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ANZUK

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Garrison/HQ
  
Singapore

ANZUK

Active
  
1 November 1971 – 16 December 1974

Country
  
Australia  New Zealand  United Kingdom

Notable commanders
  
Rear Admiral David Wells Air-Vice-Marshal Wakeford

ANZUK was a tripartite force formed by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to defend the Asian Pacific region after the United Kingdom withdrew forces from the east of Suez in the early 1970s. The ANZUK force was formed in Singapore on 1 November 1971 under Rear Admiral David Wells and disbanded in 1974.

Contents

ANZUK Order of battle

ANZUK initially consisted of the following major units:

ANZUK Force HQ

  • 9 ANZUK Signal Regiment: Under command of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, 9th(ANZUK) Signal Regiment task was to support the ANZUK Force, which in 1970 had replaced the British Forces Headquarters and Installations in Singapore. this joint service, multi national regiment took over, as going concerns, the Royal Navy Transmitter Stations at Suara, and the Royal Navy Receiver Station Kranji. The regiment employed New Zealand and British Army, Navy and Air Force Personnel together with locally enlisted Singaporean, British, New Zealand and Australian civilian technicians and communication specialists. In addition there was operational control of a group of Malaysian Navy communicators, which were to interface the force with the Malaysian Navy.
  • ANZUK Traffic Management Agency (ATMA)
  • ANZUK Intelligence and Security Unit
  • 65 Ground Liaison Section
  • ANZUK Provost Unit
  • Two RN frigates
  • RAN Frigate
  • RNZN Frigate
  • RN or RAN submarine

    • Land Component

    The land component of ANZUK Force was essentially the units of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group renamed and relocated from Malaysia to Singapore.

    28th ANZUK Brigade

    Brigade Commanders of 28 ANZUK Brigade were:

  • Brigadier Michael Walsh 1971–1972
  • Brigadier Kennedy 1972–1974

    • Units that constituted 28 ANZUK Brigade were:

  • 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Kangaw Barracks
  • 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, Dieppe Barracks
  • 1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers, Meerut Barracks
  • 28th ANZUK Field Regiment,
  • Combined Australian/British HQ Battery
  • 1st Battery Royal Artillery “The Blazers
  • 106th Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 161 Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery(1972 only)
  • 28 ANZUK Field Squadron
  • 28 ANZUK Aviation Squadron
  • 182 Reconnaissance Flight RAAF (two helicopters),
  • No. 656 Squadron AAC (two flights)
  • 28 (ANZUK) Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron

    • ANZUK Support Group

    Transport Element
  • Commander Royal Australian Army Service Corps (CRAASC) and staff
  • ANZUK Base Transport Unit
  • Headquarters
  • Field Platoon
  • 90 Transport Platoon, RAASC
  • 402 Troop, RCT
  • Base Platoon
  • Workshop Component
  • ANZUK Supply Depot
  • ANZUK Postal and Courier Unit.
    • Ordnance Element
  • ANZUK Ordnance Depot
    To support the Land Army component of the ANZUK Force, the ANZUK Ordnance Depot was established from the existing Australian/New Zealand 5 Advanced Ordnance Depot. Located in the premises vacated by the Royal Navy Victualling Depot on the dockside at Sembawang Naval Base. Ordnance support to ANZUK Force was based upon an integrated supply service manned by service personnel from the RAOC, RAAOC and RNZAOC with locally employed civilians (LEC) performing the basic clerical, warehousing and driving tasks. ANZUK Ordnance Depot was constituted of the following elements:
  • Stores Sub Depot
  • Vehicle Sub Depot
  • Ammunition Sub Depot
  • Barrack Services Unit
    • Workshop Element
  • ANZUK Area Workshops

    • Air Component

  • No. 3 Squadron RAAF – Mirages
  • No. 41 Squadron RNZAF – Bristol freighters and Iroquois helicopters
  • No. 75 Squadron RAAF – Mirages
  • No. 103 Squadron RAF – Whirlwind (later Wessex) helicopters
  • No. 205 Squadron RAF – Shackletons

    • Disbandment

    By 1973 the political climate in Australia and the United Kingdom had changed and it was time for ANZUK to be disbanded. Rear Admiral Wells, the First ANZUK commander who established the Force, had the task of planning the run-down phase and handing over to his successor Air-Vice-Marshal Wakeford, to follow through.

    Australia would be retaining a presence in Butterworth in Malaysia and the United Kingdom had decided to withdrawal all its forces East of Suez, It was in New Zealand's interest to retain a force in South East Asia, so on 30 January 1974 New Zealand Force South East Asia was formed, taking under its command all the New Zealand units formerly part of ANZUK.

    Over the course of 1974 the integrated units which made up the ANZUK were gradually disbanded and replaced by national units. On 16 December 1974 the Naval and Air Headquarters were disbanded and their assets reverted to their respective national command and what remained of the United Kingdoms Land component forces became 28 (UK) Inf Bde.

    By 1977 NZFORSEA was the sole remaining foreign presence in Singapore.

    References

    ANZUK Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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