CDKW00406 - First (Commonwealth) Commander

This set of draft orders from the summer of 1951 was intended for the inaugural commander of the First (Commonwealth) Division, A.J.M. Cassels. Unlike most military documents, this particular set of orders reveals quite a lot about the hierarchy of command within the Korean theater. Although Cassels was subordinate in operational matters to General Ridgway, the current head of the United Nations Unified Command Korea, in non-operational and administrative matters, Cassels was subordinate to Australian Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Robertson. In particular, this document is of interest because it contains a contingency plan for Cassels if he felt that his American superiors order him to perform duties outside of the United Nation mandate—namely, to reach out to the Defense Committee, Melbourne for assistance. As the Canadians had no representative in Melbourne, Cassels’ finalized orders included instructions to inform the Liaison Mission in Tokyo as well. These diplomatic safety measures built into Cassels’ military orders are indicative of Commonwealth fears that the United States could attempt to drastically expand the conflict in Korea into a more general war with China.