This is a BROWSEALOUD enabled web site, allowing you to have the contents of the site read to you by your computer. This is particularly useful if you have poor eyesight or reading abilities. Download  here. It’s free, takes only a few minutes to set up and will make this web site more pleasurable to use.

Welcome to this web site, dedicated exclusively to the Korean War.

The Korean War was fought between June 25th 1950 to July 27th 1953. It is ironic that on June 2nd 1953, while the war was still being fought and UN soldiers still being killed, our own Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on her Coronation day. Her Majesty is still the ruling Monarch and whilst the Coronation is still remembered fondly the Korean War is all but forgotten. And yet even today soldiers who have sworn allegiance to the Queen are still being killed in theatres of war; Afghanistan and Iraq being the current hostilities. During the Korean War soldiers from the USA, Great Britain and the Republic of South Korea fought side by side with soldiers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey. South Africa provided air units, Denmark, Norway, India and Sweden provided medical assistance and Italy provided a hospital unit, although it was not a member of the UN at the time. Over 14,000 British troops were in Korea by the time the war ended.

Although an Armistice was signed ending hostilities, there still remains an uneasy truce. This is evident even today with the rising border tensions between South and North Korea and the recent testing of missiles and Nuclear testing by North Korea. During this war over 1,109 British servicemen were killed and 2,674 wounded. The US lost over 36,000 men although this figure is still disputed and many more were lost to other UN Nations.

The United Nations sent thousands of men and women from all of the armed services to the Korean peninsula to fight in what has since become known as Britain’s forgotten war. Those brave men and in some cases women fought against Communist North Korean and Chinese troops in what was one of the bloodiest wars ever fought. And yet little is known about the role played by British troops in that conflict.

Since then much has been written about the war itself and yet a search of the Internet will identify only a handful of books written by British survivors. The vast bulk being made up of American accounts naturally biased towards their actions.

My own father served in Korea as a conscript under National Service, or the ‘call up’ as it was known. He served as Private 22198118 with the Middlesex Regiment, Duke of Cambridgeshires Own in 27 Brigade. I know that he was in Hong Kong between 19th June 1950 and 24th August 1950, and again between 25th April 1951 and 6th October 1951. This means he was amongst the first wave of British troops who arrived in Korea on 29th August 1950 and yet he steadfastly refused to talk about his experiences. Even to the point that he refused to collect his campaign medals, receiving them in 1982 when I ordered them for him. This was typical of his generation. Sadly, like many National Service soldiers he passed away at a young age from cancer, probably from being regularly sprayed with the chemical DDT all those years before. All I have left are a handful of photographs showing him in uniform with friends. This is why this war has been forgotten and that is what this web site intends to redress.

I have no stories to tell of the horrors he witnessed or the battles he took part in. Just snaps of him on a troop ship or with mates at barracks. I only know from the photos that he sailed aboard the troopship Dilwara and served in Korea. As I myself move into middle age I find myself wanting to know what he did and to be able to educate my own children about this war. 

I have placed my father’s photo’s on this web site for the world to see, but more than that I would encourage any surviving veterans of that war to contribute to this history by either writing to me or e-mailing me with their stories. I have also added a guest book to allow direct entries to be made. Ultimately I want to include all of your stories and images on this web site and perhaps later produce them in book form so that this conflict no longer remains ‘forgotten’ and that my children and theirs can remember it and talk about it with knowledge.

So if you are a Korean War veteran, particularly if you are a British or Commonwealth veteran please use the War Diary button and contribute. Please use the Guest-book link for other general comments

Many thanks

Rob Buckell