South West Pacific theatre of World War II

The South West Pacific theatre of World War II was those parts of the Pacific and South East Asia which were not included in the Pacific Ocean theatre or the South-East Asian theatre.

It included the Philippines, Borneo, the Dutch East Indies (excluding Sumatra), Australia, the Territory of New Guinea (including the Bismarck Archipelago), the western part of the Solomon Islands and some neighbouring territories.

The area was defined by reference to the Allied supreme command for the area, which was known simply as the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). On 30 March 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) divided the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) into two operational command areas: the SWPA and the Pacific Ocean Areas.