Home Page World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations Last Updated 24.02.2020
British, Colonial, and Dominion Armies
Nomenclature Australian Military Forces
From To Entire Force Full-Time Part-Time Deployed
1901 1914 Commonwealth Military Forces Permanent Forces Citizens Forces –
1914 1915 Commonwealth Military Forces Permanent Forces Citizens Forces AIF - Australian Imperial Force
1916 1921 AMF – Australian Military Forces PMF – Permanent Military Forces CMF – Citizen Military Forces AIF – Australian Imperial Force
1921 1929 AMF – Australian Military Forces PMF – Permanent Military Forces CMF – Citizen Military Forces –
1930 1939 AMF – Australian Military Forces PMF – Permanent Military Forces Militia –
1939 1942 AMF – Australian Military Forces PMF – Permanent Military Forces Militia 2AIF – 2nd Australian Imperial Force
1943 1946 AMF – Australian Military Forces PMF – Permanent Military Forces CMF – Citizen Military Forces 2AIF – 2nd Australian Imperial Force
1946 1947 AMF – Australian Military Forces Interim Army CMF – Citizen Military Forces –
1947 1980 AMF – Australian Military Forces ARA – Australian Regular Army ACMF – Australian Citizen Military Force –
1980 1991 Australian Army ARA – Australian Regular Army GRES or A-RES – Army Reserve –
1991 1995 Australian Army ARA – Australian Regular Army RRES – Ready Reserve –
1996  – Australian Army ARA – Australian Regular Army Australian Army Reserve –
The Australian Military Forces (AMF) was the official name of the Army of Australia from 1916 to 1980. This encompassed both the (full-time) "regular army", and the (part-time) forces, variously known during this period as the Militia, the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) and the Australian Citizen Military Force (ACMF).

Initially this also included the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). In 1920, the AFC became the Australian Air Corps, which became the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 31 March 1921. The land forces of Australia were renamed the Australian Army in 1980. [1]

After 1940, use of the term "Militia" to describe the part-time military forces waned and by 1942 the term "Citizens Military Force" (CMF) had become more common. On 26.01.1943, the Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943 was passed. It referred to the organisation as the CMF, thereby making it official. [2]

[1] Australian Military Forces as retrieved from Wikipedia on 03.03.2020.
[2] Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943 as retrieved from Wikipedia on 03.03.2020.
 
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