Who were the chocolate soldiers Kokoda?

Most of them were under 21 years of age, they were town boys from suburbs from Melbourne and Sydney. They were called ‘Chocolate Soldiers’ the term ‘Chocolate Soldiers’ was coined by the AIF because they were poorly trained and they thought they would melt in the heat of battle.

What does AIF stand for in ww2?

Abbreviations used in World War I and World War II service records

Abbreviation	Definition
AIF (1st AIF)	Australian Imperial Force (WWI)
AIF (2nd AIF)	Australian Imperial Force (WWII)
AL Rwy	Australian Light Railway
AM	Aircraft Mechanic

What is the significance of the name Second AIF ‘?

The Second Australian Imperial Force (Second, or 2nd, AIF) was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II.

How many divisions did Australia have in ww2?

Of these 10 divisions, eight – the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th – were predominantly infantry formations, and two were armoured divisions that included tank equipped regiments as well as motorised units and armoured cars.

What were chocos in ww2?

Clip description Australia’s ‘chocolate soldiers’ were all that stood between Australia and the highly trained and jungle-prepared Japanese forces. They were called ‘chocos’ or ‘chocolate soldiers’ because it was thought they would melt in the heat.

How many Japanese soldiers died on the Kokoda Track?

Eventually, on 21 January 1943, all Japanese resistance on Papua ceased. More than 600 Australian soldiers were killed and 1600 wounded. More than 10,000 Japanese also died. Kokoda was a desperate and vicious campaign that saw enormous suffering on both sides.

What does VD stand for in military?

Related. Volunteer Officers’ Decoration for India and the Colonies. The Volunteer Officers’ Decoration, post-nominal letters VD, was instituted in 1892 as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom’s Volunteer Force.

How many divisions did Australia have in WW2?

What does AIF stand for Australia?

The Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force, first raised in 1914 for overseas war service, became better known by its initials – the “AIF”. It was a separate and purely volunteer army.

How did the soldiers of the Australian 8th Division became POWS?

Within a day of the Japanese landing, the Dutch forces had been surrounded and were forced to surrender. The Australians of Gull Force withdrew westwards, and held out until 3 February, when Scott surrendered. While small parties were able to escape to Australia, the majority – almost 800 men – were taken prisoner.

What happened to the Australian 7th Division in WW2?

In January 1942, the Australian 7th Division was returning from the Middle East. Initially these troops were to be deployed to the Netherlands East Indies, present-day Indonesia, to help British troops create a defensive line against the Japanese advance.

Why is the 7th Division called the Silent Seventh?

The division is sometimes known by the nickname “The Silent Seventh”, due to a perception that its achievements were unrecognised, in comparison to the other Australian divisions. The origin of this belief appears to be censorship of the part played by the 7th Division in the fierce fighting in the 1941 Syria-Lebanon campaign.

What was the 7th Division AIF?

The 7th Division AIF was formed in late February 1940 with Sir John Lavarack as its Commander. The infantry formations of the Division were as follows: They called themselves “The Silent Seventh” because although they did more than their fair share of the work other Units often got the lion’s share of credit.

Did the 7th Division serve in the Middle East in WWII?

The origin of this belief appears to be censorship of the part played by the 7th Division in the fierce fighting in the 1941 Syria-Lebanon campaign. The 7th Division along with the 6th and 9th Australian Divisions were the only divisions to serve in both the Middle East and the South West Pacific Area.