British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan
Participation in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) marked the first time that Australians were involved in the military occupation of a sovereign nation which it had defeated in war. BCOF participation in the allied occupation force was announced on 31 January 1946, though planning and negotiations had been in progress since the end of the war. The main body of Australian troops arrived in Japan on 21 February.
Up to 45,000 Australians served in BCOF, including an infantry contingent of 4,700, base units consisting of 5,300, an air force wing of 2,200 and 130 from the Australian General Hospital. The Australian Navy also had a presence in the region as part of the British Pacific Fleet. For two thirds of the period of occupation the Commonwealth was represented solely by Australians and throughout its existence BCOF was always commanded by an Australian officer.
The BCOF area of responsibility was the western prefectures of Shimani, Yamaguchi, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima and Shikoku Island. BCOF headquarters were located at Kure, the army was encamped at Hiro, the RAAF at Iwakuni, and the naval shore establishment at the former Japanese naval base at Kure. At the peak of its involvement the Australian component of BCOF was responsible for over 20 million Japanese citizens and 57,000 sq. kilometres of country. Adjacent to the area of Australian responsibility were prefectures occupied by the 2 New Zealand EF (Japan), the British and Indian Division (Brindiv) and, further away, the US 8th Army.
The main Australian occupation component was the 34th Infantry Brigade, which arrived in early 1946, and was made up of the 65th, 66th and 67th Battalions. The RAN ships that served were: HMAS Australia, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Shropshire and the destroyers: HMAS Arunta, Bataan, Culgoa, Murchison, Shoalhaven, Quadrant, Quiberon. Landing Ships Infantry: Manoora, Westralia and Kanimbla were used for transport.
The Australian air force component was stationed at Bofu, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The RAAF Squadrons which served were No. 76, No. 77 and No. 82, all flying Mustangs. The air force component of BCOF was known as BCAIR. By 1950 only one Australian squadron, No 77, remained in Japan.
By early 1947, BCOF had begun to decline from its peak of over 40,000 service personnel from the UK, New Zealand, India and Australia and, by the end of 1948, BCOF was composed entirely of Australians. The force was dismantled during 1951 as responsibilities in Japan were handed over to the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Some personnel stayed on to serve in the Korean War. Members of No 77 Squadron, for example, had their ‘going home’ celebrations interrupted by the news that they were to be sent immediately to Korea. BCOF ceased to exist on 28 April 1951 when the Japanese Peace Treaty came into effect.
The primary objective of BCOF was to enforce the terms of the unconditional surrender that had ended the war the previous September. The task of exercising military government over Japan was the responsibility of the United States forces. BCOF was required to maintain military control and to supervise the demilitarization and disposal of the remnants of Japan’s war making capacity. To this end, Australian army and air force personnel were involved in the location and securing of military stores and installations.
The Intelligence Sections of the Australian battalions were given targets to investigate by BCOF Headquarters, in the form of grid references for dumps of Japanese military equipment. Warlike materials were destroyed and other equipment was kept for use by BCOF or returned to the Japanese. The destruction or conversion to civilian use of military equipment was carried out by Japanese civilians under Australian supervision. Regular patrols and road reconnaissance’s were initiated and carried out in the Australian area of responsibility as part of BCOF’s general surveillance duties.
The RAN component of BCOF was responsible for patrolling the Inland Sea to prevent both smuggling and the illegal immigration of Koreans to Japan. In this task they were assisted by the RAAF whose aircraft were also involved in tracking vessels suspected of smuggling or transporting illegal immigrants. RAAF squadrons also flew surveillance patrols over each of the prefectures in the BCOF zone in order to help locate left over weapons and ordnance.
During 1947, the BCOF began to wind down its presence in Japan. However, BCOF bases provided staging posts for Commonwealth forces deployed to the Korean War from 1950 onwards. The BCOF was effectively wound-up in 1951, as control of Commonwealth forces in Japan was transferred to British Commonwealth Forces Korea.
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British Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Anthony D. Benedetto (Tony Bennett) – Long Island City, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, Pvt., G Co/255/63rd Infantry Division/7th Army/ Beloved singer/entertainer
Arthur Beren – Regina, CAN; RC Navy, WWII
Larry E, Cooper – Newark, OH; US Army, airborne, Colonel (Ret. 35 y.)
Kenneth L. Dann – Rock Island, IA; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Merax C. Dockery – Seminole, OK; USMC, Lance Cpl., Logistics 2/Combat Logistics Reg. 2/ 2nd Marine Logistics Group
Ivan R. Garcia – Naples, FL. USMC, Lance Cpl., Logistics 2/ Combat Logistics Reg. 2/2nd Marine Logistics Group
Kenneth H. Hurrelbrink – Willow Run, MI; US Navy, Lt. Comdr. (Ret. 21 y.), pilot
Tanner J. Kaltenberg – Verona, WI; USMC, Lance Cpl., Logistics 2/Combat Logistics Reg. 2/2nd Marine Logistics Group
John Luvara – Greenwich, CT; US Army, Japanese Occupation, 11th Airborne Division
Joel Sanchez – Vallejo, CA; US Army, Sgt., scout, 1st Armored Division
Moon S. Wallace – brn: Seoul, SK; Civilian, Korean War, US Army
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Posted on July 31, 2023, in Post WWII, Uncategorized, WWII and tagged Australia, Canada, History, Military, Military History, New Zealand, Pacific War, Tributes, veterans, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 115 Comments.
As always, thanks for the history lesson, GP. I am catching up here now.
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Thanks.
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Thanks for sharing this! I can’t recall anytime I’ve ever hear anything about the Aussies in the war. It’s very interesting!
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They were quite active in the Pacific, despite most of their troops had to sent to the ETO (Middle East area).
Thank you for your interest, Rachel.
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I had no idea Australia was even involved until reading my father in laws notes and letters in his air force trunk.
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That’s how many of us learned about it. Our schools sure didn’t cover much (if any) data about it.
Thank you.
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Dad never talked about the Aussies much. He likely never had much contact with them as they didn’t likely deploy in the European theatre? I’m sure they were pretty good fighting men though.
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They were mainly in Africa & the Middle East, as far as the ETO goes. In the Pacific, they were Singapore, New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), parts of the CBI and on on their home turf. Yes, they were very good fighters.
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Great post and appreciate the video too. So much we did not know.
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Thank you for stopping by.
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The Australian involvement both during and after the war still amazes me. Thanks for educating us.
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The war was in their backyard, plus they suffered attacks from the Japanese. I know they wanted to do more in the Pacific, but Churchill had quotas they were mandated to adhere to.
Thanks, Bev.
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I value your friendship GP.
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And I yours, Pierre!
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I forget how much work had to happen after the surrender. My grandfather was held in a Japanese concentration camp for most of the war in the Pacific, and he recovered from his ordeal in Australia where he was reunited with his family. He never forgot the kindness of the Australian people during that time. Great post, GP.
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That must have been a horrifying experience! Thank goodness he survived!
My father had only good words to say about Australia as well.
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🙂
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Thanks, GP. I was not aware of Australia’s presence in postwar Japan.
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You are not alone, Rosaliene. Unfortunately schools don’t cover enough (in my opinion), of history.
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So true.
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Finetribute to the Commonwealth force and a video with enough information
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Thank you very much, MaryLou.
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An important balancing post, GP, with s fascinating video
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I thought it helped to clarify the info I wrote.
Thanks for reading and listening, Derrick.
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It is good to know that the other allies (except the Soviets) played a significant role in the occupation of Japan. The Soviet presence in the Kuril Islands must not have been a sanctioned part of the occupation.
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The Soviet Union’s 1945 entry into the war against Japan was a violation of the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, and the occupation of the islands was therefore a violation of international law. Although the Soviet Union renounced the neutrality pact on April 5, 1945, Japan contends that the pact remained in effect until April 25, 1946. FDR really messed up when he allowed Russia to enter the war in the Pacific, especially that late.
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I often forget how many other countries were involved in the war. Thank you, GP.
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We did sort of take over, but after sending their quota of men to the ETO that Churchill demanded, they couldn’t defend their country fully.
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Got it!
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Thanks for sharing this idea with occupation of Japan. Anita
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Thank you for reading it, Anita.
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I learned a lot from this post. Including the video for an overview was very helpful.
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I’m glad to hear it. I watched it and thought it might be helpful for readers who didn’t know much about the Australian contributions.
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Yes, it was very helpful.
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Thank you for letting me know, Liz!!
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Thanks for supplying the scope of the British Commonwealth participation in the occupation of Japan.
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The war was fought on their own turf and their own backyard. Since Churchill kept insisting on them supplying a quota of men to the ETO, most Americans did not hear of their contributions.
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Glad you are here to spread the word.
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Aw heck, now you have me blushing.
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😊
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Of course, it was presented to us as “the British imperialistic machinations forcing the poor Australia to enslave poor Japan.” And of course, we suspected that in reality it was quite different.
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Oh my, they do know how to twist things when they don’t get their own way! The Soviet was quite annoyed when they were not given part of Japan.
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Sure – that’s why they screamed about the “British imperialism.” The still know how to twist things around; it has never changed.
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Thank you, Dolly.
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You are welcome, dear friend.
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I agree with the others that it’s good to recall the other nations that helped win the war. We (the US) come in later in many wars and make our contribution, to be sure, but forces of other nations should always be given their due.
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I agree totally, Doug. Thank you.
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I appreciate how you present a balanced view of the war.
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Thank you, Doug. I wish I had had more. I know there are tons of stories I’ve never heard.
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That’s another reason you blog is so critical! If all stories can’t be collected, then those you do write about are just that more precious.
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How very nice of you to say, Doug.
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Nice tribute to the Commonwealth forces and their role after WW2, GP.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you, Pete.
Sorry I haven’t been commenting much lately. I’ll try to correct that.
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Never an issue for me, old friend. 🙂
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Thank you.
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Glad the aussies helped
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I must agree, Beth, Thank you!
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British and Aussies – wonderful. 🇬🇧🇦🇺❤️
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Very good, John. Thank you.
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You are welcome, sir!
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Sometimes we Americans think we were the only significant ones involved in the war . Good to be reminded otherwise .
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Yes, we Americans can think that way quite often. Many had no idea that WWII went on long before our involvement and Pearl Harbor. The Australians went through sheer hell in New Guinea long before we showed up to help too.
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A very good video choice to fit your information. And, surprisingly, I believe being the 99th “like” is my lowest yet!! I’m so glad so many have found & appreciate what you’re doing, this fountain of information, humor, & the legacies of Smitty along with the many others.
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Thank you so much, Dawn for your kind words and for your interest.
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Good to know that we had help from other countries in restoring Japan. Love the video. Glad you include Tony Bennett in the Farewell Salutes.
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Thank you, Rose.
I disappointed some by not having Mr. Bennett last week, but I was just having 11th A/B in those Salutes.
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Thank you so much for such a detailed and exact account of a perhaps long forgotten part of the history of the British Commonwealth. My Dad was actually down to be taken to Japan with the rest of his Lancaster squadron, but, thank goodness, that was all rather unexpectedly cancelled.
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That is a shame in a way. I think he might have actually found it quite interesting.
Thank you for reading them, John. DO you know of any other data on this?
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To be honest, no, I don’t, but I did look up books to do with “occupation of japan 1945 1946” on Amazon and there were one or two promising titles there.
My Dad was a radio-operator and in late spring 1945 he went off on a course to learn all about the latest developments in radar. Meanwhile everybody else received his jabs against every possible disease in Japan. That took around ten days! When my dad returned, the doctor made him take every single jab at the same time. He was then desperately ill, and nearly died, recovering after just over a fortnight. Had he gone to Japan, his job would have been to destroy the bridges between Kyushu and Honshu and the main island to stop the free movement of reinforcements.
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I misunderstood. I thought your father was going during the occupation, not during combat. Thank you for clearing my mind up on this!
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Yes, I’m sorry about that.
When I first worked at Nottingham HIgh School in the late 1970s, we had a teacher who had been the Chief Education Officer on a battleship, perhaps HMS Belfast, although I am not too sure about that. He told a tale of how he had visited Hiroshima a few months after the bomb had been dropped. He was mad keen on tennis, and he and his friend, in their Royal Navy uniforms, played a game of singles in Hiroshima’s main park, which was now deserted. Two little Japanese boys carried out the role of ball boys.
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Whoa! That was sure a story to tell the grandkids!! And as you found out – his students.
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Thank you for this. Sometimes one would think the Australians and New Zealanders made little contribution. It wasn’t glamorous or dramatic but it was necessary.
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Not as much has been written about their contributions. A good source for it is an author named Matthew Wright, who just happens to be a blogger as well.
https://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com/
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Thanks for the link GP
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Anytime, Angela.
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Very interesting. It all makes perfect sense. Sadly, I’d never considered it.
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Once the war is over, not many people care to know what happens. Thanks for being interested, Jacqui.
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They fought in that theatre of war, they shared the clean up afterwards.
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Share and share alike, eh, Helen? Only fair. But my intention was to show that not just the U.S. got stuck with it.
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Yes, I took the point……but they had no share in governing the country.
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Mac couldn’t do it all himself either. A committee wrote their constitution and he had the Japanese themselves working in the government and gradually taking over it.
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I didn’t know that. Thanks, GP, for yet another informative post. I’ve sure learned a lot by following your blog.
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I’m very happy about that, Tim. I never miss seeing one of yours either!
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What a kick in the head, going from duty in Japan to duty in Korea. Probably the first time those Aussies experienced real cold and snow.
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That’s true! Korea seems to have drastic winters and then scalding summers!
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When I was a child, my father was XO on a ship in Newport, RI. The occasional visiting Australian ship was always a treat. Ice cream for the kids, and alcoholic beverages for the adults, since the Queen always bought the round. I can neither confirm or deny the Aussie rumor that my grandmother danced a rumba on the coffee table after a few Queen provided cocktails.
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haha, I hope she did! She got to show those seamen what having a ball is all about!!
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I never knew much about the occupation, certainly not how long it lasted. This has been very interesting, GP.
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Thank you very much, Dan. I did have my doubts as to how many people might be interested in this subject. Usually once a war is over, that’s all they want to hear about it.
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I think it would help if everyone understood how much this world depends on all of us working together.
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Oh WOW! Wouldn’t That be helpful!?!
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Tony Bennet
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Was something wrong with Mr. Bennett’s listing, Joy?
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Just being nostalgic. Alas
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Oh, I know what you mean. I think he’s last of that great era, isn’t he?
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One of the oddest connections I’ve made from these posts was the name of one of the ships mentioned — HMAS Shropshire — and A.E. Housman’s poem “A Shropshire Lad,” which was forced on me in 8th grade and which I’ve never read again. All of the ship’s names are interesting. I wonder if anyone ever has done a comparative listing of, say, American, English, and Australian navy ships’ names. I’ll bet it would be an intriguing dive into the differing military cultures.
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That would make quite the project, Linda. You do have a way of sparking my interest (and giving me more work, eh?) haha
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So basically, the Aussies were like the security guards and the clean-up crew after the main event was over. These were unglamorous and thankless necessary tasks.
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I wanted to be sure to show that the U.S. wasn’t the only military stuck with the clean-up and rebuilding.
Thanks for reading it, Swabby.
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I like arcane details of things.
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Thanks!
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Another interesting fact about the occupation of Japan. Thanks for sharing.
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I appreciate you reading it.
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💙🖤
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Thank you, John.
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Thank you, Ned.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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