Dixon, Robert The Glosters in the Korean War

From Mobilisation to the Battle of The Imjin River and Beyond

On June 25, 1950, the simmering Cold War escalated abruptly when North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union, crossed the 38th parallel and attacked South Korea. The United Nations responded immediately, calling on its member states to support South Korea. Great Britain also sent troops. One of the British units drawn into the three-year-long, bitter conflict was the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. "The Glosters in the Korean War" chronicles the events surrounding the battalion, from its mobilization for deployment in Colchester in 1950, through its training and arrival in Korea, to the return of the last prisoners of war at the end of 1953. In February 1951, as part of the 29th British Independent Infantry Brigade, the Glosters saw heavy fighting and spearheaded the attack to recapture Hill 327 from Chinese forces. Their successful attack was part of a larger UN operation to reclaim lost territory. Yet, just a few weeks later, in April 1951, that same hill would become the scene of their most famous and desperate resistance during the massive Chinese Spring Offensive. On April 22, three divisions of the Chinese 63rd Armyover 27,000 soldierslaunched a major offensive across the Imjin River. Faced with this overwhelming force, the Glosters, numbering just over 700 men, held an eight-kilometer defensive line. For three days, they endured relentless attacks, heavy artillery fire, and brutal hand-to-hand combat. When the order to retreat finally came, the battalion was virtually cut off and on the verge of encirclement. Their resistance, however, bought UN forces crucial time to reorganize and helped stabilize the front north of Seoul. The price of victory at Imjin was devastating. Of the 620 Glosters who went into battle, only a few escaped. Many were killed or wounded, and more than 500 were taken prisoner. For their extraordinary courage, the battalionsoon hailed as "The Glorious Glosters"received the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation, an honor rarely bestowed upon non-American units. General James Van Fleet later described their actions as "the most outstanding example of gallantry by a unit in modern warfare."