1st Commonwealth Division

The 1st Commonwealth Division was the military unit that commanded Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War.Template:Sfn 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.<ref>Grey 1988, pp. 68–87.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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 Template:Convert, and just Template:Convert from the South Korean capital, Seoul.<ref>Grey 1988, p. 135.</ref>

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.<ref>Grey 1988, p. 183.</ref>

Commanders

• Commanding officers
  • Major-General James Cassels, 28 July 1951 – 7 September 1952
  • Major-General Michael West, 7 September 1952 – 1953
  • Major-General Horatius Murray, 1953–1954
• Divisional Commander Royal Artillery (CRA)
  • Brigadier William Pike, July 1951 – 1952
  • Brigadier Guy Gregson, 1952
• 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

File:Men of the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, have a smoke while waiting for dusk to fall before joining a patrol into no-man's land at The Hook.jpg

Soldiers of Duke of Wellington's Regiment the Battle of the Hook, 1953

• Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Commonwealth Division
  • Divisional troops
    • Signals
      • 1st Commonwealth Division Signals Template:Small
    • Artillery
      • 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 11th (Sphinx) Battery, Royal Artillery Template:Small (4.2 inch mortars)
      • 170th Light Battery, Royal Artillery Template:Small (4.2 inch mortars)
      • 14th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 120th Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery Template:Small (4.2 inch mortars)
      • 42nd Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery Template:Small (4.2 inch mortars)
      • 61st Light Field Regiment Template:Small (4.2 inch mortars)
      • 20th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 42nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery Template:Small (25 pdr)
      • 74th (Battleax Company) Medium Battery, Royal Artillery Template:Small (5.5 inch medium guns)
      • 1903 Independent Air Observation Post Flight, Royal Artillery Template:Small
    • Engineers
      • 28th Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers Template:Small
      • 64th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers Template:Small
    • Armour
      • 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars Template:Small (Centurion tank, Cromwell tank)
      • C Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment Template:Small (Churchill tank)
      • 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Template:Small (Centurion tank)
      • 1st Royal Tank Regiment Template:Small (Centurion tank)
      • 5th Royal Tank Regiment Template:Small (Centurion tank)
      • C Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) Template:Small (M4 Sherman)
      • B Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) Template:Small (M4 Sherman)
      • A Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) Template:Small (M4 Sherman)
    • Medical
      • 60th (Para) Indian Field Ambulance Template:Small
      • 26th Field Ambulance, RAMC Template:Small
      • No. 25 Field Ambulance, RCAMC Template:Small
      • No. 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station Template:Small
      • No. 37 Field Ambulance, RCAMC Template:Small
      • No. 38 Field Ambulance, RCAMC Template:Small
    • Logistics<ref name="1st Com Div orbat">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="REME Korea">Template:Cite book</ref>
      • Ordnance
        • No. 25 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Company Template:Small
        • 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 Template:Small
        • 191 Infantry Workshop, RCEME Template:Small
        • 40 Canadian Infantry Workshop, RCEME Template:Small
        • 42 Infantry Workshop, RCEME Template:Small
        • 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<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 1951–1956
    • Infantry
      • 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Template:Small
        • 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Template:Small
        • 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Template:Small
        • 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Template:Small
        • 3rd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment Template:Small
      • 27th Infantry Brigade (aka 27th British Commonwealth Brigade):
        • 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
        • 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
        • 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Template:Small
        • 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery Template:Small
        • 60th Indian Field Ambulance
      • 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade):
        • 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers Template:Small
          File:2RAR withdraw to DMZ Korea 1953 (AWM157687).jpg

          2RAR withdraw to the DMZ Korea 1953
        • 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry Template:Small
        • 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) Template:Small<ref>From September 1950 to July 1951 3rd RAR was part of 27th British Commonwealth Brigade</ref>
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) Template:Small
        • 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) Template:Small
      • 29th Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 29th Independent Infantry Brigade):
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Template:Small<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1stRNF was part of 29th Independent Infantry Brigade</ref>
        • 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment Template:Small<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1st Glosters was part of 29th Independent Infantry Brigade</ref>
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles Template:Small<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1stRUR was part of 29th Independent Infantry Brigade</ref>
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Leicestershire Regiment Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Black Watch Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment Template:Small
        • 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Template:Small

References

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