Robert W. Mackay

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The Korean War, looking back

February 23, 2021 by Robert Mackay Leave a Comment

Here’s how it all started:

Seventy-one years ago Kim Il Sung led North Korea. Kim had spent World War II outside his country in the Soviet army. Following the war, and with the sponsorship of his Russian masters, he returned to Korea with the rank of major in the Red Army, eventually taking charge of North Korea, that is, all of the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th parallel.
In South Korea the government was led by Syngman Rhee, a man who, in a parallel story to Kim’s, had lived much of his life in the United States. He was autocratic and had been uncooperative with UN efforts to promote democratic reforms.
The Korea-wide free elections that the World War II allies hoped would lead to unification were never held, with the result that the two Koreas – North and South – Russian-influenced and US-leaning – followed ever-more divergent paths.
In the spring of 1950 the North had a population of nine million, contrasted to the South’s 21 million. North Korea, however, had a clear preponderance of military forces. Their army outnumbered that of the South and included thousands of veterans of the Red Army and the Red Chinese Army. In addition they featured modern tanks, aircraft, and weapons provided by the Soviets.
Guerrilla warfare raged in the south, with irregular communist fighters taking on the beleaguered Republic of Korea troops. The US’s 500-man KMAG—Korean Military Assistance Group—were probably more concerned about the upcoming baseball season back home than they were with keeping an eye on the north.
The stage was set for a surprise. Kim mustered his troops for a bid to amalgamate North and South by force.

Filed Under: Canada in the Korean War

Seventy Years Ago on the Korean Peninsula

February 14, 2021 by Robert Mackay 2 Comments

Seventy years ago this week, Canada’s Special Force entered the fray in Korea. At that time the only Canadian troops on the ground were the members of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

When 2PPCLI had landed in Korea in December 1950, the American commander of UN forces on the ground was Lieutenant-General Walton Walker. One of his staff officers met with the Patricia’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel James R. Stone and ordered him to move his troops to the front. Big Jim, as his men referred to him, refused and insisted on meeting with General Walker himself. Fortunately Stone had with him a document giving him the authority to decide when his troops were ready to be committed to battle.

LCol Stone, flanked by Majors Henderson and Grant at Miryang. Photo courtesy US Army

A compromise was reached. Stone settled for another six weeks of training, as a result of which the battalion proceeded from Pusan, the port where they had landed, to Miryang, a village fifty miles north.  Once settled into their tented camp the Canadians continued training and renewed their fitness levels by climbing up and down the surrounding hills, at times in pursuit of Communist guerrillas. Training at Miryang also featured familiarization with American small arms, including machine guns and mortars, with which the Canadians would be supplied.

In a quirk of fate, General Walker was killed in a motor vehicle accident only days after his meeting with LCol Stone, so he never saw the Canadians enter the fray.

On February 15th, 1951, Stone declared his troops ready. They clambered aboard American 6X6 trucks and headed north to join the 27th Commonwealth Brigade. There they’d take their place in the battle zone in pursuit of the (for now) withdrawing Chinese.

 

 

Filed Under: Canada in the Korean War Tagged With: 2PPCLI, Canadian Army, Korea, Korean War, PPCLI, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Special Force

The Korean War, looking back

February 23, 2021 By Robert Mackay Leave a Comment

Seventy Years Ago on the Korean Peninsula

February 14, 2021 By Robert Mackay 2 Comments

The Battle of Moreuil Wood, 101 Years Later

March 24, 2019 By Robert Mackay Leave a Comment

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Forces With History" is published via email 1-2 times a month. It deals with issues of interest regarding Canadian armed forces, modern and historical. Please give it a try if so inclined--comments and feedback are always welcome!

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Contact Info

From saddles and spurs to periscopes and North-Seekers, Robert W. Mackay is an avid military, naval and wartime historian.

He is currently working on a mystery.

T: 604-541-9098
E: info@robertwmackay.ca

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