The 2nd Battalion, 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan. (May 1946)

The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), was the name of the joint Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from February 21, 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952. At its peak, BCOF comprised about 40,000 personnel, equal to about 25% of the total US military personnel in Japan. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x667, 255 KB) Description: THE ALLIED OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. The 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan as part of the Allied forces of occupation. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x667, 255 KB) Description: THE ALLIED OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. The 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan as part of the Allied forces of occupation. ... The 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. ... Kure (呉市; -shi) is a city located in Hiroshima, Japan. ... // Surrender Representatives of Japan stand aboard the USS Missouri prior to signing of the Instrument of Surrender Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 14, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

While US forces were responsible for military government, BCOF was responsible for supervising demilitarisation and the disposal of Japan's war industries.[1] BCOF was also responsible for occupation of the western prefectures of Shimane, Yamaguchi, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima and Shikoku Island. BCOF headquarters was at Kure. In military terms, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more groups, where military activity is not permitted, usually by treaty or other agreement. ... Shimane Prefecture (島根県 Shimane-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県 Yamaguchi-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Tottori Prefecture (鳥取県; Tottori-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Okayama Prefecture (岡山県; Okayama-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県 Hiroshima-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Shikoku (四国, four provinces) is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan. ... Kure can refer to: Kure, Hiroshima (呉), a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan Kure Atoll Kure Beach Kure, Turkey This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

For most of the occupation period Australia contributed the majority of the BCOF's personnel. The initial BCOF presence included the Australian 34th Infantry Brigade, British 5th Infantry Brigade, Indian 268th Brigade and the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The position of commanding officer was always filled by Australians: Lt Gen. John Northcott, February to June 1946; Lt Gen. Horace Robertson, June 1946 to November 1951, and; Lt Gen. William Bridgeford from November 1951 until the end of the occupation. The Australian 34th Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. ... General Sir John Northcott KCMG(1950) KCVO(1954) MVO(1927) CB(1941) (Born March 24, 1890, Creswick, Victoria; Died August 4, 1966, Wahroonga, New South Wales) Governor of New South Wales August 1, 1946 - August 1, 1957. ... Lieutenant General Sir Horace Robertson was an officer in the Australian Army and at one time Australias most decorated soldier. ...

The British Pacific Fleet initially provided most of the naval forces. The air contingent, known as BCAIR, was initially comprised of the Royal Australian Air Force No. 81 Fighter Wing, flying P-51 Mustangs, four Spitfire squadrons (including No. 11 and No. 17 of the Royal Air Force and No. 4 of the Indian Air Force), and No. 14 squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force flying F4U Corsair. The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a multinational Allied force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was formed on December 10, 1944, in Sydney, Australia. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... The North American P-51 Mustang was a successful long range fighter aircraft which set new standards of excellence and performance when it entered service in the middle years of World War II and is still regarded as one of the very best piston-engined fighters ever made. ... The still unpainted Spitfire protoype, K5054, shortly before its first flight The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... 14 Squadron RNZAF is an air force squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. ... The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the air force arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. ... Chance Vought F4U Corsair The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a fighter aircraft that saw service in World War II and the Korean War. ...

During 1947, the BCOF began to wind down its presence in Japan. However, BCOF bases provided staging posts for Australian and other Commonwealth forces deployed to the Korean War, from 1949 onwards. BCOF was effectively wound-up in 1951, as control of Commonwealth forces in Japan was transferred to British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Overview map of the Korean War The Korean War, from June 25, 1950 to cease-fire on July 27, 1953 (the war has not ended officially), was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ... British Commonwealth Forces Korea (BCFK) was the formal name, from 1952, of the British Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Australian, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK. In 1949, Australian units based with the South Korea. ...

External links

A Brief History Of Australia’s Participation in the Occupation of Japan 1945-1952

Australian War Memorial, British Commonwealth Occupation Force 1946 - 1951