|
|
|
Subject:
RE:Remarkable Battles-Final Historian
DragonReborn
6/5/2003 2:59:36 PM
|
| There are too many battles to ever agree on a single one. I agree that the battle on Gloster Hill in Korea 1951 was a moment that will remain a significant point in British military history, where the British were credited for fighting to the last man so that Seoul could be saved.
However, it maybe worth noting that a little remembered Canadian force fought a similar delaying action to save Seoul at the same time, protecting the other remaining pass before Seoul. At Kapyong, the second battalion of the Princess Pats was in the fight of its life blocking another valley route to Seoul which was equally vulnerable.
The Pats were surrounded, cut off from 27 Brigade, and had the same task as the Gloucesters -- hold on at any cost. Commanded by Lt.-Col. Jim Stone, a rough "field" soldier who'd been promoted from the ranks in WWII, the Patricias were the only Canadians fighting in Korea at that time, prior to the arrival of the Van Doos and RCR to comprise 25 Brigade. The Second Pats were a mixture of WWII vets and adventure-seeking youths, most with a wild, in-your-face confidence.
As it turned out, Kapyong was close to what could be called a "perfect" battle -- and certainly Canada's most historic of that war. On the anniversary, at ceremonies at the Kapyong memorial, Canada's military attache, Col. Chip Bowness, recounted the battle.
In attendance was a survivor -- laconic former Corp. Frank Boe, of B Company, on his first visit to Korea since the war. ("Kapyong meant nothing to us at the time -- just a lot of Chinese wanting to get through and we weren't going to let them").
Fortunately, the attacking Chinese had outrun their artillery, and they thought they could sweep over the Canadians and Royal Australian Regiment on the Patricias' flank.
It was not to be. The Aussies withdrew, and later counter-attacked, while the Canadians stayed firm and, when overrun, called down their own artillery on their positions -- three successive times for one platoon. When battalion headquarters was surrounded and attacked, Col. Stone had (as good commanders do) acquired more weaponry than was authorized -- some two dozen heavy and medium machine-guns which cut the Chinese to shreds Recalled Boe: "All of us felt it was them or us. We weren't going to move and would have fought to the last man."
In his book about the Canadians in Korea, Find the Dragon, Robert Hepenstall, who was there, tells of soldiers changing slit trenches to be with a buddy when they were killed, they were so certain there would be no surrender.
Unlike the Gloucesters, who left it too late to withdraw, the Canadians fought their way out after being resupplied by airdrops of ammunition and food. The Chinese never broke through.
Amazingly, only 10 Patricias were killed and 23 wounded which, considering the thousands of Chinese they killed, testifies to superb and shrewd fighting. From a British viewpoint, there were too few casualties at Kapyong for it to be memorable, even though both the Pats and Gloucesters killed thousands of Chinese.
The Canadians essentially carried out the same job as the Glosters but survived to fight another day. The Glosters perhaps displayed typical British galantry and ternacity, but if the CO had been more astute, the Glosters may have been able to have got out.The sad fact that the Glosters fought to the bitter end, having left withdrawl too late, makes their tale more tragic and memorable, and I guess 'remarkable'.
"Each man held his post, when weaker men would fly, and so to the world again, showed all, how Englishmen can die" |
| |
|
|
|
