It could be argued that the war was the next stage of the developing Cold War, which was also part of the rebalancing of power across the globe following the collapse of Empires and the emergence of new political systems of the twentieth century. Korea had been invaded by Imperial Japan in 1910 and was then divided along the 38th Parallel in 1945 following Japan’s collapse at the end of the Second World War. What started out as two zones of administration became two separate sovereign states in 1948 - it was not a happy division with North and South each claiming to be the legitimate government of all Korea.
When the invasion occurred the United Nations immediately demanded that the North Korean army withdraw, a request that was ignored. At the time the Soviet Union was boycotting the Security Council as China was being represented by the exiled Chinese Government in Taiwan. That meant when the US authorities suggested repelling the North Korean invasion with a UN military force the Soviet Union was unable to use its veto to stop it.
17 countries including Britain supported the UN efforts to stop the North Koreans. The Unites States contributed nearly 90% of the fighting forces which came to around 1,780,000 over the course of the war. Approximately 60,000 British soldiers were deployed over the three year period, they were a mixture of regular forces and those who were doing their National Service and peak strength was approximately 15,000 at any given time. It was a brutal conflict with both sides fighting at close range and using heaving bombing tactics.
In April 1951 the British forces were attacked at the Imjin River. The British were being supported by Belgian Forces and they were able to hold off the far greater numbered North Korean forces which enabled South Korean Forces to move to a better position and stop the North from pushing further into Southern territory. However, the battle was one of the most brutal fought by the British with 527 soldiers taken as POW’s.
Following heavy losses the war fell into a war of attrition with both sides gaining little but losing forces. Negotiations to bring an end to the conflict frequently stalled.
Despite coming only five years after the Second World War the style of fighting was very different as were some of the technological developments. Korea was the first conflict to use the recently developed helicopter. The mountainous terrain of Korea meant that getting to some spots quickly was difficult. That was compounded by the weather which could be very cold in winter and extremely hot in summer. The winding mountainous roads could be difficult to negotiate especially mid battle, the helicopter therefore was essential to getting wounded soldiers to medical stations as well as assisting communications between a multi national force.
Jewish men from many of the forces that supported the South Koreans took part in the fighting, including from Britain. A number of them were National Servicemen who had no idea of what they were being deployed to do. Just as in the two World Wars these young men fought for their country regardless of what their civilian occupation may have been.
One of the countries that sent troops was Turkey and another country that sent military support including support staff was the newly created State of Israel. That meant that Turkish Muslim forces and Jewish Israeli Forces were on the same side at a time when the Arab bloc was vehemently against Israel.
The war saw heavy casualties, 1,100 British soldiers were killed and in excess of 37,000 US soldiers were killed with thousands more injured. Of course the death toll for the Koreans, North and South was the worst. Amongst the 1,100 killed was Cpl Montague ‘Ritterby’ Ritterband, a Jewish soldier in the King’s Shropshire Light Regiment. Some historians believe that the North Korea lost 11% of its population, while 227,000 South Korean troops died and over a million civilians. Estimates suggest that military and civilian deaths combined for the whole of Korea and their supporters was 2.5 -3 million.
One and a half million Koreans from the North managed to cross into the South before the border was sealed when the Armistice was finally reached. Thousands of families were split up and many people were left destitute and starving. The Korean War was one of the most bloody conflicts of the twentieth century that left most major Korean cities destroyed and the infrastructure of the country in ruins.
Soviet support dwindled for North Korea following the conflict with Communist China asserting power across that region instead. In the decades following the war North Korea withdrew into itself cutting itself off from the international community. The political leadership of both sides were completely polarised and even today North Korea remains a nation on the outside of mainstream politics.
Despite continued tensions between North and South Korea, as well as North Korea and most of the international community the 1950-53 war has often been glossed over in the histories of the post-war twentieth century. Veterans of the conflict have often voiced concerns that they have been forgotten. While the war itself held few victories those that served fought and had their lives changed by that conflict must to be remembered, with their sacrifices acknowledged.
Finally, it is one those interesting facts that although we date the war as 1950 to 1953 the reality is that the armistice of 1953 was only a ceasefire. The two sides could never come to a final peace treaty, instead establishing a demilitarised zone between the two nations to hold the peace rather than an actual agreement. That mean that the war was not officially over until there was a meeting in December 2021 when the two Korean sides agreed to a peace ‘in principle’.
At the AJEX Annual Parade and Ceremony on 19th November this year we will be honouring all those who fought in the Korean War. Please save the date and join us then. In the meantime, do take part in our medals campaign, reuniting our community with the medals awarded over past decades. www.ajex.org.uk/medals
If you or anyone you know fought in the Korean War please be in touch with us at headoffice@ajex.org.uk
