The
British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), was the name of the joint
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n,
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
IndianThe Indian Army , now sometimes called the British Indian Army to distinguish it from the modern army of the Republic of India, was the principal army of the British Raj in India during the last half-century before the partition of India in 1947.The Indian Army served both in India and,...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
military forces in
occupied JapanAt the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This foreign presence marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power...
, from 21 February 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.
While US forces were responsible for military government, BCOF was responsible for supervising
demilitarisationDemilitarisation or demilitarization is the reduction of a nation's army, weapons, or military vehicles to an agreed minimum. Demilitarisation is usually the result of a peace treaty ending a war or a major conflict....
and the disposal of Japan's war industries.
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/bcof.htm BCOF was also responsible for occupation of the western prefectures of
Shimaneis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, next to the Tottori Prefecture that is a neighboring prefecture on the east side. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the...
,
Yamaguchiis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
,
Tottoriis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Tottori originally consisted of the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba.- Geography :...
,
Okayamais a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration; Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province were combined to form Okayama Prefecture.- Geography :...
,
Hiroshimais a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima, formerly divided into Bingo and Aki provinces, has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history...
and
Shikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
Island.
The
British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), was the name of the joint
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n,
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
IndianThe Indian Army , now sometimes called the British Indian Army to distinguish it from the modern army of the Republic of India, was the principal army of the British Raj in India during the last half-century before the partition of India in 1947.The Indian Army served both in India and,...
and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
military forces in
occupied JapanAt the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This foreign presence marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power...
, from 21 February 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.
While US forces were responsible for military government, BCOF was responsible for supervising
demilitarisationDemilitarisation or demilitarization is the reduction of a nation's army, weapons, or military vehicles to an agreed minimum. Demilitarisation is usually the result of a peace treaty ending a war or a major conflict....
and the disposal of Japan's war industries.
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/bcof.htm BCOF was also responsible for occupation of the western prefectures of
Shimaneis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, next to the Tottori Prefecture that is a neighboring prefecture on the east side. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the...
,
Yamaguchiis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi located in the center of the Prefecture: The largest city, by contrast, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
,
Tottoriis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Tottori originally consisted of the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba.- Geography :...
,
Okayamais a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration; Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province were combined to form Okayama Prefecture.- Geography :...
,
Hiroshimais a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima, formerly divided into Bingo and Aki provinces, has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history...
and
Shikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
Island. They were also supported by the
Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma)The Women’s Auxiliary Service was formed on January 16th 1942 and disbanded in 1946. The WASs manned Mobile Canteens for the troops of Burma Command in World War II. They moved through Burma with the British Fourteenth Army living in dangerous and uncomfortable conditions, sleeping in bombed out,...
. BCOF headquarters was at
Kureis a city located in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 246,118 and a density of 696 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
.
For most of the occupation period Australia contributed the majority of the BCOF's personnel. The initial BCOF presence included the
Australian 34th Infantry BrigadeThe Australian 34th Brigade was an Australian Army brigade. The Brigade was formed in 1945 as part of the Australian contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force and was later renamed the 1st Brigade.-History:...
, British 5th Infantry Brigade, Indian 268th Brigade and the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (in J-Force). The position of commanding officer was always filled by Australians: Lt Gen.
John NorthcottLieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB was an Australian Army general who served as Chief of the General Staff during World War II, and commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan...
, February to June 1946; Lt Gen.
Horace RobertsonLieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson KBE, DSO, was an officer in the Australian Army.During the Second World War he accepted the surrender of the Italian Navy at Benghazi...
, June 1946 to November 1951, and; Lt Gen. William Bridgeford from November 1951 until the end of the occupation.
The
British Pacific FleetThe British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
initially provided most of the naval forces. The air contingent, known as BCAIR, initially comprised the
Royal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps making it the second oldest air force in the world...
No. 81 Fighter Wing, flying P-51 Mustangs, four
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
squadrons (including No. 11 and No. 17 of the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
and
No. 4No. 4 Squadron, Indian Air Force , formed at Peshawar on 01 February 1942 under the command of Squadron Leader HU 'Bulbul' Khan, was the third Indian Air Force Squadron to be equipped with the Westland Lysander Army Co-operation aircraft...
of the
Indian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
), and
No. 14 squadron14 Squadron RNZAF was a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.- New Zealand fighters before 1941 :Until World War II, New Zealand's air force concentrated on training, transport and maritime attack. The vast distance of the Pacific Ocean seemed a defence against attack by air...
of the
Royal New Zealand Air ForceThe Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zealand components of the British Royal Air Force, becoming an independent force in 1923, although many RNZAF aircrew continued to serve in the Royal Air Force until the end of the 1940s...
flying F4U Corsair.
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 WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
, from 1949 onwards. BCOF was effectively wound-up in 1951, as control of Commonwealth forces in Japan was transferred to
British Commonwealth Forces KoreaBritish Commonwealth Forces Korea was the formal name, from 1952, of the Commonwealth army, naval and air units serving with the United Nations in the Korean War. Australian, British, Canadian, Indian and New Zealand units were part of BCFK...
.
External links