↑ arvau

Wikipedia / 1st Commonwealth Division

The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a part of the multinational British Commonwealth Forces Korea, with infantry units of the British Army, Canadian Army and Australian Army forming the bulk of the division. Additionally, the New Zealand Army supplied artillery contingents and an Indian medical unit was also attached. As with the "Korean Augmentation To the United States Army" (KATUSA) programme, numerous South Korean troops were seconded to the Commonwealth division to make up numbers under a scheme known as "KATCOM".

History

Background

Following the outbreak of the Korean War, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade, which was the initial parent formation of Commonwealth army units in Korea, arrived in the peninsula with two British Infantry battalions in August 1950. It was reinforced by the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) in September, and by the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), in February 1951.

The brigade was subsequently re-constituted as the 28th Commonwealth Brigade in April 1951. Meanwhile, in November 1950, the brigade was joined by the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade, and in May 1951 by the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade.

Formation

In July 1951, the infantry brigades were combined to form the 1st Commonwealth Division, wherein the unit was 58% British forces, 22% Canadian forces, 14% Australian forces, 5% New Zealander forces, and 1% Indian forces.

The 1st Commonwealth Division was part of the US I Corps, which also included the US 1st Cavalry Division, the US 3rd and 25th Infantry Divisions, and the ROK 1st Division. The division occupied the strategically important sector of front on the Jamestown Line, stretching from the Kimpo peninsula on the Yellow Sea coast to a point east of Kumhwa about , and just from the South Korean capital, Seoul.

Dissolution

It was deactivated in 1954 as part of the demobilisation of forces in Korea in the aftermath of the war, being reduced to a Commonwealth Brigade Group, and from May 1956 until its final withdrawal in August 1957 to a Commonwealth Contingent of battalion strength.

Commanders

Commanding officers

Divisional Commander Royal Artillery (CRA)

Divisional Commander Royal Engineers (CRE)

  • Colonel ECW Myers, RE

Divisional Commander Royal Signals (CRSigs)

  • Lt Col AC Atkinson, Royal Sigs

Divisional Commander Royal Army Service Corps (CRASC)

  • Lt Col MGM Crosby, RASC

Assistant Director Medical Services (ADMS)

  • Col G Anderton, RAMC

Divisional Commander Royal Army Ordnance Corps (CRAOC)

  • Lt Col MR Maclean, RAOC

  • Lt Col GJH Atkinson, RNZAOC

Divisional Commander Royal Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (CREME)

  • Lt Col HG Good, REME

Order of battle

Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Commonwealth Division

Divisional troops

Signals

  • 1st Commonwealth Division Signals

Artillery

Engineers

  • 28th Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers

  • 64th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers

Armour

Medical

  • 60th (Para) Indian Field Ambulance

  • 26th Field Ambulance, RAMC

  • No. 25 Field Ambulance, RCAMC

  • No. 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station

  • No. 37 Field Ambulance, RCAMC

  • No. 38 Field Ambulance, RCAMC

Logistics

Ordnance

  • No. 25 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Company

  • 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Ordnance Field Park

  • 24th British Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Field Park

  • 1st Commonwealth Division, Stores Distribution Detachment

Workshops

  • 10th Infantry Workshops, REME

  • 11th Infantry Workshops, REME

  • 16th Infantry Workshops, REME

  • 25 Canadian Support Workshop, RCEME

  • 191 Infantry Workshop, RCEME

  • 40 Canadian Infantry Workshop, RCEME

  • 42 Infantry Workshop, RCEME

  • 1st Commonwealth Division, Tank Workshop

  • 1st Commonwealth Division, Signals Workshop

  • 1st Commonwealth Division, Recovery Unit

Transport

  • 54 Company, RCASC

  • 57 Company, RASC

  • 78 Company, RASC

  • 10 Company, RNZASC 1951–1956

Infantry

25th Canadian Infantry Brigade

27th Infantry Brigade (aka 27th British Commonwealth Brigade):

28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade):

29th Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 29th Independent Infantry Brigade):

Notes

References