3 RAR soldier with a KATCOM soldier in March 1954

KATCOM, or in full Korean Augmentation to Commonwealth Division or Korean Augmentation Troops to Commonwealth Division or Korean Attached Commonwealth Division, refers to significant numbers of South Korean soldiers who, during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, were attached to the 1st Commonwealth Division, similar to the

KATUSA Korean Augmentation To the United States Army (KATUSA Korean: 카투사) is a branch of the Republic of Korea Army that consists of Korean drafted personnel who are augmented to the Eighth United States Army (EUSA). KATUSA does not form an i ...

system in the US Army. The system took effect from May 1952. South Korean troops were included within Commonwealth units as replacements simply to make up numbers during periods of troop rotation. Soldiers assigned as KATCOMs were given 16 weeks' standard basic training at the ROK Replacement Training Center with further specialist training on British and Canadian weaponry. On average, each British battalion received 94 South Korean soldiers, making a total of 1,000 South Koreans across the whole Commonwealth division. More broadly, KATCOM can also refer to South Korean troops serving in other UN contingents, notably the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

and

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

contingents.

References

External links

*{{cite news, title=KATCOM Sheds New Light on Wartime Control of Troops, url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2008/06/25/2008062561020.html, accessdate=26 May 2014, newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo, date=25 June 2008
영(英)군복 입고 싸운 '카트콤' 아시나요
British Commonwealth units and formations Military units and formations of the Korean War Expatriate military units and formations South Korea–United Kingdom relations

See also

References

External links