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1st Commonwealth Division
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{{Short description|Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War}} {{Use British English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox military unit | unit_name = 1st Commonwealth Division | image = SSI of the 1st Commonwealth Division.svg | caption = Formation patch | dates = 1951–1954 | country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}<br>{{flag|Canada|1921}}<br>{{flag|Australia}}<br>{{flag|New Zealand}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Republic of Korea}} | allegiance = {{flag|United Nations}} | branch = Army | type = [[Infantry]] | role = | size = [[Division (military)|Division]] | command_structure = [[I Corps (United States)|US I Corps]] | garrison = [[Jamestown Line]] | garrison_label = | nickname = | motto = | march = | mascot = | equipment = | equipment_label = | battles = [[Korean War]] | anniversaries = | decorations = | battle_honours = | disbanded = <!-- Commanders --> | commander1 = | commander1_label = | commander2 = [[Elizabeth II]] | commander2_label = | commander3 = | commander3_label = | notable_commanders = [[James Cassels (British Army officer)|James Cassels]]<br>[[Michael West (British Army officer)|Michael West]] <!-- Insignia -->| identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = | identification_symbol_2 = | identification_symbol_2_label = | identification_symbol_3 = | identification_symbol_3_label = | identification_symbol_4 = | identification_symbol_4_label = }} The '''1st Commonwealth Division''' was the [[military unit]] that commanded [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] [[army|land forces]] in the [[Korean War]].{{Sfn|Grey|1988|p=88}} The [[division (military)|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 Army|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 Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#28 Commonwealth Brigade|28th Commonwealth Brigade]] in April 1951. Meanwhile, in November 1950, the brigade was joined by the [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#Korean War|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>{{cite book |last=Grey |first=Jeffrey |title=The Commonwealth Armies and the Korean War: An Alliance Study |series=War, Armed Forces and Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NkW8AAAAIAAJ&q=total&pg=PA104|year=1990 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=9780719027703 |page=104 }}</ref> The 1st Commonwealth Division was part of the [[I Corps (United States)|US I Corps]], which also included the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|US 1st Cavalry Division]], the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|US 3rd]] and [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Divisions]], and the [[1st Infantry Division (South Korea)|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 [[Kimhwa County (Korea)|Kumhwa]] about {{convert|6.3|mi|km}}, and just {{convert|30|mi|km}} 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 (British Army officer)|James Cassels]], 28 July 1951 – 7 September 1952 ** [[Major-General]] [[Michael West (British Army officer)|Michael West]], 7 September 1952 – 1953 ** [[Major-General]] [[Horatius Murray]], 1953–1954 *Divisional Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) ** Brigadier [[William Pike (British Army officer)|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|thumb|right|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 {{small|(July 1951–July 1953)}} ***'''Artillery''' ****45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery {{small|(July–November 1951)}} ([[25 pdr]]) ****11th (Sphinx) Battery, Royal Artillery {{small|(July–November 1951)}} ([[ML 4.2-inch mortar|4.2 inch mortars]]) ****170th Light Battery, Royal Artillery {{small|(July–November 1951)}} (4.2 inch mortars) ****[[14th Regiment Royal Artillery|14th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery]] {{small|(November 1951 – December 1952)}} (25 pdr) ****120th Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery {{small|(October 1951 – December 1952)}} (4.2 inch mortars) ****42nd Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery {{small|(November 1951 – February 1952)}} (4.2 inch mortars) ****61st Light Field Regiment {{small|(January 1952 – July 1953)}} (4.2 inch mortars) ****20th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery {{small|(December 1952 – July 1953)}} (25 pdr) ****16th Field Regiment, [[Royal New Zealand Artillery]] {{small|(July 1951 – July 1953)}} (25 pdr) ****42nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery {{small|(December 1953– )}} (25 pdr) ****2nd Regiment, [[Royal Canadian Horse Artillery]] {{small|(July 1951 – May 1952)}} (25 pdr) ****1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery {{small|(May 1952 – April 1953)}} (25 pdr) ****81st Field Regiment, [[Royal Canadian Artillery]] {{small|(April 1953 – July 1953)}} (25 pdr) **** [[74 Battery (The Battle Axe Company) Royal Artillery|74th (Battleax Company) Medium Battery, Royal Artillery]] {{small|(March–November 1953)}} ([[BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun|5.5 inch medium guns]]) ****1903 Independent Air Observation Post Flight, Royal Artillery {{small|(July 1951 – July 1953)}} ***'''Engineers''' ****28th Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers {{small|(July 1951 – July 1953)}} ****64th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers {{small|(July 1951 – July 1953)}} ***'''Armour''' ****[[8th King's Royal Irish Hussars]] {{small|(July 1951 – December 1951)}} ([[Centurion tank]], [[Cromwell tank]]) ****C Squadron, [[Royal Tank Regiment|7th Royal Tank Regiment]] {{small|(July 1951 – October 1951)}} ([[Churchill tank]]) ****[[5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards]] {{small|(December 1951 – December 1952)}} (Centurion tank) ****[[1st Royal Tank Regiment]] {{small|(December 1952 – December 1953)}} (Centurion tank) ****[[5th Royal Tank Regiment]] {{small|(December 1953 – December 1954)}} (Centurion tank) ****C Squadron, [[Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)]] (2nd Armoured Regiment) {{small|(May 1951 – June 1952)}} ([[M4 Sherman]]) ****B Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) {{small|(June 1952 – May 1953)}} (M4 Sherman) ****A Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment) {{small|(December 1953– )}} (M4 Sherman) ***'''Medical''' ****60th (Para) Indian Field Ambulance {{small|(November 1950 – August 1953)}} ****26th Field Ambulance, RAMC {{small|(December 1950–)}} ****No. 25 Field Ambulance, RCAMC {{small|(May 1951 – April 1952)}} ****No. 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station {{small|(July 1951–)}} ****No. 37 Field Ambulance, RCAMC {{small|(April 1952 – May 1953)}} ****No. 38 Field Ambulance, RCAMC {{small|(May 1953–)}} ***'''Logistics'''<ref name="1st Com Div orbat">{{cite book|last1=Rottman|first1=Gordon L|title=Korean War Order of Battle: United States, United Nations, and Communist Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, 1950–1953|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0275978354}}</ref><ref name="REME Korea">{{cite book|last1=Dutton|first1=John|title=Korea 1950–53 Recounting Reme Involvement|date=2007|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0955675300}}</ref> ****Ordnance *****No. 25 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Company {{small|(May 1951 – Jan 1952)}} *****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 {{small|(May 1951 – Jan 1952)}} *****191 Infantry Workshop, RCEME {{small|(May 1951 – Apr 1955)}} *****40 Canadian Infantry Workshop, RCEME {{small|(Apr 1953 – Dec 1953)}} *****42 Infantry Workshop, RCEME {{small|(Mar 1955 – Feb 1955)}} *****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, [[Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport|RNZASC]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10179/3840/02_whole.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Wagons of War: A History of 10 transport Company 1951–2011|last1=Morris|first1=Grant John |publisher=Massey University|year=2012|pages=7–19}}</ref> 1951–1956 ***'''Infantry''' ****[[25th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Canadian Regiment]] {{small|(April 1952 – November 1953)}} ***** 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment {{small|(May 1951 – April 1952)}} ***** 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment {{small|(March 1953 – March 1954)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]] {{small|(October 1951 – November 1952)}} ***** 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry {{small|(December 1950 – November 1951)}} ***** 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry {{small|(October 1952 – October 1953)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal 22e Régiment|Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment]] {{small|(April 1952 – April 1953)}} ***** 2nd Battalion, Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment {{small|(May 1951 – April 1952)}} ***** 3rd Battalion, Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment {{small|(April 1953 – April 1954)}} **** [[27th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|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]] {{small|(December 1950 – April 1951)}} *****3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment {{small|(September 1950 – April 1951)}} *****16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery {{small|(January 1951 – April 1951)}} *****60th Indian Field Ambulance **** [[28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade]] (previously organised as [[27th British Commonwealth Brigade]]): ***** 1st Battalion, [[King's Own Scottish Borderers]] {{small|(April 1951 – August 1952)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[King's Shropshire Light Infantry]] {{small|(July 1951 – September 1952)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Fusiliers]] {{small|(August 1952 – July 1953)}} [[File:2RAR withdraw to DMZ Korea 1953 (AWM157687).jpg|right|thumb|2[[Royal Australian Regiment|RAR]] withdraw to the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone|DMZ]] Korea 1953]] ***** 1st Battalion, [[Durham Light Infantry]] {{small|(September 1952 – July 1953)}} ***** [[3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]] (3 RAR) {{small|(July 1951 – July 1953)}}<ref>From September 1950 to July 1951 3rd RAR was part of [[27th British Commonwealth Brigade]]</ref> ***** [[1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]] (1 RAR) {{small|(June 1952 – March 1953)}} ***** [[2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment]] (2 RAR) {{small|(April 1953 – July 1953)}} **** [[British 29th Infantry Brigade|29th Infantry Brigade]] (previously organised as [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#Korean War|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]]): ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Northumberland Fusiliers]] {{small|(July 1951 – October 1951)}}<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1stRNF was part of [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#Korean War|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]]</ref> ***** 1st Battalion, [[Gloucestershire Regiment]] {{small|(July 1951 – November 1951)}}<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1st Glosters was part of [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#Korean War|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]]</ref> ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Ulster Rifles]] {{small|(July 1951 – October 1951)}}<ref>From November 1950 to July 1951,1stRUR was part of [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)#Korean War|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]]</ref> ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]] {{small|(October 1951 – September 1952)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Leicestershire Regiment]] {{small|(October 1951 – June 1952)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Welch Regiment]] {{small|(November 1951 – November 1952)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Black Watch]] {{small|(June 1952 – July 1953)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[King's Regiment (Liverpool)]] {{small|(September 1952 – July 1953)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Duke of Wellington's Regiment]] {{small|(September 1952 – July 1953)}} ***** 1st Battalion, [[Royal Scots]] {{small|(July 1953)}} ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book|last=Grey|first=Jeffrey|author-link=Jeffrey Grey |year=1988|title=The Commonwealth Armies and the Korean War: An Alliance Study|publisher=Manchester University Press|location=Manchester|isbn=0-7190-2770-5}} * {{cite book|last=Rottman|first=Gordon L.|title=Korean War Order of Battle: United States, United Nations, and Communist Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, 1950–1953|location=Westport, CT|publisher=Praeger Publishing|year=2002|isbn=9780313013324}} * {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Alan H.|title=Do Unto Others: Counter Bombardment in Australia's Military Campaigns|location=Newport|publisher=Big Sky Publishing|year=2012|isbn=9780987057440}} {{refend}} {{British Army Divisions}} {{Australia in the Korean War}} [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1951]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1954]] [[Category:Infantry divisions of the United Kingdom|1]] [[Category:British Commonwealth units and formations|1st Commonwealth Division]] [[Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Korean War|C]] [[Category:Military units and formations of Australia in the Korean War|C]] [[Category:Military units and formations of Canada in the Korean War|C]] [[Category:Military units and formations of New Zealand in the Korean War|C]] [[Category:Military units and formations of India]] [[Category:1951 establishments in the British Empire]] [[Category:1954 disestablishments in the British Empire]] [[Category:Divisions of the Korean War|Commonwealth]] [[Category:Divisions of New Zealand]] [[Category:Divisions of Australia]] [[Category:Divisions of Canada]]
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