Home » Themes » Conflict » World War Two
British Commonwealth Occupation ForcePrint Page 
The monument commemorates Australians who served with British Commonwealth Occupation Force (B.C.O.F.) in Japan from 1945 to 1952.
The B.C.O.F. was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.
For most of the occupation period Australia contributed the majority of the B.C.O.F.'s personnel. The initial presence included the Australian 34th Brigade; the 9th Brigade, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (J Force); and BRINDIV (sometimes known as BRINJAP), a composite British and Indian division made up of the British 5th Infantry Brigade Group (from 2nd Infantry Division in India), and the 268th Indian Infantry Brigade.
B.C.O.F. was supported by the Women`s Auxiliary Service (Burma) (which derived its name from its formation during World War Two, to provide amenities to Commonwealth forces in the Burmese campaign).
Location
| Address: | Fairbairn & Limestone Avenues, Australian War Memorial Sculpture Garden, Campbell, 2612 |
|---|---|
| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.281167 Long: 149.148469 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1945 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1952 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 12th December, 1998 |
|---|
This memorial commemorates those Australians who served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan from 1945 to 1952.
Australians served in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan from 1945 - 1952 alongside British, Indian and New Zealand troops.
By February 1947 more than 12,000 Australians had joined the force, stationed mainly in the Hiroshima Prefecture.
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force helped the Japanese people make the transition from war to peace.
