RAAF Centenary Timeline
Post-World War II (1946-2021)
British Commonwealth Occupation Force – 1946 - 1952
At its maximum strength in 1947, Australians made up 33% of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), followed by the Indian force at 30%, British at 20% and New Zealanders at 17%.[i] An air force wing of 2,200 men contributed to the initial 16,000 Australians serving in BCOF.[ii] The RAAF provided three squadrons, Nos 76, 77 and 82 based at Iwakuni, with all three flying Mustangs.[iii]
Flight Lieutenant Lawrie H Williams of No. 82 Squadron in the cockpit of a Mustang aircraft
AWM P02032.043
The RAAF were responsible for surveillance flights in support of maritime programs seeking to reduce the number of Koreans and smugglers illegally entering Japan.[iv] They also helped to locate leftover weapons and ordnance.[v] No. 77 Squadron was the longest serving RAAF squadron in BCOF, with 328 personnel remaining in September of 1950.[vi] They went on to play a crucial role in Korea when war broke out in 1950.
[RAAF Iwakuni 1948 & Korea 1950] | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)
[i] Wood, J 1998, THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, 1945–1952, Australian War Memorial, p. 11.
[ii] Australian War Memorial 2020, British Commonwealth Occupation Force 1945-52, [online] Available: <https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/bcof>.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Wood, J 1998, THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, 1945–1952, Australian War Memorial, p. 26.
[v] Australian War Memorial 2020, British Commonwealth Occupation Force 1945-52, [online] Available: <https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/bcof>.
[vi] Wood, J 1998, THE AUSTRALIAN MILITARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN, 1945–1952, Australian War Memorial, p. 67.