1st Commonwealth Division

1st Commonwealth Division
Active	1951–1954
Country	United Kingdom Canada Australia New Zealand India Republic of Korea
Allegiance	United Nations
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Part of	US I Corps
Garrison/HQ	Jamestown Line
Engagements	Korean War
Commanders
Notable commanders	James Cassels Michael West

The 1st Commonwealth Division was the name given, after July 1951, to Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a multinational unit that was part of British Commonwealth Forces Korea, and whilst British and Canadian Army units formed the bulk of the division, Australian infantry, New Zealand artillery and an Indian medical unit were also a part of the division. As with the US "KATUSA" programme, numerous South Korean troops were seconded to the Commonwealth division to make up numbers under a programme known as "KATCOM".

The unit was preceded by the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade, which was the initial parent formation of Commonwealth army units in Korea, and which arrived in Korea in August 1950. Its two British Infantry battalions were joined 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 28th Commonwealth Brigade in April 1951. In November 1950 the brigade was joined by 29th Independent Infantry Brigade, and in May 1951 by 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade. In July 1951 these units were combined to form 1st Commonwealth Division. The Division was made up of 58% British forces, 22% Canadian forces, 14% Australian forces, 5% New Zealander forces, and 1% Indian forces.

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 6.3 miles (10.1 km), and just 30 miles (48 km) from the South Korean capital, Seoul.

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.

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 Artillery Commanding Officer (CRA)

• Brigadier William Pike, July 1951 – 1952
• Brigadier G. Gregson, 1952

Order of battle

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, July 1951 – July 1953
    • Artillery
      • 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, July–November 1951, 25 pdr
      • 11th (Sphinx) Battery, Royal Artillery, July–November 1951, 4.2 inch mortars
      • 170th Light Battery, Royal Artillery, July–November 1951, 4.2 inch mortars
      • 14th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, November 1951 – December 1952, 25 pdr
      • 120th Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery, October 1951 – December 1952, 4.2 inch mortars
      • 42nd Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery, November 1951 – February 1952, 4.2 inch mortars
      • 61st Light Field Regiment, January 1952 – July 1953, 4.2 inch mortars
      • 20th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, December 1952 – July 1953, 25 pdr
      • 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, July 1951 – July 1953, 25 pdr
      • 42nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, December 1953– , 25 pdr
      • 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, July 1951 – May 1952, 25 pdr
      • 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, May 1952 – April 1953, 25 pdr
      • 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, April 1953 – July 1953, 25 pdr
      • 74th (Battleax Company) Medium Battery, Royal Artillery, March-November 1953, 5.5 inch medium guns
      • 1903 Independent Air Observation Post Flight, Royal Artillery, July 1951 – July 1953
    • Engineers
      • 28th Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, July 1951 – July 1953
      • 64th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers, July 1951 – July 1953
    • Armour
      • 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, July 1951 – December 1951, Centurion tank
      • C Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, July 1951 – October 1951, Centurion tank
      • 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, December 1951 – December 1952, Centurion tank
      • 1st Royal Tank Regiment, December 1952 – December 1953, Centurion tank
      • 5th Royal Tank Regiment, December 1953– , Centurion tank
      • C Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment), May 1951 – June 1952, M4 Sherman tank
      • B Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment), June 1952 – May 1953, M4 Sherman tank
      • A Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (2nd Armoured Regiment), December 1953– , M4 Sherman tank
    • Medical
      • 60th (Para) Indian Field Ambulance, November 1950 – August 1953
      • 26th Field Ambulance, RAMC, December 1950–
      • No 25 Field Ambulance, RCAMC, May 1951 – April 1952
      • No 25 Canadian Field Dressing Station, July 1951–
      • No 37 Field Ambulance, RCAMC, April 1952 – May 1953
      • No 38 Field Ambulance, RCAMC, May 1953–
  • 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, April 1952 – March 1953
    • 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, February 1951 – April 1952
    • 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, October 1951 – November 1952
    • 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, July 1951 – November 1952
    • 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, March 1953 – July 1953
    • 1st Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment, April 1952 – April 1953
    • 2nd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment, July 1951 – April 1952
    • 3rd Battalion, Royal 22^e Régiment, April 1953 – July 1953
  • 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade:
    • 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
    • 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, December 1950 - April 1951
    • 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, September 1950 - April 1951
    • 16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, January 1951 - April 1951
    • 60th Indian Field Ambulance
  • 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade):
    • 1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, July 1951 – August 1952
    • 1st Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry, July 1951 – September 1952
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, August 1952 – July 1953
      

      2RAR withdraw to the DMZ Korea 1953
    • 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, September 1952 – July 1953
    • 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), July 1951 – July 1953
    • 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR), June 1952 – March 1953
    • 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR), April 1953 – July 1953
  • 29th Infantry Brigade (previously organised as 29th Independent Infantry Brigade):
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, July 1951 – October 1951
    • 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment, July 1951 – November 1951
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Ulster Rifles, July 1951 – October 1951
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment, October 1951 – September 1952
    • 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment, October 1951 – June 1952
    • 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment, November 1951 – November 1952
    • 1st Battalion, The Black Watch, June 1952 – July 1953
    • 1st Battalion, The King's Regiment (Liverpool), September 1952 – July 1953
    • 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, September 1952 – July 1953
    • 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots, July 1953

References

• Grey, Jeffrey (1988). The Commonwealth Armies and the Korean War: An Alliance Study. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-2770-5. 
• Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). Korean War Order of Battle: United States, United Nations, and Communist Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, 1950–1953. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishing. ISBN 9780313013324. 
• Smith, Alan H. (2012). Do Unto Others: Counter Bombardment in Australia's Military Campaigns. Newport: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9780987057440.