Order of battle of Australian forces during the Korean War

The order of battle of Australian forces during the Korean War consisted of one, and later two infantry battalions, naval forces of one aircraft carrier, two destroyers, and one frigate, as well as air forces consisting of one fighter squadron and one transport squadron. The first forces were committed in July 1950 from units based in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, with Australia being the first UN member nation after the United States to commit elements from all three services.^[1] A total of 17,808 Australians served during the Korean War, including 1,193 members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), 5,771 from the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and 10,844 from the Australian Army, with casualties including 341 killed and 1,216 wounded.^[2] Australian forces remained following the end of hostilities, with the last units finally departing in 1956.^[3]

Soldiers from 3 RAR move forward in 1951

Australian Army

• Infantry:^[4]
  • 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1952–53, 1954–56)
  • 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1953–54)
  • 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1950–54)
• Logistics:^[5]
  • Australian Forces in Korea Maintenance Area (AUSTFIKMA) (1950–56)

Royal Australian Air Force

• No. 91 (Composite) Wing RAAF (1950–55)^[4]
  • Fighter/bomber:
    • No. 77 Squadron RAAF – North American P-51D Mustang / Gloster Meteor (1950–55)
  • Transport:
    • No. 30 Communications Unit RAAF – Douglas C–47 Dakota (1950–51)
    • No. 30 Transport Unit RAAF – Douglas C–47 Dakota (1951–53)
    • No. 36 Transport Squadron RAAF – Douglas C–47 Dakota (1953–55)
  • Other units:
    • No. 391 (Base) Squadron RAAF (1950–55)
    • No. 491 (Maintenance) Squadron RAAF (1950–54)

Royal Australian Navy

• Aircraft carriers:^[6]
  • HMAS Sydney (1951–52, 1953–54)
  • HMAS Vengeance (1954)
• Destroyers:^[7]
  • HMAS Arunta (1954)
  • HMAS Anzac (1951, 1952–53)
  • HMAS Bataan (1950–51, 1952)
  • HMAS Tobruk (1951–52)
  • HMAS Warramunga (1950–51, 1952)

HMAS Murchison operating off Korea

• Frigates:^[8]
  • HMAS Culgoa (1953)
  • HMAS Condamine (1952–53, 1955)
  • HMAS Murchison (1951–52, 1953–54)
  • HMAS Shoalhaven (1950, 1954–55)
• Air squadrons:^[8]
  • 805 Squadron RAN – Hawker Sea Fury (1951–52, 1953–54)
  • 808 Squadron RAN – Hawker Sea Fury (1951–52, 1953–54)
  • 817 Squadron RAN – Fairey Firefly (1951–52, 1953–54)

See also

• Australia in the Korean War

Notes

1. Varhola 2000, p. 128.
2. Odgers 2000, p. 147.
3. Kuring 2004, pp. 244–245.
4. O'Neill 1985, p. 707.
5. Hopton 1951, pp. 5–15.
6. O'Neill 1985, p. 708.
7. O'Neill 1985, pp. 708–709.
8. O'Neill 1985, p. 709.

References

• Hopton, Major L. I. (June 1951). "Maintenance of the Australian Infantry Battalion in Korea" (PDF). Australian Army Journal (25): 5–15. ISSN 1448-2843. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
• Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications. ISBN 1-876439-99-8.
• Odgers, George (2000). Remembering Korea: Australians in the War of 1950–53. Chatswood: New Holland Publishers (Australia). ISBN 978-1-74110-807-1.
• O'Neill, Robert (1985). Australia in the Korean War 1950–53. Combat Operations. Vol. II. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. ISBN 0-642-04330-2.
• Varhola, Michael J. (2000). Fire and Ice: The Korean War, 1950–1953. Mason City, Iowa: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-1-882810-44-4.