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1st Commonwealth Division
The 1st
Commonwealth Division was the formation of the British Army in which
Commonwealth troops served during the Korean War as part of the United
Nations forces in Korea. The formation was designated as such in Jul 1951.
As a multi-national division, combat arms and service units from different
nations participated, and Canadian involvement included an entire combat
brigade as well as divisional support units.
The division
was preceded by the British Army's 27th Infantry Brigade, which was the
initial formation of Commonwealth land forces in Korea. The brigade
arrived in August 1950; the first Canadian troops in Korea, the 2nd
Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), joined the
brigade in Feb 1951. After the intervention of China in the Korean War,
both the Commonwealth forces and the Canadian contribution were increased,
with the increase to a division sized force, and the addition of two more
Canadian infantry battalions as well as a squadron of armour, creating the
25th Canadian Brigade.
Other
Commonwealth forces included troops from Australia, New Zealand and India.
The division
was deactivated in 1954 as part of the demobilisation of forces in Korea
after the end of hostilities and a period of occupation duty.
General Officers Commanding
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Major General James Cassels, 28 Jul 28 1951 - 7 Sept 1952
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Major General Michael Alston-Roberts-West, 7 Sep 1952 - 1953
Brigadier, Royal Artillery
Order of Battle
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
See
page on 25th Canadian Brigade
28th British Commonwealth Infantry
Brigade
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1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers, July 1951-August 1952
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1st Battalion, The King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry, July
1951-September 1952
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1st Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, August 1952-July 1953
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1st Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, September 1952-July 1953
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3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), September 1950-July
1953
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1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR), June 1952-March 1953
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2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment](2 RAR), April 1953-July 1953
29th British Infantry Brigade
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1st Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, July 1951-October
1951
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1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment, July 1951-November 1951
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1st Battalion, The Royal Ulster Rifles, July 1951-October 1951
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1st Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment, October 1951-September 1952
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1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment, October 1952-June 1952
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1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment, November 1951-November 1952
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1st Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), June 1952-July
1953
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1st Battalion, The King's Regiment (Liverpool), September 1952-July 1953
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1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, September 1952-July
1953
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1st Battalion, The Royal Scots, July 1953
Divisional Signals
Divisional Artillery
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45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Jul-Nov 1951
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11th (Sphinx) Battery, Royal Artillery, Jul-Nov 1951
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170th Light Battery, Royal Artillery, Jul-Nov 1951
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14th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Nov 1951-Dec 1952
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120th Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery, Oct 1951-Dec 1952
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42nd Light AA Battery, Royal Artillery, Nov 1951-Feb 1952
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61st Light Field Regiment, Jan 1952-Jul 1953
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20th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Dece 1952-Jul 1953
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16th Field Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery, Jul 1951-Jul 1953
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2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Jul 1951-May 1952
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1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, May 1952-Apr 1953
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81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, from Apr 1953 (renamed
4th Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Oct 1953)
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1903 Independent Air Observation Post Flight, Royal Artillery, July
1951-July 1953
Divisional Engineers
Armour
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8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, Jul 1951-Dec 1951
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5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, Dec 1951-Dec 1952
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"C" Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, Jul 1951-Oct 1951
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1st Royal Tank Regiment, Dec 1952-Jul 1953
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"C" Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (to Jun 1952)
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"B" Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Jun 1952 - May
1953
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"A" Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) (from May 1953)
Uniform Insignia
Two types of Commonwealth
Formation Patches were worn by Canadians serving in the Far East. Those in
the 25th Canadian Brigade wore the 1st Commonwealth Division shield,
usually on the left arm. The shield bore a Tudor Crown, but occupation
troops serving in Korea after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953
wore St. Edward's Crowns. The "official" backing colour to the shield was
UN Blue, but like French Grey, the exact shade used in practice varied
from badge to badge.
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Selection of patches from
the collection of Bill Alexander, including a printed badge with a
King's Crown, and a silk badge printed with the Queen's Crown.
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Troops not serving directly in the
Commonwealth Division instead wore the square Commonwealth Forces patch.
The examples above are from the collection of Bill Alexander. 
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