məkdˈɑːnəld, hɪz ɪkwˈɪvələnts ɪn ɔːstɹˈeɪliə ænd nˈuː zˈiːlənd mˈɪnɪstɹiz, ɹᵻspˈɛktɪvli.