British Commonwealth Occupation Force

British Commonwealth Occupation Force
Commander Yuzo Tanno hands over the keys of the Yokosuka Naval Base to Captain H. J. Buchanan, Royal Australian Navy on 30 August 1945.
Active21 February 1946 (1946-02-21) – 28 April 1952 (1952-04-28)
Countries
AllegianceBritish Commonwealth
RoleOccupation, demilitarisation and disposal of Japan's war industries
Operate staging posts for Korean War
Size40,000 personnel
HeadquartersKure, Hiroshima, Japan
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief, BCOFLieutenant General John Northcott (1946)
Lieutenant General Sir Horace Robertson (1946–51)
Lieutenant General William Bridgeford (1951–52)

The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.

At its peak, the BCOF committed about 40,000 personnel, that comprised 25% of the occupation force, which was equal to about a third of the number of US military personnel in Japan.