VOLUNTARY GUIDES BACKGROUNDER "#$%&' () *++#& ,) -&./&$%&' 0((1 KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 Korea was not the largest, costliest or longest war Australia has fought , but it was among the hardest. It was a bitter war, in its ideological intensity and its extremes of terrain and weather. The war saw the loss of 339 Australian lives. It confirmed for Australia acknowledgement as a reliable ally, an opponent of aggression and a supporter of nations pledged to resist it. "#$%& '%()) "#$ %& $'( )*+, *+, -... /012 ",3456789*:6 #&;<=%&2 ",3456789*:6 > .? *&%&@A&# -..B -"./01 20. 3456758 C -&& 234 56 786& 9:;8%8/8<6 !"# %& #'( )*+, =>?
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Issue # 4 (September 2009)
BACKGROUNDER # 04
KOREAN WAR 1950-1953
Section 3
ORIGINS
Contents
Origins of War { AWM : Out in the Cold}
Australian Observers in KOREA{WARTIME Issue # 10} An Exemplary Career Cut Short- Lt Col C.H. Green (1919-1950){WARTIME Issue #12}
See also:
My Korean Adventure. Episodes from the memoirs of Snow Dicker {WARTIME # 9}
Korean War 1950-1953.AWM Encyclopedia
The Korean War 1950-1953-Pictorial Essay {WARTIME # 9}
A Military alliance at work ? Jeffery Grey AWM Journal # 9 October 1986
Words from the Front. Jim Clarke {WARTIME #19}
!""#$%&%'%()$*+$,-$.%/0012
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
ORIGINS OF WAR { Reference: AWM Out in the Cold }
Korea In 1950 What events led to the Korean War and Australian involvement in this conflict?
In 1910 Japan annexed Korea and for the next 35 years ruled its colony harshly. During this time, various
groups in Korea sought support from external powers, including China, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
After the defeat of the Japanese in the Second World War, in order to facilitate the disarming of Korea's
defeated Japanese rulers, the United States and the Soviet Union divided the peninsula into two zones of
control. The Americans controlled Korea south of the 38th parallel, the Soviets the area north of the parallel.
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
While agreeing in principle to the unification of Korea, either as an independent nation or under international
trusteeship, the two superpowers could not agree on how to bring this about. Each assisted the establishment of
a regime to its own liking in its part of the country - communist in the north, and non-communist in the south.
This artificial division of Korea became increasingly bitter. Between 1945-1950, tension between the two
governments of the North and South became more pronounced, and civil war seemed imminent.
Despite their apparent interest in the region, it is clear that both the US and USSR did not want a long-term
involvement in Korea, as postwar Europe was still their most important strategic concern. So what was to be
done to create an independent and unified Korea? The search for a solution was taken up by the United Nations
The United Nations and the outbreak of war
The United Nations (UN) was created in 1945 in an attempt to secure world peace. After the devastation of two
world wars, the major powers sought to prevent the outbreak of conflict by a system of mutual guarantees
between groups of nations. Australia was one of the founders and played a leading role on behalf of the smaller
member nations. Through its UN membership, Australia aimed to raise its profile in world affairs.
In November 1947, the UN Temporary Commission on Korea (UNTCOK) was created to supervise
government elections in both North and South Korea, with a view to developing a single national government.
The commission soon found that the communist administration in the north would not allow it to operate there.
In August 1948, conservative political factions won the elections in the South, and the US-supported Syngmann
Rhee was elected President of the Republic of Korea. A month later, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
was proclaimed in the North, under the leadership of the Soviet-backed Kim Il-Sung.
A new permanent UN Commission on Korea (UNCOK) was then established to help Korea move towards
unification, as well as to observe the activities of military forces on the peninsula. Australia was a member of
both commissions.
Australia's Minister for External Affairs, Dr H.V. "Doc" Evatt, urged the United States to maintain its forces in
South Korea, to ensure stability in the region. However, the United States wanted to reduce its overseas
commitments outside of Europe, and by the end of 1949, there were only 500 American troops left in Korea.
During 1949, the war of words between the two Koreas escalated, and infiltration and clashes along the border
increased. In March 1950, UNCOK requested additional military observers to monitor the situation.
The Peach-Rankin Report The first observers to arrive were two Australians who had both served during the Second World War: Major
Stuart Peach, who had been a Prisoner of War (POW) of the Japanese, and Squadron Leader Ronald Rankin,
who had served with the RAAF. Between 9 and 23 June 1950, Peach and Rankin undertook a patrol along the
length of the 38th parallel.
They reported that the South Korea forces along the border were "organised entirely for defence", and that there
were unusual levels of military activity in the North.
Another Australian, whose influence in the UN's role in Korea was equally important was James Plimsoll, an
Australian diplomat.
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
James Plimsoll and UNCURK
James Plimsoll had a significant influence during Australia's involvement in the Korean War.
Plimsoll was Australia's delegate to UNCURK (United Nations Committee for the Unification and
Rehabilitation of Korea), in which he played a leading role. UNCURK was formed in October 1950, in
anticipation of a swift conclusion of the war. By late November, when UNCURK had its first meeting in Seoul,
the Chinese had entered the war and it was clear their participation was going to prolong the conflict. The
commission realised that unification and rehabilitation would not be attainable.
Most UNCURK delegates recommended leaving Korea. Only Plimsoll argued to the contrary - that their high-
level civilian presence should remain. UNCURK did stay, evacuating to the southern port of Pusan, along with
the Republic of Korea (ROK) government. The commission played a valuable role over the next few years,
albeit a different one from what was originally intended. UNCURK was in constant touch with the ROK
government and UN Command; it reported to the UN in New York and also observed elections.
Plimsoll's most significant role was as a foreign adviser possessing considerable influence on President
Syngmann Rhee. He explained to Rhee the views of the UN, especially of the member nations contributing
forces to the war, and pointed out to Rhee his tendency to disregard norms of democracy and human rights.
Plimsoll returned to Canberra to take up a senior position. In February 1952, the US State Department officially
requested Australia send him back to Korea, as his participation had been greatly missed. Plimsoll returned and
was to stay there to the end of 1952, continuing to play a central role in the UN in Korea.
Plimsoll's subsequent career was distinguished: he took up a succession of senior appointments over the next 30
years. In addition to serving as Secretary of the Department of External Affairs in Canberra, he was Head of
Mission in several major diplomatic centres: not only at the UN in New York, but also representing Australia in
New Delhi, Washington, Moscow, Brussels, London and Tokyo. Sir James then served as Governor of
Tasmania, dying in office in 1987.
Outbreak of war In mid-1950, tensions along the Korean border increased to a breaking point. In the early hours of 25 June 1950,
the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. When the United Nations Security
Council met the next day to consider its response, Peach and Rankin's report was significant because it clearly
demonstrated that North Korea was the aggressor and that North Korean claims that it was responding to an
attack by South Korea were false.
The poorly equipped and inexperienced South Korean army was forced to retreat. Within a week, it had lost
about half its force.
“Ghostly figures, silhouetted against the sky, were darting furtively from tree to tree. For a long time we
watched the shadows flitting past. They were Southern soldiers in retreat.”
- Father Philip Crosbie, an Australian Catholic priest whose parish centred on Hongchon, east of Seoul, about
30 km from the 38th parallel. The North Koreans unjustly accused Crosbie of spying and took him prisioner of
war .
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
China enters the war October 1950
General Douglas MacArthur's overwhelming strength in late 1950 forced the North Koreans into full-scale
retreat across the 38th parallel. But instead of returning to the pre-war borders, the allies then set out to reunify
Korea under non-communist leadership.
This prospect greatly alarmed the Chinese. Towards the end of October 1950, as the allies approached the
border with China at the Yalu River, the Chinese launched their own massive and unforeseen counter-invasion,
sweeping the United Nations forces south beyond the 38th parallel. The tough and lightly equipped Chinese
soldiers were better adapted to fighting in the mountainous terrain of Korea than the more heavily burdened UN
troops, and their vast numbers allowed them to absorb heavy losses.
Although the Chinese travelled mostly on foot, which ought to have made movement of troops and equipment
difficult, their rapid advance forced the allies to consider abandoning Korea. However, by the time the Chinese
forces had pushed south of Seoul, their supply-lines were stretched and the situation stabilised. In the following
months, the UN forces were able to regain some of the ground lost; the front was re-established near the 38th
parallel and nicknamed "The MacArthur Line".
“Most of our weapons were old fashioned; we had no weapons such as aeroplanes, artillery, and tanks which are
indispensable in modern warfare. Instead we fought only with human wave tactics; great numbers of men have
been sacrificed. It was indescribably miserable.”
From an interview with a private from the Chinese People's Liberation Army, captured in March-April 1951.
China's involvement in Korea affected all three Australian services. The Chinese flew Soviet MiG-15 jet
fighters that significantly affected the power of the air force in Korea. When it became clear that the jets being
used by the RAAF - the Meteor Mark 8 - were inferior to MiGs, the air force was forced to undertake a ground-
attack role. Army troops were suddenly faced with huge numbers of Chinese infantry, and the RAN expanded
its operations to screen for the possibility of Soviet submarines supporting the Chinese.
The entry of China into the war raised several important issues - the expansion of the theatre of war, the
involvement of other forces, the possible use of nuclear weapons, and the fear that this war, until now contained
on the Korean peninsula, would extend into other countries.
Korea and the Cold War
The Cold War is the name given to the conflict that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union
after the Second World War. Simply put, the Cold War was a conflict of opposing ideologies - capitalism and
communism. Although there were no actual battles or physical conflicts, the fear and hostility it produced on
both sides made it a war as dangerous as any other.
The US/USSR antagonism began in postwar Europe, when the Soviet Union brought Eastern Europe under its
control and the United States exerted its influence in Western Europe. Germany had been divided into two
nations; the wall that separated its former capital Berlin, came to symbolise the mutual exclusion of the two
ideologies. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 signalled the end of the Cold War; the breakdown of the Soviet
Union soon followed, in 1991. For more details see the list of significant Cold War events.
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
The fight over Korea in the 1950s was a turning point, when the ideological conflict extended beyond Europe
and broke out in open warfare. It transformed a civil conflict into an armed confrontation between the major
powers of the world.
K Force recruiting poster: "Wanted - More men like these" Australia commits to Korea
Korea's national conflict had rapidly become one of global significance.
Troops of many nations, including Australia, joined the fight against the
North Korean invasion of the South. There were many reasons for
Australia's involvement in Korea, such as concern for the security of the
region, and a desire to strengthen its military relationship with the US
with a commitment of troops. This relationship was to prove a far-
reaching one: it not only led to the ANZUS treaty, but influenced
Australia's later commitment of troops to the war in Vietnam.
The outbreak of war found Australia already involved in fighting a
communist insurgency in Malaya. Australia was the first country
following the US to commit units of all three services to Korea: a naval
frigate on 29 June, 77 Squadron, RAAF, on 30 June, and an infantry
battalion from the Australian component of the British Commonwealth
Occupation Forces in Japan (BCOF) on 26 July.
The commitment had broad support in Australia, with different groups
seeing it as an opportunity to fight communism, cement Australia's
alliance with the United States, or give support to the United Nations
system of collective security.
Recruitment
There were insufficient men in Australia's fledgling regular army to meet Australia's commitment to Korea.
Recruitment offices once again opened and were initially flooded with volunteers for Korea.
Many men joined who had been too young to serve in the Second World War; many others were veterans of
that war. Men volunteered out of patriotism, to fight communism, or for the opportunities of travel overseas and
a bit of adventure along the way.
ANZUS
ANZUS joined the nations of Australia, New Zealand and the United States in a defence security pact for the
Pacific region. Representatives of the governments of the three nations signed the agreement in Canberra on 1
September 1951.
Australia's involvement in the Korean War arose out of concern for the security of the region; the decision was
influenced by the perceived diplomatic and security benefits to be gained by an alliance with the US. The rapid
commitment of troops by Australia - independently of Great Britain - enhanced its standing as an ally.
From Australia and New Zealand's point of view at the time, ANZUS offered a protection against a possible
future threat of Soviet or Chinese aggression. For the US, ANZUS represented a secure stake in the Pacific, as it
sought to strengthen its alliances around the world, in its efforts to contain communist powers. ANZUS did not
guarantee military support from the US, but provided for consultation in the event of an attack on any of the
ISSUE #2 ( JUNE 2003)
three countries. The treaty was also significant in that Australia joined the US in a regional security alliance that
did not include its traditional ally, Britain.
In 1986, New Zealand banned the entry of US Navy ships into their ports in the belief that they were carrying
nuclear weapons or were nuclear-powered. The US responded by suspending relations with New Zealand as a
member of ANZUS. For Australia, this alliance with the US has continued to be a foundation of its defence
policy.
AWM 044320
Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, 1952. The first meeting of
ANZUS military representatives. Seated from the left:
Lieutenant General S.F. Rowell, Admiral A.W. Radford
and Major General W.G. Gentry.
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
BACKGROUNDER # 04
KOREAN WAR 1950-1953
Section 4
KAPYONG and MARYANG SAN
Contents
Kapyong Diorama. Al Bridges. Guide Post 2009
Feeling like an ANZAC The BATTLE OF KAPYONG April 1951{WARTIME issue #9}
Presidential citation 3 RAR, 23 June 1951.AWM website October 2007
The battle for Maryang San.AWM website October 2007
See also:
Getting the Measure of KAPYONG. Nigel Steel (WARTIME #39}
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
!""#$%&%'%()$*+$,-$.%/0012
Presidential citation 3 RAR, 23 June 1951 (345%6$-"7+$%89+:-$.%/00;2%
The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, was awarded the United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation-Kapyong, Korea, 23-24 April 1951: Citation: HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH UNITED STATES ARMY (KOREA) Office of the Commanding General APO 301 GENERAL ORDER number 453 23rd June 1951 Section 1 AWARD OF DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION BATTLE HONOURS-By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9396 (Sec I, WD Bul. 22, 1943) Superceding Executive Order 9075 (SecIII, WD Bul. 16, 1942) and pursuant to authority in AR 260-15, the following units are cited as public evidence of deserved honour and distinction. 3RD BATTALION, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT 2ND BATTALION, PRINCESS PATRICIA'S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY COMPANY A, 72ND HEAVY TANK BATTALION (UNITED STATES) are cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of combat duties in action against the armed enemy near Kapyong, Korea, on the 24 and 25 April 1951. The enemy had broken through the main line of resistance and penetrated to the area north of Kapyong. The units listed above were deployed to stem the assault. The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, moved to the right flank of the sector and took up defensive positions north of the Pukham River. The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, defended in the vicinity of Hill 677 on the left flank. Company A, 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, supported all units to the full extent of its capacity and, in addition, kept the main roads open and assisted in evacuating the wounded. Troops from a retreating division passed through the sector which enabled enemy troops to infiltrate with the withdrawing forces. The enemy attacked savagely under the clangor of bugles and trumpets. The forward elements were completely surrounded going through the first day and into the second. Again and again the enemy threw waves of troops at the gallant defenders, and many times succeeded in penetrating the outer defences, but each time the courageous, indomitable, and determined soldiers repulsed the fanatical attacks. Ammunition ran low and there was no time for food. Critical supplies were dropped by air to the encircled troops, and they stood their ground in resolute defiance of the enemy. With serene and indefatigable persistence, the gallant soldiers held their defensive positions and took heavy tolls of the enemy. In some instances when the enemy penetrated the defences, the commanders directed friendly artillery fire on their own positions in repelling the thrusts. Toward the close of 25 April, the enemy break-through had been stopped. The seriousness of the break-through on the central front had been changed from defeat to victory by the gallant stand of these heroic and courageous soldiers. The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; and Company A, 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, displayed such gallantry, determination, and espirit de corps in accomplishing their missions under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set them apart and above other units participating in the campaign, and by their achievements they brought distinguished credit on themselves, their homelands, and all freedom-loving nations BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL VAN FLEET: Leven C. Allen Major General US Army Chief of Staff
Working conditions Australian medical personnel in Korea often worked in very primitive
conditions, where access to running water, electricity and medical equipment was extremely
difficult.
It was also difficult to see first-hand the effects of warfare on men. Dita McCarthy, an Australian
nurse in Kure, recalled one Australian nurse who was determined to continue her work in Korea,
even though her brother had recently been killed in action there.
There were also psychological casualties. Medical personnel were sometimes called upon to help
troops cope with the distress and trauma of what they faced.
Captain Don Beard, Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) of 3 RAR recalled:
“The diggers … wondered how long it would be before they might be replaced by the dwindling
number of replacements. I rapidly found that my role as the RMO was more important as a
counsellor than a dresser of wounds.”
Ill-health after the war was a constant reminder to some men of their time in Korea:
“The liver is never the same after a DDT bath. For all this the Digger received the basic soldier's
wage, a bottle of beer in reserve for which he paid, and a thankless return home.”
Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel ) Maurie Pears, MC
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
BACKGROUNDER # 04
KOREAN WAR 1950-1953
Section 10
AUSTRALIAN PRISONERS OF WAR
Contents
Pte Horace William Madden GC
Pte T H J Hollis Identity Discs
Chinese uniform and cap worn by Pte G.Brown who was among the 1st POW’s released during
Operation Little Switch
7 ISSUE # 2 (July 2009)
MADDEN Horace William
(Posthumous Award) Rank/Title: Private, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Date:24 April - 6 November 1951
YES AWM
(on loan)
(Korean
Gallery)
AWM ROH KOREA PANEL 1
Citation: Private Madden was captured by Chinese Communist Forces on 24 April 1951
near Milton. He was a signaller attached to Battalion headquarters at the time and
received concussion prior to being captured.
Private Madden was held prisoner by the enemy until about 6 November 1951, when he
died of malnutrition and the result of ill treatment. During this period he openly resisted all
enemy efforts to force him to collaborate, to such a degree that his name and example were
widely known through the various groups of prisoners. Testimonials have been provided by
officers and men from many units of the Commonwealth and Allied forces which showed
that the heroism he displayed was quite outstanding.
Despite repeated beatings and many forms of ill treatment inflicted because of his defiance
to his captors, Private Madden remained cheerful and optimistic. Although deprived of
food because of his behaviour, resulting in severe malnutrition, he was known to sheer his
meagre supplies, purchased from Koreans, with other prisoners who were sick.
It would have been apparent to Private Madden that to pursue this course must eventually
result in his death. This did not deter him, and for over six months, although becoming
progressively weaker, he remained undaunted in his resistance. He would in no way co-
operate with the enemy.
This gallant soldiers outstanding heroism was an inspiration to all his fellow prisoners.
(London Gazette: 30 December 1955.) MADDEN, HORACE WILLIAM ('SLIM') (1924-1951), soldier, was born on 14 February 1924 at Cronulla, Sydney, son of Australian-born parents Charles Bernard Madden, labourer, and his wife Pearl Ellen, née Clemson. Giving his occupation as fruiterer's assistant, Horace was mobilized in the Militia on 26 May 1942 and posted to the 114th Australian General Hospital, Goulburn. He transferred to the Australian Imperial Force in August 1943, and served in New Guinea with the 8th Field Ambulance and on Bougainville with the 5th Motor Ambulance Convoy Platoon. His next unit, the 253rd Supply Depot Platoon, was stationed on Morotai before being sent to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. After his discharge in Sydney on 2 June 1947, Madden was employed as a male nurse at Morisset Mental Hospital for about two years and then as a moulder. On 19 August 1950 he enlisted for service in Korea with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
Joining 3RAR as a driver in November 1950, Madden volunteered to become a linesman in the Signals Platoon which worked in below-freezing temperatures to maintain communications with forward elements of the battalion. On the evening of 23 April 1951 the Chinese attacked 3RAR's positions near Kapyong. Concussed by enemy fire, Madden was surrounded on the following day and forced to surrender. Corporal Bob Parker and
8 ISSUE # 2 (July 2009)
Private Keith Gwyther were also captured during the battle. For the next few days the three of them were forced to recover wounded Chinese soldiers and were exposed to attacks by United Nations Command aircraft.
'Slim' Madden was 6 ft 0! ins (184 cm) tall and—as his nickname indicated—of slender build. Although suffering the effects of concussion, he recovered quickly and helped Australian and other U.N. prisoners of war on their arduous march to the notorious 'Bean Camp'. He showed defiance and refused to co-operate with the Chinese. They beat him repeatedly and subjected him to other forms of maltreatment, but he remained cheerful and optimistic. His health deteriorated, and his condition was exacerbated by his willingness to share the little food he had with men in a worse state than he. Madden was among the sick and wounded prisoners moved to 'the Caves' at Kangdong. In late October the Chinese forced them to march to Pingchong-Ni, a distance of some 140 miles (225 km). Madden collapsed and had to be transported by cart. Although he survived the journey, he died of malnutrition sometime between late November and early December 1951. After the Korean War had ended, his remains were reburied in the United Nations memorial cemetery, Pusan.
Gwyther said of him: 'Slim was a real hero—and didn't know it. He became a sort of legend. He didn't try to be like that—it was just the way he was made. Nothing could make him co-operate with the enemy'. In 1955 Madden was posthumously awarded the George Cross. Parker and Gwyther had made repeated attempts to escape before their release in August 1953; both of them were mentioned in dispatches. The courage shown by these three Australian soldiers in the face of terrible hardships and threats of death was sustained by their indomitable spirit.
Select Bibliography
A. Farrar-Hockley, The Edge of the Sword (Lond, 1954); L. Wigmore (ed), They Dared
Mightily (Canb, 1963); P. J. Greville, 'The Australian Prisoners of War', in R. O'Neill, Australia in the Korean War 1950-53, vol 2 (Canb, 1985) and 'The Unfinished Story of Slim Madden, George Cross', Duty First, 2, no 2, Mar 1996. More on the resources
Author: P. J. Greville
Print Publication Details: P. J. Greville, 'Madden, Horace William (Slim) (1924 - 1951)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 15, Melbourne University Press, 2000, p. 280
Issue #4 ( September 2009)
PAIR OF IDENTITY DISCS : PRIVATE T H J
HOLLIS, 3 RAR
Identity discs worn by 2/400311 Private Thomas Henry John
Hollis, of 3RAR, while he was a prisoner of war of the North
Koreans and Chinese during the Korean War. The buttons on the
thong are from Hollis's service dress jacket. He cut them off and
kept them when he removed the uniform and sank it in the Yalu
River to deny its use by the North Koreans.
Hollis served in the Second World War with 2/11 Australian
Cavalry Commando Squadron and 66 Battalion, with the British
Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan, and with 3RAR in
Korea. He was captured in January 1951 and released on 9 August
1953.
PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION TAGS - "DOG TAGS"
The issue and wearing of non-destructive Personnel Identification Tags (PIT) by members of the
Australian Defence Force (ADF) is required by the Geneva Convention. They are important aids to
the rapid identification and treatment of casualties.
The term "dog tag" is the informal name for the PIT’s because of their resemblance to actual dog
tags. It is an American term which was never used by Australian soldiers, at least up to the Vietnam
war. They were sometimes sardonically called "dead meat tickets".
On the Western Front the “standard” became two fibreboard discs, one round and one octagonal.
The octagonal disc, sometimes coloured green, was to remain with the body of the soldier to aid in
identification should the body need to be exhumed. The circular disc, sometimes coloured red, was
used to identify the belongings of the soldier and be sent home. Folklore has it that these colourings
were to aid soldiers in remembering which tag went where: red meant blood and was to be taken,
since the soldier was dead; green meant grass and was to stay with the body.
Today PIT’s are issued to all personnel on joining the ADF. Army requires the tags to be worn at all
times by members: serving or warned for service; participating in or warned to participate in an
operation or exercise; whose duties require them to operate or travel regularly aboard Service
aircraft or vessels; and directed to do so by commanders for operational or training reasons. RAAF
instructions mirror the Army directions. Navy requires the tags to be worn by all seagoing
personnel and when ordered.
The Number 1 PIT (octagonal) is to be suspended around the neck by the longer chain of the
necklace PIT. The Number 2 PIT (circular) is to be suspended separately from the Number 1 PIT by
the shorter chain and is to hang below it.
In the event of death the Number 2 circular tag is removed from the body and the octagonal tag
should, given time, be placed inside the dead soldier’s mouth, between the teeth and lips.
PJH
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
BACKGROUNDER # 04
KOREAN WAR 1950-1953
Section 11
DEMILITARISED ZONE
Contents
Korean Demilitarised Zone .Wikipedia September 2009
Issue # 4 (September 2009)
ISSUE #3(December 2007)
Korean Demilitarized Zone From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -October 2007
Map of the Korean DMZ. The DMZ is given in red. The demarcation line runs in the middle of the
DMZ (black line).
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean
Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the
DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. It is 155 miles (248 km)
long and approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and is the most heavily armed border in
the world.[1][2]
History
Panmunjeom, the Joint Security Area in the DMZ. View from the north
ISSUE #3(December 2007)
Joint Security Area, view from the south (1)
Joint Security Area, view from the south (2)
The 38th parallel north — which cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half — was the
original boundary between the U.S.-controlled and Soviet-controlled areas of Korea at the end of World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1948, it became a de facto international
border and one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War.
Both the North and the South remained heavily dependent on their sponsor states from
1948 through to the outbreak of the Korean War. The conflict, which claimed over three
million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on
June 25, 1950, with a Soviet-sponsored DPRK invasion across the DMZ, and ended in
1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th
parallel. In the ceasefire of July 27, 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed in the
ISSUE #3(December 2007)
armistice to move their troops back 2,000 metres from the front line, creating a buffer
zone four kilometres wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center
of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed.
The armistice agreement was never followed by a peace treaty, and technically the two
Koreas are still at war.
Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the
South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side
guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in
the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the
MDL.
Joint Security Area
Inside the DMZ, near the western coast of the peninsula, is a place called Panmunjeom,
home of the Joint Security Area; it is the only place where North and South connect.
There are several buildings on both the north and the south side of the MDL, and a few
which are built right on top of the MDL. The Joint Security Area is the location where all negotiations since 1953 have been held, including statements of Korean solidarity, which
have generally amounted to little except a slight decline of tensions. The MDL goes
through the conference rooms and down the middle of the conference tables where the
North Koreans and the United Nations Command (primarily South Koreans and
Americans) meet face to face.
Though generally calm, the DMZ has been the scene of much saber-rattling between the
two Koreas over the years. Several small skirmishes have occurred within the Joint
Security Area since 1953. The Axe Murder Incident in August 1976 involved the
attempted trimming of a poplar tree which resulted in two deaths and Operation Paul Bunyan. Before this time, the soldiers of both sides were permitted to go back and forth
across the MDL inside of the JSA, a privilege since revoked as a result of this incident.
Another incident occurred later when a Soviet dignitary, who was part of an official trip to
the JSA (hosted by the North), ran across the MDL yelling that he wanted to defect. North
Korean troops opened fire and chased him across the line. South Korean troops, protecting
the defector, fired back and eventually surrounded the North Koreans. One South Korean
soldier was killed in the incident. The defector expressed joy in his successful attempt but
was saddened by the loss of life. Since this incident, the North Korean soldiers face one
another so [citation needed] defectors cannot come upon them from behind. They are
ordered to shoot anyone who attempts to defect before they reach the line.
Incursion tunnels
Starting on November 15, 1974, the South discovered four tunnels leading under the
DMZ, by use of water-filled pipes dug vertically into the ground near areas of suspected
tunneling activity. The first of the tunnels is believed to be about 45 meters below surface,
with a total length of about 3.5 kilometers, penetrating over 1,000 meters into the DMZ.
When the first tunnel was discovered, it featured electric lines and lamps, and railways
and paths for vehicles. The second was discovered on March 19, 1975, and is of similar
length and between 50 and 160 meters below ground. The third tunnel was discovered on October 17, 1978. Like the previous two, the third tunnel was discovered following a tip
off from a North Korean defector. This tunnel is about 1,600 meters long and about 150
meters below ground. A fourth tunnel was discovered on March 3, 1990. It is almost
ISSUE #3(December 2007)
identical in structure to the second and the third tunnels.
The tunnels were dug by North Korea and are likely for use by the military as an invasion
route. The tunnels are each large enough to permit the passage of an entire division in one
hour. All the tunnels run in a north-south direction and do not branch off. The planning
for the tunnels got progressively more advanced (for example, the third tunnel slopes
upward slightly as it progresses southward, so that water does not stagnate). The
orientation of the blasting lines within each one indicate that North Korea dug the tunnels.
Upon their discovery, the North claimed that they were for coal mining; however, no coal can be found in the tunnels, which are dug through granite, but some of the tunnel walls
were at some point painted black to give the appearance of coal.
Today, it is possible to visit some of the tunnels as part of guided tours from the South.
Some of the famous tunnel tours include the Third Tunnel of Aggression which was
discovered in the 1970s.
Current status Apart from Panmunjom, the Joint Security Area and two model villages, the DMZ is
devoid of humans and their machinery, other than a large number of land mines. Both
Koreas deploy the majority of their military personnel and technology within 100 miles (160 km) of the Military Demarcation Line that runs through the middle of the DMZ. This
represents over one million troops on either side, plus large numbers of tanks, long-range
artillery, and armoured personnel carriers. The DMZ is in many ways the last front of the
Cold War.
Villages Within the DMZ there are two villages: one run by the North and the other by the South.
Daeseong-dong, found on the southern side of the DMZ, is a traditional village and
strictly controlled by the South Korean government. For instance, one must have ancestral
connections to the village in order to live there. These restrictions serve to keep the
population of the village very small. In the North, Gijeong-dong, or as it is called in North Korea, "Peace Village," has only a small caretaker population. Through the armistice
agreement the North felt that it should be allowed a town within the borders of the DMZ
since the South already had one. UN troops call this Propaganda Village because only a
small group of people cleaning and turning on lights reside within the village. Although
from afar it appears to be a modern village, one can tell with binoculars that there is no
glass within the windows of the buildings. In the past, North Korean propaganda was sent
out by loudspeaker across to Daeseong-dong for as much as 20 hours per day, and
reciprocal pop music and South Korean exhortations blasted back. These broadcasts
ceased by mutual agreement in 2004. During the 1980s, the South Korean government built a 98.4 metre (328 ft) tall flagpole in
Daeseong-dong. The North Korean government responded by building a taller one — the
tallest in the world at 160 metres (525 ft) in Gijeong-dong.[3]
ISSUE #3(December 2007)
Propaganda
The tallest flagpole in the world, in Kijong-dong.
The North Korean building facing South Korea in
the Joint Security Area is sometimes said not to be a
real building but, "a façade designed to look large
and impressive, in reality only a frame a few feet (1
m) thick."[citation needed] However, accounts from
tourists having visited the northern side of the JSA have revealed that it is in fact a real building.[4]
Propaganda in the North has stated that the U.S. and
South Korea have built a massive unclimbable wall
across the entire length of the DMZ (the Korean
wall). Upon the collapse of the Berlin Wall,
propagandists in the North seized upon its value and
proclaimed this huge system of fencing and tank
barriers to be a wall equivalent to the one in Berlin,
while failing to mention their version of the wall. The series of fencing, tank traps, and
landmines extends across the peninsula along both sides of the DMZ. Signs on the Northern side describe the ceasefire like this:
“It was here on July 27, 1953 that the American imperialists got down on their
knees before the heroic Chosun people to sign the ceasefire for the war they
had provoked June 25, 1950.”
Transportation Panmunjeom (RR)/P'anmunj!m (MR) is the site of the negotiations that ended the Korean
War and is the main centre of human activity in the DMZ. The village is located on the
main highway and railway line (called the Gyeongui Line before division and today in the South and the P'y!ngbu Line in the north) connecting Seoul and P'y!ngyang. The
highway is used on rare occasions to move people between the two countries, and to bring
supplies to South Korean factories located in North Korea (much like Checkpoint Charlie
in East and West Berlin), and the railway line is currently being reconnected as part of the
general thawing in the relations between North and South. A new road and rail connection
is also being built on the Donghae Bukbu (Tonghae Pukpu) Line.
Wildlife Except in the area around the truce village of Panmunjeom and more recently on the
Donghae Bukbu Line on the east coast, humans for the most part have not entered the DMZ in the last fifty years. This isolation has created as a byproduct one of the most well-
preserved pieces of temperate land in the world. Environmentalists hope that if
reunification occurs the former DMZ will become a wildlife refuge. However, there will
be significant obstacles to maintaining the site because of the high concentration of