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] The Second General Rotation

The beginning of the Katcom programme coincided roughly with the Division's return to the front and with the second large rotation of Canadian units. Towards the end of March the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment, No. 23 Transport Company and the 23rd Field Squadron handed over to the 3rd RCR, No. 56 Transport Company and the 59th Independent Field Squadron. The next major unit to be withdrawn was No. 191 Infantry Workshop RCEME, which had retained that title through the previous rotation; its relief was No. 23 Infantry Workshop. The 1st Royal 22e R?giment gave place to its third battalion on 21 April. Also on that date, Brigadier Bogert turned over his command to Brigadier J. V. Allard. The 81st Field Regiment RCA replaced the 1st Regiment RCHA on 22 April, and nine days later No. 38 Field Ambulance took over from No. 37. The last component to be affected was again the armour, "A" Squadron of the Strathconas taking over from "B" Squadron on 24 May. As in the first rotation, most other Canadian units in the Far East had changed their personnel without losing their collective identities.

With the exception of the Black Watch, whose place was taken by the 1st Royal Scots early in July, the composition of the Commonwealth Division (less services) from the end of May to the armistice stood as follows:

• 1st Royal Tank Regiment
• "A" Squadron Lord Strathcona's Horse
• 16th Field Regiment RNZA
• 20th Field Regiment RA
• 81st Field Regiment RCA
• 61st Light Regiment RA
• 74th Medium Battery RA
• 28th Field Engineer Regiment
• (l2th Field Squadron RE, 55th Field Squadron RE, 59th Independent Field Squadron RCE)
• 64th Field Park Squadron RE.
• 25th Brigade: 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment, 3rd Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 3rd Royal 22e R?giment.
• 28th Brigade: 1st Royal Fusiliers, 1st Durham Light Infantry, 2nd Royal Australian Regiment, 3rd Royal Australian Regiment.
• 29th Brigade: 1st King's Regiment, 1st Duke of Wellington's Regiment, 1st Black Watch.

Between 6 and 8 April the Commonwealth Division had relieved the 2nd U.S. Infantry Division on Hill 355 and across the Sami-chon to the Hook. General West again employed all three brigades forward: the 28th Commonwealth on the right, the 29th British on the left and the 25th Canadian Brigade in the centre. Within the Canadian sector the 1st Royal 22e and subsequently the 3rd RCR were on the right, on ground which the 2nd RCR had captured in Operation "Commando" in October 1951; on the left, now holding the 2nd PPCLI's "Commando" objectives, were the 3rd Patricias.

It is convenient at this point to review the contributions of various countries to the United Nations force. They were as follows: United States, the bulk of the U.N. naval and air forces, and in April 1953 approximately half of the Eighth Army (seven divisions and many other troops); Britain, one aircraft carrier, two cruisers, eight destroyers, and certain other naval, marine and air elements, plus about half the Commonwealth Division; Turkey, a brigade group; Australia, one aircraft carrier, two destroyers, one frigate, a fighter squadron, an air transport squadron, and two infantry battalions; The Philippines, a battalion combat team; Thailand, an infantry battalion, two corvettes and an air transport squadron; France, an infantry battalion and a patrol gunboat; Greece, an infantry battalion and an air transport squadron; New Zealand, two frigates and one regiment of field artillery; The Netherlands, a destroyer and an infantry battalion; Colombia, an infantry battalion and a frigate; South Africa, a fighter squadron; Belgium and Ethiopia, each an infantry battalion; and Luxembourg, one company (in the Belgian battalion). Canada, as we have seen, was represented by three destroyers, a brigade group and an air transport squadron. South Korea, with a quarter of a million men now in the field, had become the greatest single contributor to the ground forces; and ROK sailors, marines and airmen also were serving the United Nations. Denmark, India, Italy (though not then a member of the U.N.), Norway and Sweden had provided medical units. (An account of the Norwegian Mobile Army Surgical Hospital's work in Korea mentions that it treated 1241 Canadians during its time there.) Japan, too, aided the cause in serving as a base.