Freddy

On Radio 4's The Reunion, Sue Macgregor was talking to Korean war veterans. The veterans; John Bowler; Bob Smith; Ted Rose; Albert Tyas and Mike Reece. They were describing the Battle of Imjin River and Hill 235 where they fought The Chinese 63rd Army of 27,000 men. The fighting lasted for three days and nights, in that time the Vickers guns got off 18,500 rounds and at the end of it of the 622 men of The 1st Battallion of the Gloucesters there remained 5 officers and 41 other ranks.

SUE: 'Albert, all this was going on not far from where you were'

ALBERT: 'That's true, Yes. On the Monday morning they said will you do a patrol, we knew they had attacked the Gloucesters and we'd been on the Sunday night watching the Doris Day film, Tea for Two' (on a make shift screeen they had set up days before).

SUE: 'How aware were you of the action going on in the close vicinity.'

ALBERT: 'Well, ' cause the traces kept coming over in a continous line and going through the screen.'

SUE: 'Are you saying there were actual bullets going through the screen.'

ALBERT: 'Yes, there were bullets going through the screen, Yes.'

SUE: 'And nobody suggested stopping the film.'

ALBERT (Chuckling) 'It stopped itself'


Albert became a POW a few days later. He recalls how when the war ended they were tranported to the Americans in cattle trucks who the then drove them in ambulances with nurses to the British who "threw us into the back of a 7 tonner wagon with an old nurse up front with the driver and it went like bloody hell. I thought were back in the British Army old lad."

Hill 235 is now named Gloster Hill. Although numbers do vary according to which account you read, the above figures are from the programme itself. I hope I have spelt the names correctly.

Freddy

Steve Crook

I was out and missed it. Did they mention the 2 VCs and a GC that were awarded?

It was a pyrrhic victory for the Chinese. They won the hill but at a helluva cost.

Steve

Freddy

No mention of the decorations that were awarded Steve. It is still on Listen Again if you want to catch it.

Freddy