ANZUK

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title: "ANZUK" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["20th-century-military-alliances", "1970s-in-australia", "1970s-in-new-zealand", "1970s-in-the-united-kingdom", "1971-in-australia", "1971-in-new-zealand", "1971-in-the-united-kingdom", "1974-in-australia", "1974-in-new-zealand", "1974-in-the-united-kingdom", "british-commonwealth-units-and-formations", "military-alliances-involving-australia", "military-alliances-involving-new-zealand", "military-alliances-involving-the-united-kingdom", "military-units-and-formations-of-the-new-zealand-army", "military-units-and-formations-established-in-1971", "military-units-and-formations-disestablished-in-1974", "military-history-of-malaysia", "singapore–united-kingdom-military-relations", "australia–singapore-relations", "new-zealand–singapore-relations", "australia–united-kingdom-relations", "new-zealand–united-kingdom-military-relations"] topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZUK" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox military unit"]

FieldValue
unit_nameANZUK
imageEmblem of ANZUK.svg
image_size150
dates1 November 1971 – 31 January 1974
country{{plainlist
garrisonSingapore
notable_commanders{{plainlist
identification_symbol_labelDistinctive unit insignia
identification_symbol_2[[File:Flag of ANZUK.svg
identification_symbol_2_labelFlag of ANZUK
identification_symbol_3_label
::

| unit_name = ANZUK | image = Emblem of ANZUK.svg | image_size = 150 | caption = | dates = 1 November 1971 – 31 January 1974 | country = {{plainlist| ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/ANZUK_MAP.png" caption="Members countries of ANZUK"] ::

  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom}} | allegiance = | branch = | type = | role = | size = | command_structure = | garrison = Singapore | current_commander = | ceremonial_chief = | colonel_of_the_regiment = | notable_commanders = {{plainlist|
  • Rear Admiral David Wells
  • Air Vice Marshal Richard Gordon Wakeford}} | identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = Distinctive unit insignia | identification_symbol_2 = [[File:Flag of ANZUK.svg|100px]] | identification_symbol_2_label = Flag of ANZUK | identification_symbol_3 = | identification_symbol_3_label = | nickname = | patron = | motto = | colors = | march = | mascot = | battles = | anniversaries = | decorations = | battle_honours = 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 on 31 January 1974.

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

Naval component

Land Component

The land component of ANZUK Force was 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:

Units that constituted 28 ANZUK Brigade were:

ANZUK Support Group

Transport Element
  • Commander Royal Australian Army Service Corps (CRAASC) and staff
  • ANZUK Base Transport Unit
    • Headquarters Base Transport Unit
    • Base Transport Platoon
    • Base Coach Platoon
    • Field Platoon
    • BTU Workshops
  • ANZUK Supply Depot
  • ANZUK Postal & Courier Communications 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, Kangaw Barracks

Air Component

Dress distinctions

Contributing nations wore their individual national uniforms with the addition of the following identifying patches;

| ANZUK Headquarters and Support elements: | 28 ANZUK Brigade Units: ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/28ANZUKbde.jpg" caption="28 ANZUK Brigade Patch"] ::

Sea and Air components did not wear any of the patches as they remained under national command and were only attached to NZUK command on an as required basis.

Disbandment

By 1973 the political climate in Australia and the United Kingdom had changed and it was deemed that ANZUK should 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 Richard Gordon Wakeford, to follow through.

Australia would be retaining a presence in Butterworth in Malaysia and the United Kingdom had decided to withdraw all its forces east of Suez. It was in New Zealand's interest to retain a force in southeast 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 31 January 1974 ceased to exist, followed on 16 December 1974 with the disbanding of the Naval and Air Headquarters and their assets reverted to their respective national command and what remained of the United Kingdom's land component forces became the 28th (UK) Infantry Brigade.

Taking several years for the Australian and United Kingdom units to draw down and withdraw, it was not until 1977 that NZFORSEA was the sole remaining foreign presence in Singapore.

References

References

  1. Eaton, H. B.. (1993). "Something extra : 28 Commonwealth Brigade, 1951 to 1974". Pentland.
  2. (2014). "Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and Its Antecedents". Helion & Company Limited.
  3. "Integrated Eastern defence". Flight International, 9 March 1972.
  4. (2013). "Sharing the Secret: the History of the Intelligence Corps 1940–2010.". Pen & Sword Military.
  5. "28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Provost Unit Malaya, Borneo & Singapore".
  6. Eaton, H. B. (Hamish B.). (1993). "Something extra: 28 Commonwealth Brigade, 1951 to 1974". Pentland.
  7. "Major-General Michael J H Walsh, CB, CBE, DSO".
  8. "Michael Ralph Kennedy".
  9. "Battalion History".
  10. "1 RNZIR".
  11. "1st Bn The Royal Highland Fusiliers 1959–2006".
  12. "Royal Highland Fusiliers".
  13. "The Forgotten Regiment 28 ANZUK Field Regiment".
  14. "161 Battery Unofficial History".
  15. "Destination Malaya – the History Book of 2 Field Troop (1963–1965)".
  16. (1991). "Equal to the Task – The Royal Australian Army Service Corps". Historia Productions.
  17. (1974). "History of Anzuk Base Transport Unit, June 1971 – June 1974". Singapore : Base Transport Unit, Anzuk Force.
  18. "he History of 90 TRANSPORT PLATOON, RAASC".
  19. (1971). "112 S and T Coy RAASC – Singapore". RAASC Digest.
  20. (2005). "To The Warrior His Arms: History of the RAOC". 1844153290.
  21. (26 June 2017). "ANZUK ORDNANCE DEPOT 1971-1975".
  22. "Rear Admiral David Charles Wells".
  23. "Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation: Air Marshal Sir Richard Wakeford".
  24. (2015). "Kampong Australia : the colonial reckonings of the Australian military community in Penang, 1955–1988". Australia Macquarie University.
  25. (May 2021). "Ending 'East of Suez': The British Decision to Withdraw from Malaysia and Singapore, 1964–1968.".
  26. (2002). "Britain's Retreat from East of Suez". Palgrave Macmillan UK.
  27. (2000). "The Oxford Companion of New Zealand Military History". Oxford.

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20th-century-military-alliances1970s-in-australia1970s-in-new-zealand1970s-in-the-united-kingdom1971-in-australia1971-in-new-zealand1971-in-the-united-kingdom1974-in-australia1974-in-new-zealand1974-in-the-united-kingdombritish-commonwealth-units-and-formationsmilitary-alliances-involving-australiamilitary-alliances-involving-new-zealandmilitary-alliances-involving-the-united-kingdommilitary-units-and-formations-of-the-new-zealand-armymilitary-units-and-formations-established-in-1971military-units-and-formations-disestablished-in-1974military-history-of-malaysiasingapore–united-kingdom-military-relationsaustralia–singapore-relationsnew-zealand–singapore-relationsaustralia–united-kingdom-relationsnew-zealand–united-kingdom-military-relations