Japanese defeat in WWII led to Australian troops joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan, while in September 1947 the Australian Regular Army was formed. Australia joined a multinational force on the Korean peninsula to fight North Korean and Chinese Communist forces in a short, but bloody war between 1950 and 1953 that has technically not ended.
Documents
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part One (PDF, 8.4MB)
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part Two (PDF, 9MB)
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part Three (PDF, 5.7MB)
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part Four (10.7MB)
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part Five (5.4MB)
- History Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees 1939 to 1951 Part Six (1.7MB)
- Nominal Roll of Officers Serving with Directorate of PW and Internees at Army Headquarters 1940 to 1951 (PDF, 70KB)
- Australian Military Forces Minute Paper The Post-War Army - Policy Paper No 1 S.F. Rowell (PDF, 55KB)
Lieutenant General S.F. Rowell, Vice Chief of the General Staff, submitted this policy paper to the members of the Military Board, which was about to reform after being suspended in wartime, on 6 March 1946.
The paper considers the proposed shape of the post war Australian Army. It examined likely threats and proposed a force structure in the light of the lessons of 1939-45. The structure was optimistic, and included one Regular division and two CMF divisions, with the latter having the capacity to provide a cadre for two more divisions on mobilisation. It also proposed a form of conscription to ensure trained manpower was available on mobilisation.
- Australian Army Small Craft Specification Plans and General Information 1946 (PDF, 2MB)
- Department of the Army Minute Walking Out Dress for Australian Regular Army and Commonwealth Military Forces 1948 (PDF, 15KB)
- Morshead Report into the organisation of the Defence Group of Departments to Prime Minister Menzies 1957 to 1958 (PDF, 90KB)