61139 Hale, Vern L.

Having served a 5 year army apprenticeship at Tas. Comd Wrsps RAEME ending        1950, my immediate posting was to 1 Arm. Regt. LAD Puckapunyal, about the exact time the Korean War started. For the next year most of this time was spent as a gun fitter on firing ranges with arm regt. tanks and various artillery units. This was an intense period of activity with the Ex 2AIF K. Force troops being retrained to once again work with tanks and live artillery before leaving for Korea.

In December 1951 the order came to pack my kit and report to 2 Bn R.A.R. about 300 metres past of the 1 Arm Regt. H.Q. The same afternoon I was given pre-embarkation leave home to Tasmania. On arriving back at 2 Bn midday early January, it was straight to the Royal Park Transit Depot on the night train. Here in temperatures of 110° C a wait a few days past painfully slowly. Then it was on to Sydney by train to catch Qantas DC4 flight to Japan, on board were 7 officers, 14 Ors and a couple of civilian officials, not a very big load by any means. We travelled at night to Darwin, Kabuan, Hong Kong and landed at Inaruni four days later.

From Inaruni it was of the inland sea of Japan by barge to 1 RHU at Hiro, which consisted of tents on top of a Jap Aircraft Factory and Naval Base. The next six weeks were spent on Infantry Battle Training, lone marches, sleeping out on the ground, mostly in the wet and cold as it was still winter, quite a change in a few days from Melbourne’s weather. The next three weeks were spent at Haramura Battle School, an old Japanese Army Camp in the mountains between Kure and Kiroshima. The training there consisted of even longer all day marches laden down with kit, ammunition, and weapons. Lectures and training was given by instructors who had already served out their time in Korea. By the end of six weeks everyone was extremely physically fit and had been given experience using all the available weapons, patrolling, charging up mountains under fire, and living in the dirt.

On the 12^th March it was down to Kure Harbour to board the oldest vessel in the British Navy for the night crossing to Pusan. Arriving early morning some 40 Australians were transported to the opposite side of the harbour to the Railway Station where we sat the nightfall. It was then onto a very old train for an all night trip to "Uijonebu" (City of Ever Rightiousness) which had been totally destroyed as five battles had been waged through it in the the mobile war. The next part of the journey some 30 miles was by 3 ton trucks up the main MSR. A gravel road 6 inches deep in white powered dust. We finally arrived snow white from the road dust at B Echlon 3 R.A.R. who were currently in the front line at the foot of hill 355 which was occupied at the Chinese Army about the beginning of the Static War.

Our reinforcement group appeared to be more of a nuisance than anything else, no accommodation or welcome out mat. Some of the new troops suffered frost bite on the first night being late winter, and no winter clothing was available to newcomers. Personally I found a spot belonging to LtCol Wood who had departed on the same day on leave to Tokyo.

During the next week several more RAEME personnel arrived from Japan and Australia given three corporal vehicle mechanic for one position a typical SNAFU. After a weeks deliberation Col Rippen was transferred to 16 Inf Wrsps whilst I was moved to BHQ 3RAR where I stayed for the next 10 months. My primary duty was as an electrician providing twenty four lighting to the BN Comd Post deep underground. When in reserve it was 110 volt power to as much of the whole batallion as possible with an old 5 KVA generator that I had the pleasant time of maring at 16 Inf Wrsps. This consisted of ???? engine and scrap from a salvage depot, generator, wiring, and switchboard mounted into a jeep trailer.

Other duties consisted of minor vehicle repairs such as flat batteries, stalled engines, and out of fuel, major jobs were towed away quickly and repairs to cookhouse petrol stoves, and company battery chargers where possible. These ???? gave me quite a few trips to the Division’s Base Old Depot for exchange, US’ equipment for new. This included a day excursion to Inchon to pick up six rebuilt jeeps from Japan.

Another diversion was loading a trailer with empty bottles, and a few tins of cigarettes, and travel to the nearest Korean shops at Tochon to haggle with the locals for 110 volt light globes which they always seemed to be able to produce from thin air, a miracle. This town consisted only of a dozen or so dilapidated "hoochies". With no understanding of their language it was possible somehow to return with a quantity of good quality 60-100 watt globes.

One such trip proved to be my lucky day, on arriving back, to the Battalion Area it has received its worst shelling of non summertime, and my little area containing batteries, chargers, petrol and oil had been destroyed by a direct hit, fragment of shrapnel were 155 hit USA ammo fired south east from captured equipment.

My luck almost ran out shortly after with a N.I.A. 6.S.N. to scalp from a distant chinese machine gunner, best of having a thick skull. A bad headache plus a couple of stitches and not even a day off was the outcome, except for a lecture from the C.O. for not nearing my slouch hat over the dressing another nasty episode was being notared while taking a shower, one felt very vulnerable naked. All six or so in the showers all hit the deck quick smart, and no one got a scratch, b ut were all shaken up somewhat. Apparently the enemy must have mistaken the smoke from the shower unit in the clear behind B.H.P. for a tank or truck.

Tanking of food it was "C" rations when on the move or emergencies either American or British personally I preferred the American it was more exciting looking for a trace of ham in the (ham and beans) than the dry fruit cake in the British type. Our cooks turned out good hot meals when possible and a B.H.P. ?? probably had the pick of the cooks.

Leave to Japan for 5 days RR was granted, this was by courtesy of the US Air Force being flow from Sovez to Tokyo and return in Globemasters carrying 200 more troops from all nations. On arrival in Tokyo it was on to Ebisu for clean clothes and good meals.

In late November 1952 my brother George arrived posted to 77 Sqn as a Sgt Fighter Pilot, with a number of his Point Cook Flying School mates. On December 14^th the 2.I.C. 3 RAL granted L/Col Wood (owner of his own jeep) and myself a day’s leave to Kimpo to visit 77 sqn and contact my brother, who had by this time flown quite a number of the required 100 missions. On a second visit with 2 days leave to 77 sqn, the Squadron leader granted permission for Geroge (by this time old hand, his 100 missions and due to go home) to take me for a flight in the only duel seat Meotor No203 (now in RAAF Museum Point Cook Vic). The flight of about 40 minutes was great although very hard on the stomach, the view from 40000 feet was terrific, it was possible to see most of all North and South Korea, and away into the mountains of Manchuria above the Yalu River, travelling at almost 600 mph the scenery really flew past.

On xmas eve 1952 my 21 day RR leave to Tokyo began with a 30 sqn RAAF flight from Soven to Inaruni, where some 20 or us were invited to a monster RAAF xmas party even though filthy and dirty not being undressed or showered for weeks being mid winter in Korea with temperatures down to -30° . The RAAF were most hospitable putting up with dirty soldiers, when they were all so clean an immaculately dressed. From memory we were poured onto a train sometime in the night for the trip to Tokyo, this took all xmas day with an excellent turkey dinner in the buffet car and plenty of cheer.

On arrival at Ebisu Hostel once again it was strip off all clothing and proceed through a large shower bay to watch dirt and grime run off in streaks. Out the end of the showers our kit from Australia (Hendat Kure) had been transferred and was waiting for us. So it was back into dress uniforms for awhile. The twenty one days leave break flew by with a lot of good mates I had known in Korea and Australia.

Returning to 3 RAR they were just moving once again into reserve this time further back to Camp Casey so my job was redundant as this was a large compound with power supplied. Once again my luck was in, and instead of endless parades and training with the RAR a reposting to 16 Inf Wrsp Rem2 came through.

This last 3 months in Korea prove to be quite different, 16 Inf Wrsps was a British Army Unit with a few other country personnel Australian, NZ and Indians. Situated about 20 miles back from the front line and out of Artillery Range. However it proved to be a more warlike existance than the time spent with 3 BnRAR. Weapons had to be carried, loaded at all times , tin hats worn when not working, endless night piquettes and night response group duties about every 8 days which comprises of a group of ten spending the night fully dressed and ready for action. These precautions were due to the fact the Wrsps were responsible for its own security against possible enemy infiltrators or guerillas, and had to be undertaken by the staff. Not having mine fields and good infantry for protection.

We worked under canvas canopies with hot air blowers with long tubes to each mechanics hands and tools as it was now mid winter. Personally a promotion to Sgt placed me in charge of the jeep section where most of the work was changing complete engines, some 50 per week. The cylinder blocks having been cracked by the cold and insufficient anti-freeze. The section had 9 Brits and 1 Australian mechanic working 8 hr days and 6 day weeks with Sundays free real union conditions. This was carried out with the threat being able to pack up and move on 24 hour notice, practice for which was carried out periodically so as not to become to settled. The Sundays free were real bonus with visit to other units in the Division and American bases.

My time in Korea some 13 months had come, so it was down to the Transit Depot in Sovel; and took us to staff party at the British Embassy which was interrupted by a "Air Raid Warning", these proved harmless carried out by "Bed Check Charlie" a lone flyer in a single engine plane throwing motar bombs randomly by hand. The same plane that had annoyed the air forces at Kimpo on many occasions.

Leaving Sovel was a flight by 30 Sqn RAAF to Inaruni, up the sea by barge to Kule Transit Depot. A few more days waiting to be picked up at Kure Docks by the "New Austalia" which had embarked 1 RAR at Posan and called to pick 3 RAR and BCOF personnel. A 10 day cruise across to Pacific berthing at Brisbane then onto Sydney by train to Melbourne then by boat home to Tasmania.

The experience of being home in the quiet was unbelievable most people know little or nothing about the Korean War or that Australia was involved. It proved very difficult forget the past most a sort of lonely.

On returning to Korea on the 1966 Ranist Tour it at last made some sense to be thanked time and time again by the Korean vets and ordinary civilians, plus 10 Australian Ambassador who assured us his job or organising trade was made much easier due to Australia’s participation in the Rok freedom they new enjoy.

Maybe it was worth it after all.

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This page was last modified on 14 May 2000.