The Korean War was one of the first battlegrounds of the Cold War era, yet in Britain it remains a forgotten conflict, overshadowed by World War Two and the other Cold War battles that followed it.īut its impact is still felt by those who live with its legacy – from the soldiers who fought, to the Korean families who remain separated on either side of the 38th Parallel. While the armistice ended hostilities, no peace treaty has ever been signed to re-establish relations. On 27th July 1953, after two years of negotiations, an armistice was agreed between North and South Korea. Armistice, July 1953 Private John Rudd of the First Battalion, Middlesex Regiment sitting at the roadside in a Korean village with his dog, which has been trained for guard duties (IWM BF 491). US bombs, including napalm, incendiaries and explosives, devastated North Korea, killing countless civilians and destroying an estimated 85 percent of its buildings. The war entered a period of stalemate, with the UN undertaking a naval blockade and strategic bombing campaign against North Korea. The Battle of the Imjin River marked the end of the mobile phase of the war, demonstrating that the Chinese and North Koreans did not have the capacity to defeat UN forces. Stalemate, 1951-53 Two soldiers of the First Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers help refugees from North Korea across the Imjin River (IWM BF 10312). A wounded soldier of the First Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment is escorted away from the battlefield, (IWM BF 389). The brave actions of British and Belgian forces gave UN forces the chance to withdraw to a stronger position and block the Chinese advance on Seoul. 527 men were taken as Prisoners of War by the Chinese. Heavily outnumbered, troops of the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment held their position for three days before they were forced to retreat amid heavy casualties. The Battle of the Imjin River was the bloodiest battle endured by the British Army since World War Two. On 22nd April, Chinese forces attacked the British 29th Brigade, which was supported by Belgian forces along the Imjin River. The Battle of the Imjin River, April 1951 Inchon under heavy naval and air bombardment two hours before the main landings, 15th September 1951 (IWM A 31722). Centurion tanks and men of the Gloucestershire Regiment advancing to attack Hill 327 in Korea, (IWM BF 454). At this stage, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army was deployed into North Korea to push the UN back into the south. By late November, they had come within 40 miles of the Chinese border. His forces repelled the North Korean Army and rapidly advanced north across the 38 th Parallel into North Korea, capturing the capital Pyongyang. Men of the Durham Light Infantry barter with Korean children on their way to the front (IWM MH 32936). In September, UN Commander General MacArthur launched a daring amphibious landing at Inchon (now called Incheon), a port on South Korea’s western coast held by North Korea. Landings at Inchon, September 1950īy August, North Korean forces had overrun vast swathes of South Korea, with UN forces retaining a small defensive perimeter in the country’s south east, near Busan. Private Ron Pattison, 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, is greeted on his arrival in Korea by American Sergeant First Class Robert Tutt (IWM MH 32723). They were joined by the troops of many nations, including Britain, Canada, Australia, India, Ethiopia, France and the Philippines. The newly-formed UN called on its members to protect South Korea, with US troops swiftly deployed. Their aim was clear: to reunify the Korean Peninsula as a communist state. On 25 th June 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38 th Parallel into South Korea. Although the US and the Soviet Union withdrew their troops in 1949, tension between the two nations continued to mount. Due to concerns over ‘spheres of influence’, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Korea into two occupation zones: the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the US-backed Republic of Korea (South Korea).ĭue to Cold War tensions, the zones became two sovereign states, divided at the 38 th Parallel, in 1948. Korea had been a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, when it was liberated by Allied forces at the end of World War Two. Private Dennis Bradley of the 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, cleans his Lee Enfield Rifle (IWM MH 31591). But its origins lie in the Partition of Korea, which took place at the end of World War Two. The Korean War began on 25 th June 1950, when communist North Korea invaded South Korea.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |