r00fie1
Well-known member
The number of those left alive who fought in The Korean War [June 25th 1950 - 27th July 1953] is less than those who fought in the Second World War.
It was essentially a battle between the Soviet / Chinese Forces and the USA [with allied forces] to take control of South East Asia. It was unwelcome by both the Soviets and their Chinese allies and the Americans - both who had lost millions during the Second World War, and were ill equipped to finance and source armed forces in a full scale war.
The details of the individual battles and the overview of the war - from both sides, are readily available online for anyone interested:
The scale of slaughter considering confinement to the Korean Peninsular [a total area of just over 86,000 square miles] was considerable. [Compare England, Scotland and Wales, which cover approximately 80,000 square miles].
It became known as "The Dirty War" - between the Communists of the North and the USA in the South. The 38th parallel became the dividinhg line between North and South Korea - there is a "de-militarised Zone" between the two countries, which remains today.
Both sides look at each other and guard the boundary north and south of the 38th parallel. Imagine a zone like Checkpoint Charlie between East and West Germany in Berlin. The difference being that the border is 165 miles long!
Temperatures in the peninsular could plummet to -40: equivalent to the well known "Russian Winters" experienced by German Troops during the battle of Stalingrad.
A rare occasion for a British Tommy to share humour with a South Korean Soldier.
The public in the USA and in China, were provided with little news or information about the War. The USA was focused on rebuilding Japan and Germany, to bolster its post
WWII geopolitical interests in Europe and Asia. The Soviets and the Chinese were determined to Provide a presence in South East Asia - with the Korean peninsular as a buffer.
Today "technically" the two Korea`s are still at war.
National Service Act:
The 1947 Act - due to come into force in January 1949, was originally intended to call up men aged 18 to 41, but this was changed to 17 to 21.
My Dad joined up to avoid National Service - prefering to be a regular - he said he didnt want to "play at soldiers" at home. He took the Kings "shilling" [George VI] - celebrated his 17th Birthday on June 8th- completed 6 week basic training and was on a ship to Hong Kong at the beginning of September 1950. Having trained in Hong Kong he was shipped to South Korea and volunteered as a Medical Orderly at the time of the Battle of the Imjim River - on the front line. He returned to Hong Kong in late 1951 and, after returning to England for a month, he volunteered for a second posting to Korea, eventually returning back to England in August 1953. He was 2 months past his 20th birthday. On return he took the role of a reserve for a further three years. He only spoke once about his experiences in Korea. He didnt want his medal.
It was essentially a battle between the Soviet / Chinese Forces and the USA [with allied forces] to take control of South East Asia. It was unwelcome by both the Soviets and their Chinese allies and the Americans - both who had lost millions during the Second World War, and were ill equipped to finance and source armed forces in a full scale war.
The details of the individual battles and the overview of the war - from both sides, are readily available online for anyone interested:
The scale of slaughter considering confinement to the Korean Peninsular [a total area of just over 86,000 square miles] was considerable. [Compare England, Scotland and Wales, which cover approximately 80,000 square miles].
It became known as "The Dirty War" - between the Communists of the North and the USA in the South. The 38th parallel became the dividinhg line between North and South Korea - there is a "de-militarised Zone" between the two countries, which remains today.
Both sides look at each other and guard the boundary north and south of the 38th parallel. Imagine a zone like Checkpoint Charlie between East and West Germany in Berlin. The difference being that the border is 165 miles long!
Temperatures in the peninsular could plummet to -40: equivalent to the well known "Russian Winters" experienced by German Troops during the battle of Stalingrad.
A rare occasion for a British Tommy to share humour with a South Korean Soldier.
The public in the USA and in China, were provided with little news or information about the War. The USA was focused on rebuilding Japan and Germany, to bolster its post
WWII geopolitical interests in Europe and Asia. The Soviets and the Chinese were determined to Provide a presence in South East Asia - with the Korean peninsular as a buffer.
Today "technically" the two Korea`s are still at war.
National Service Act:
The 1947 Act - due to come into force in January 1949, was originally intended to call up men aged 18 to 41, but this was changed to 17 to 21.
My Dad joined up to avoid National Service - prefering to be a regular - he said he didnt want to "play at soldiers" at home. He took the Kings "shilling" [George VI] - celebrated his 17th Birthday on June 8th- completed 6 week basic training and was on a ship to Hong Kong at the beginning of September 1950. Having trained in Hong Kong he was shipped to South Korea and volunteered as a Medical Orderly at the time of the Battle of the Imjim River - on the front line. He returned to Hong Kong in late 1951 and, after returning to England for a month, he volunteered for a second posting to Korea, eventually returning back to England in August 1953. He was 2 months past his 20th birthday. On return he took the role of a reserve for a further three years. He only spoke once about his experiences in Korea. He didnt want his medal.
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