Japanese wives and their children in the dining saloon of the SS New Australia on their journey ...

Japanese wives and their children in the dining saloon of the SS New Australia on their journey to Australia to join their husbands, former British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) and British Commwealth Forces Korea (BCFK) servicemen. Mrs Fumika Clifford (nee Itoh) (right) and her daughter Mary are travelling to meet up with their husband and father 22682 Private (Pte) John Kenneth Clifford. Pte Clifford had served in the Second World War (service number NX206168 ) prior to his posting to Japan. He met Fumika in 1947. From 28 December 1950 until 8 January 1951 when he was wounded, Pte Clifford served in the Korean War with the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR). He returned to Japan where he and Fumika were married in October 1952. In 1953 Pte Clifford was posted back to Australia. Despite their marriage, the Australian Government initially restricted the period of Fumika's residency to 5 years. Mary was not named on any official documents and was included on Fumika's passport photograph (see P08339.003). A second daughter, Julia, was born in Australia.