Master list for the new Korean War range - Input required!

[Matt J]

Read both of the above recommendations recently and fully endorse both.

[Techno]

Oh, when do the rest of us get to see? 

I'll send the whole lot up to Leon in the next couple of days....When he's got the time to take some better photo's than my rushed shots, I'm sure he'll post them. 

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

"Triumph at Kapyong" by Dan Bjarnson is about Canadian troops in April 1951.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triumph-Kapyong-Canadas-Pivotal-Battle-ebook/dp/B007OSQ7WQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498804630&sr=1-1&keywords=kapyong

"Pork Chop Hill" by SLA Marshall is another classic. Captures the futility of combat just before the cease fire.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Pork-Chop-Hill-S-L-Marshall/0425175057/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498804809&sr=1-1&keywords=pork+chop+hill

[Sunray]

Oh, when do the rest of us get to see? 

Also, Sunray can you recommend any good histories of the war? I'd probably look at gaming the retreat to the Pusan Perimeter: lots of desperate stands against hordes of KPA troops and tanks.

The Dark Lord has received the images of the final mock up sculpts.  It is in his power to "post them on the forum" - Go on Leon - cheer up the troops! 

Good histories.  Apart from what has already been mentioned, a few good objective reads out there. The real revision was via NATO when it was appreciated that this was a dress rehearsal for what WP might launch in Europe. So key lessons to be absorbed.  Its these late histories that are most objective.

Bevin Alexander Korea : The first War we lost,   Michael J Varhola Korea; Fire and Ice and Brian Catchpole The Korean War

When I lectured this period, I always recommend the warmovie Tae Guk Gi  - it gives the flavour of the inter-Korean nature of the war.  The RoK's fighting spirit on the retreat is often overlooked.  They fought like tigers. Techno has recognised this in the satchel armed troops - all they had to stop a T34/85.

[Gazza]

Thanks for all the advice chaps. I'll probably start with Hasting's book to get an overview of the period. There doesn't seem to be too many in-depth accounts of individual campaigns, or at least for the area I'm looking at (June-August 1950).

[Sunray]

Thanks for all the advice chaps. I'll probably start with Hasting's book to get an overview of the period. There doesn't seem to be too many in-depth accounts of individual campaigns, or at least for the area I'm looking at (June-August 1950).

To be honest this is one subject were good ole Wikipedia does a reasonable job in terms of a good synopsis - and gives good footnotes worth following up.
Osan, Pyongtaek, Chochrwon Chonan, Chonui, and Taejon are all covered with OOBs.

[fsn]

The Dark Lord has received the images of the final mock up sculpts.  It is in his power to "post them on the forum" - Go on Leon - cheer up the troops!  

Friend Sunray opens a window on the war for me. I have always concentrated on the Commonwealth because a) they're not Americans and b) they used Centurions. There may be some "home team" bias there as well, for which I don't apologise, for the main reason is that, and I may have said this before, they used Centurions.

There is lots of stuff out there about the US in Korea: I remember being enthralled by the film "Pork Chop Hill" as a child, even though I knew nothing about the war itself. Most people in my experience think M*A*S*H is set in Viet Nam, and go on YouTube and there's hundreds of videos about the US in Korea.

Having said that, the contribution of the South Koreans is limited in most sources to "Yanks wouldn't give them tanks, got hit with walls of T34s, fought bravely but had to retreat in face of overwhelming odds". I realise I know almost nothing about the contribution of the South Koreans after the inital assault.

So, Sunray, could you recommend a readable source of the Korean War from the South Korean point of view?    


1) Yes, I know there were lots of other countries involved
2) Yes, I know the South Koreans didn't use Centurions

[Sunray]

No probs Nobby

I have to recommend Pank Sun Yup's  From Pusan to Panmunjon at around £5.  It is a no holes barred account from one of their best soldiers.  Techno based the South Korean officer sculpt on him (helmet, bins, reaching for radio)

I won't spoil it but would love to hear your comments

Cheers

James

[fsn]

Excellent!

Thank you.

[Dave]

I'll send the whole lot up to Leon in the next couple of days....When he's got the time to take some better photo's than my rushed shots, I'm sure he'll post them. 

Cheers - Phil

Do these pics help for thr Brits and Aussies in korea?

http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/25-photographs-of-the-korean-war

Dave

[Techno]

Ta, Dave.

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

I'll just pop these here for Techno. Brits in Korea 1951


Are  they wearing puttees?

[Techno]

Thanks, Nobby.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Look like 1914 issue puttees to me.

[Sunray]

I would regard these images of the "long" putties as peculiar. Not representative of what was worn by first winter Brits, and I would tender the following explanation.

They remind me of photos I was shown by an old SAS trooper I served with.  He had been a "tree jumper" in 1948-56 Malaya Emergency and long puttees were issued to protect the ankles as they jumped with Irwins into the jungle. The SAS had a maroon beret at this point of their comeback!

Now it was also found that the long style puttee was excellent protection against leeches when knee deep in jungle streams or operations in the notorious Kuala Langat swamp , so were generally issued. This guerrilla war overlapped with Korea, and I have no doubt that when the first British troops arrived in tropical bush gear, some if not all  still had the long Malaya issue puttee.  These would have been useful in waterlogged trench conditions.

I would suggest we stick to (a) short gaiters or (b) long boots with ankle strap (41 Commando)- they have much wider application and proxy value.