Who were the Chocos?

Answer 1

Chocos was a contraction of Chocolate Soldiers (associations with the operetta). It was a name bestowed on Australian Militia soldiers in World War 2 by their compatriots of the Australian Imperial Force who volunteered for overseas service, and held the Militia conscripts in contempt. Other unflattering epithets were also in use. The Militia was restricted by the Defence Act to service in Australia and its Territories. They were mostly conscripted, and even though early in the war many transferred to the AIF, this was stopped when the government became concerned that the seven Militia divisions were being denuded and becoming ineffective in their function of home defence. Although they were called out for additional training periods during the first two years of the war, when the four AIF divisions were in the Middle East and Malaya, it was not until the beginning of 1942, after the successful Japanese conquest of South East Asia that the Militia divisions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 infantry and 1, 2 Cavalry divisions) were called up for full time service. Some went on to serve in combat in New Guinea and the Islands. This did not stop the contemptuous treatment by the AIF, and their later historical sycophants. It was an unpleasant interlude in Australian military affairs, with this behaviour at least tolerated if not promoted by senior officers. Commander in Chief Blamey did nothing to curb it, contenting himself with calling the whole army Australian Military Forces in 1943 in a superficial show of oneness which did nothing to stamp out or even constrain the 'two army' rift. Militia units which managed to sign up 70 percent as volunteers for overseas service were allowed to add AIF after their unit name, which simply perpetuated the division. A couple of examples which are of interest: At Milne Bay 1942, when the Japanese suffered their first land loss, a militia battalion withdrawing in an orderly fashion passed through an AIF battalion to ribald calls from the latter. The AIF battalion broke that night, took to the hills and wasn't reassembled for three days. Shortly after that, a militia battalion (39) was the first to engage the Japanese thrust over the Kokoda Track to Port Moresby. The fought creditably to exhaustion, were rebuilt and fought almost to extinction at Sanananda-Gona. Another Militia battalion, poorly trained and having been misused as stevedores, performed very badly. 39 was disbanded and the failed one retained - successful Militia units were not required by the AIF hierarchy.