Canada's Army in Korea

Canada's Army in Korea Preface The First Canadians in Korea Background of the Conflict Formation of the CASF The Fighting in 1950 Canadian Troops in Action Political Aspects The Patricias at Kapyong Training at Fort Lewis The 25th Brigade Goes In Early RCN Operations The 25th Brigade in Action, 1951 The 2nd RCR at Chail-li Political Developments During June 1951 Canadian Operations During June and July Formation of the 1st Commonwealth Division Across the Imjin The "Rotation" of Canadian Troops Enemy Attacks During November The Political Front, July-December 1951 Holding the Line, 1951-1953 The First General Rotation Patrols Against the Boot and Hill 113 Canadian Troops on Koje Island The RCR on Hill 355 The Patricias' Second Rotation Winter on the Hook Korean Personnel with the Canadian Forces The Second General Rotation The End of the Fighting The Attack on the 3rd RCR Political Developments, 1952-53 Administration Behind the Canadian Brigade, Juny 1951-July 1953 Supporting Arms Air Support and Supply The RCN in Korean Waters, May 1951-July 1953 The Toll of the War Conclusion Main Provisions of the Armistice Agreement The Canadians After the Armistice Canadian Troops Withdraw Korea in Retrospect Books and Articles for Further Reading Abbreviations

[edit] Canadian Troops on Koje Island

On various offshore islands, South Korean and American troops were guarding many thousands of war prisoners, mostly North Koreans. Since the opening of truce negotiations the prisoners on Koje Island (25 miles south-west of Pusan) had been staging riots, and had murdered more than 100 of their own number for anti-Communist leanings. Early in May they seized the American commandant of the camp and held him captive for three days. At the end of the month, when the command had passed to Brigadier-General Haydon L. Boatner, there began an operation to move some 40,000 prisoners into new, 500-man compounds where they could be more easily controlled. This turned out to be a difficult and dangerous task, and it soon became evident that the guard would have to be reinforced by other U.N. troops. On 22 May, Eighth Army Headquarters issued an order calling upon the Commonwealth Division to furnish two rifle companies for this purpose - one British and one Canadian. The British detachment was provided by the 1st King's Shropshire Light Infantry, the Canadian by the RCR. The latter detachment, consisting of "B" Company and attached signallers, cooks and stretcher-bearers, left the brigade area in vehicles on the morning of the 23rd; it sailed from Pusan on the evening of the 24th, and reached the island the next morning. Meanwhile the Royal 22e, reinforced by a company of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, had extended itself to fill the gap in the Canadian defences.

The two Commonwealth detachments, of which the KSLI company commander served as co-ordinating officer, were placed under command of the American 92nd Military Police Battalion. General Boatner, greeting the Canadians on their arrival in the battalion area, informed the detachment commander, Major E. L. Cohen, that his troops might have one week to get settled in and to undergo the necessary special training. An unexpected variety of goods and services had to be requested of the camp authorities, who "co-operated admirably, and without red tape". The special training which the Canadians received consisted mainly of riot drill and instruction on the American medium machine gun. On 4 June the RCR detachment relieved the KSLI guard on Compound 66, which housed some 3200 North Korean officers. Both Commonwealth companies, working in 24-hour shifts, were employed here for three weeks. The time passed without any major incidents occurring in this particular compound, though in the same period Major Cohen accompanied troops of the 187th U.S. Airborne Infantry Regiment in what proved quite a bloody operation to transfer prisoners from another compound into smaller enclosures; the inmates resisted with spears, clubs and improvised grenades, killing some of their own men who offered to submit. The evacuation of Compound 66, on the other hand, proceeded in a quiet and orderly manner.

Among a number of distinguished visitors whom the camp received in this period was Canada's ex-Governor General, Field-Marshal the Earl Alexander, who was now Britain's Minister of Defence. Following a visit to the front, the Field Marshal arrived at General Boatner's head quarters on 16 June, and inspected a guard of honour provided by the two Commonwealth companies.

Towards the end of June these companies assumed security responsibilities for a new enclosure; this was divided into four sub units, each consisting of 500 to 55O prisoners. The reorganization had produced more than the desired effect: the captives were now not only docile but even friendly. Brigadier Bogert, visiting the camp early in July attended a prisoners' sports meet, after which one of the participants presented him with a wreath. Next day (the 8th) marked the end of the Commonwealth force's active duty on Koje. Two days later, to the apparently genuine regret of the prisoners, the RCR detachment left to rejoin its battalion. General Boatner was on hand at the dock to congratulate the troops on their fine performance, while the 187th Regiment's band played farewell. The relations between Canadian and other U.N. troops on Koje had been friendly throughout, and the detachment had apparently made a favourable impression on all concerned, not excluding the prisoners.

The decision to detach Canadian troops for this special duty had been made by the U.N. Command without the prior knowledge of the Canadian Government. This had aroused some political concern and some discussion in Canada.