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The British contingent to the Korean War was significant and critical to the overall success at a critical time. Following the start of the war in late June, the British were asked to send any assistance to the Korean peninsula. Their contribution was the 27th Independent Brigade, which consisted of elements of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and those of the Middlesex regiment, both of which had been in Hong Kong. This unit was rushed to Korea and landed on July 29, 1950. They were immediately put into the line as part of the southern end of the “Pusan Perimeter”. The British held the area south of Daegu.
The “jocks” held the line during the savage fighting along the perimeter, especially with their organization strained from the rapid deployment. It took almost two months until the rest of the brigade to fully organize and commit to combat.
During the later fall and winter of 1950-1951, British marines and commando units operated along the east coast of N. Korea, often sabotaging rail lines and harassing movement of CPV and KPA forces. Elements of the 41 Commando also served during the stand and retreat at the Changjin (Chosin) reservoir area. Following the evacuation of forces on December 24, 1950, the British regrouped and eventually re-entered the line.
As with the other Commonwealth units, the full test of their abilities came during the Fifth Offensive, launched by the Chinese in April 1951. The Commonwealth troops held at two critical areas along the front: the area around Kapyong in the central part of the country; and near Munsan-ni in the western sector. While most will associate the Canadians with the middle area around Kapyong, it was the hold of the British Twenty-ninth Brigade, which had Belgians, the Northumberland Fusiliers, and part of the Gloucestershire Regiment (the “Glosters”) that cemented their abilities.
The Glosters held a key position around a highway which would allow the Chinese to push towards Seoul through Uijeongbu from April 23-25. After fierce fighting in which the unit sustained severe casualties, with a total of 141 total killed, with over a thousand wounded or missing, they were forced to withdraw. (MILLET 433-434). For the British, this was a severe blow, but further loss was stopped, and the situation eventually stabilized.
For memorializing the British, there two significant monuments. Both are in the locations where they were “defined” for the Korean War. In the Munsan area, which is north of Seoul up near camp Bonifas, there is the Gloster Hill monument. This area is quiet, save for highway 371 which is next to the memorial. It has the original markers which noted the command area, plus two new monuments as well as a park. One of the most striking aspects of this memorial is the line of bronze statues, representing the Glosters as they are on patrol. The new memorial has black granite and etched photos into the stone, similar to the French memorial near Suwon. Finally, there is a quiet park area in which to hike and reflect on the battle. Getting into the park is somewhat difficult as it is not well marked, or necessarily accessible.
The second marker is near the Canadian marker in Gapyeong, also called Kapyong. This marker is for the Commonwealth soldiers involved in the fighting in the area. If one travels up, there are actually no less than five memorials in that area: the Canadian marker, a US marker, the Commonwealth marker, Australian and finally the New Zealand markers. If one travels to these locations, it is quiet, but the terrain belies the fact that this area was the scene of bitter fighting in the spring of 1951.
For the British, there was an air force component as well. While the Royal Air Force (RAF) did not fly units directly, RAF pilots did serve with the US Air Force at Gimpo and Suwon, as well as flew with the 77th Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force.
