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Four members of the Salvage Unit of the Australian component
of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF).
[AWM P01795.001]
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'British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF)'
Seedlings grown in seedbeds on the British
Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF)
farm at Shimogahara in Japan included
gum trees which were originally intended
for the redecoration of Hiroshima but
instead went to the British War Cemetery
at Yokohama. 4 June 1948.
[AWM 145657]
An Australian-led British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) arrived in Japan in 1946. During the next 5 years approximately 16,000 Australians served in Japan, mainly around Hiroshima. Together with British, New Zealand and Indian troops they oversaw the demilitarisation and demobilisation as large numbers of Japanese soldiers were repatriated and stocks of war materiel were sorted and disposed of. Members of BCOF also oversaw elections and established the foundations for a return to a democratic government.
view
Peter Londey, ‘Australians
in BCOF’ in Wartime No. 5,
Summer 1999.
From the end of 1948 the Australians were all that remained in the Force and they too were being withdrawn gradually. Some of the Australian forces that remained in Japan until 1950 were moved straight over to combat roles in Korea when the war between north and South Korea broke out in June 1950. The last Australian forces left Japan in 1952.
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Australia at war 3 September 1939
Libya and the Siege of Tobruk 1941
Greece and Crete April-May 1941
Syria and Lebanon June 1941
Malaya December 1941 to Moresby May 1942
Australia under attack 1940-1945
Coral Sea, Kokoda, Milne Bay May-September 1942
El Alamein October-November 1942
The Home Front 1939-1945
The Coastwatchers 1941-1945
Australian prisoners of war 1940-1945
Little-known operations 1939-1945
Papua 1942-1943
The Japanese retreat March 1943-January 1944
War at sea 1939-1945
Air war Europe 1939-1945
Bougainville, Borneo, New Britain, New Guinea 1944-1945
8 May 1945/15 August 1945
Australia at war 3 September 1939
Libya and the Siege of Tobruk 1941
Greece and Crete April-May 1941
Syria and Lebanon June 1941
Malaya December 1941 to Moresby May 1942
Australia under attack 1940-1945
Coral Sea, Kokoda, Milne Bay May-September 1942
El Alamein October-November 1942
The Home Front 1939-1945
The Coastwatchers 1941-1945
Australian prisoners of war 1940-1945
Little-known operations 1939-1945
Papua 1942-1943
The Japanese retreat March 1943-January 1944
War at sea 1939-1945
Air war Europe 1939-1945
Bougainville, Borneo, New Britain, New Guinea 1944-1945
8 May 1945/15 August 1945
Four members of the Salvage Unit of the Australian component of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) clutching bundles of banknotes which they have just been paid. Left to right at the back are Ned Egglestone, an Aboriginal serviceman and “Tiny” Taylor who later won a Military Cross in Korea. In the front are Jim Coxhead (left) and “Snowy” Dickson.
[AWM P01795.001]
