<P> The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War II . Prior to the outbreak of war the Australian Army was split into the small full - time Permanent Military Forces ( PMF ) and the larger part - time Militia . Following the outbreak of war , on 14 September 1939 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that 40,000 members of the Militia would be called up for training and a 20,000 - strong expeditionary force , designated the Second Australian Imperial Force ( Second AIF ) , would be formed for overseas service . Meanwhile , conscription was introduced in October 1939 to keep the Militia at strength as its members volunteered for the AIF . The Australian Army subsequently made an important contribution to the Allied campaigns in the Mediterranean , the Middle East and North Africa fighting the Germans , Italians and Vichy French during 1940 and 1941 , and later in the jungles of the South West Pacific Area fighting the Japanese between late 1941 and 1945 . Following the Japanese surrender Australian Army units were deployed as occupation forces across the South West Pacific . Meanwhile , the Army contributed troops to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force ( BCOF ) in Japan from 1946 . </P>
<P> The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War II . Prior to the outbreak of war the Australian Army was split into the small full - time Permanent Military Forces ( PMF ) and the larger part - time Militia . Following the outbreak of war , on 14 September 1939 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that 40,000 members of the Militia would be called up for training and a 20,000 - strong expeditionary force , designated the Second Australian Imperial Force ( Second AIF ) , would be formed for overseas service . Meanwhile , conscription was introduced in October 1939 to keep the Militia at strength as its members volunteered for the AIF . The Australian Army subsequently made an important contribution to the Allied campaigns in the Mediterranean , the Middle East and North Africa fighting the Germans , Italians and Vichy French during 1940 and 1941 , and later in the jungles of the South West Pacific Area fighting the Japanese between late 1941 and 1945 . Following the Japanese surrender Australian Army units were deployed as occupation forces across the South West Pacific . Meanwhile , the Army contributed troops to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force ( BCOF ) in Japan from 1946 . </P>
who was the leader of australia during ww2
who was the leader of australia during ww2
Prime Minister Robert Menzies
Prime Minister Robert Menzies