Korean Winter

by Griff Hosker

  I addressed them all in the gloom of the lorry, “Have grenades ready. We don’t use our guns. The Chinese are all over the city. We just held up some of their men; others were already attacking the city. We are going to be dropped where it is safe and then make our way south.”

  Pike said, “Let me look at your head, sir. It is bleeding.”

  “It can wait.” All around us I could hear the sound of explosions. Lieutenant Morrison’s little present had made them wary. They would blast first and investigate later. They would think that every building was booby-trapped. “Well done, Lieutenant. That was a nice touch.”

  “Thank Lance Corporal Williams, sir, it was his idea.”

  When the journey was less bumpy then I knew that we were beyond the area of shelling. I began to hope that we might, perhaps, have escaped when the truck squealed to a halt as the brakes were jammed and I heard voices. They sounded Korean but, equally, could have been Chinese. I heard a rifle bolt sliding back and then voices headed towards the back of the truck. I raised my pistol. As the flap was lifted, I saw two Chinese and our driver. My gun fired twice and the two men fell. The driver caught one before he fell to the ground. I jumped down and the driver pointed to the left-hand side of the truck. Rafe Smith was at the back and I signalled for him to join me. He had a grenade in his hand. I pointed to the right.

  A Chinese voice shouted from the front of the truck and the driver answered. I stepped out with my Colt levelled. Rafe dropped to the other side. There were four men before me and I emptied the magazine at them. Then I heard Smith shout, “Grenade!” and I dropped to my knees. There were screams. Rafe appeared, “Better shift, sir!” He pointed the way we had come and there were more men running towards us.

  The driver said, “Good job! I drive. Not long now!”

  Rafe and I clambered aboard and the truck was put into gear. We seemed to be moving very slowly and the Chinese soldiers, all ten of them who were chasing us, began to fire. “Sergeant Major Thorpe roll a few grenades behind us.”

  “Sir!”

  I was counting on an eight-second fuse in each of the grenades and the fact that our driver would soon pick up speed. The grenades were rolled from the back and we all lay down with our heads covered by our hands and Bergens. Erratically fired shots ripped through the canvas roof but missed us. We picked up speed and I heard the explosions. I lifted the bullet-riddled flap and saw that the men had all been cut down.

  Fifteen minutes later we pulled up and the driver came around. “We are here!”

  I saw that we had managed to get across the bridge over the Han river. I had been worried that the North Koreans and Chinese would have beaten us to it. “Everyone out!”

  He seemed unconcerned that he would have to go back into Seoul. He had no idea who might have seen him. He was a brave man. He said, “You have cigarettes?”

  Sergeant Grant handed him two packs. “If we had more, we would give them to you. We owe you, pal.”

  His accent defied the Korean and so I said, “Gowamo!” Korean for thanks.

  He said, “Okay, mate, now go!” He pointed south, not down the road but along a trail which led up and into the trees. We could see that others had used it for the snow was heavily trampled and although the tracks would soon be covered it was still easy to mark the route. The blizzard which had begun when the attack had started showed no signs of abating. It would be a long hard slog.

  “Let’s go. We have more than thirteen miles to go and I don’t think the weather will be getting any better.” I pumped my arm and led the way. I considered telling Ashcroft to get on the radio but I doubted that anyone would be listening and, besides, it would do us little good anyway. Until we hit the lines beyond Suwon we were, effectively, behind enemy lines.

  Chapter 13

  We were all fit men and the only injuries we had were Sergeant Grant’s and mine. Both were minor and we pushed on through the blizzard. Our fitness was shown when we began to overtake refugees from Seoul. They were hardy folk in this area and we saw women and children carrying very heavy loads. When we offered to help, we were shooed on our way. One old man who spoke English told us that we had to help fight the Communists and that they would manage. We trekked through the hills and along local trails. I suspect that had we used the road we would have had to fight our way south. As it was, we just fought nature and the elements. It still took us until dawn to reach the defences south of the abandoned town of Suwon. The trail we had followed had twisted through hills and valleys but it brought us out on the road which led into what would be our new, temporary home.

  There were two Patton tanks on either side of the road and sandbagged machine-gun emplacements. On both sides of the road, there were lines of American soldiers who were dug in. The blizzard had covered their sandbagged positions but these looked like fresh troops and not the exhausted ones who had been driven south. As I expected our papers were checked but, fortunately, I was recognised by one of the men who had been on duty at the base the first day I had arrived. He shook his head, “Did you come down the road, sir?”

  I pointed to the trail, “No, Corporal, we came over a trail. There are many refugees on the trail and I think you are going to be inundated soon enough.”

  It was almost as though he had not even heard me, “I thought not. The Commies caught up with the last truck out of Seoul. There were no survivors.”

  The Korean driver had saved our lives. The cigarettes had been an incredibly cheap price to pay for our safety.

  “Where do we go now, Corporal?”

  “All the new units are being directed to one of two camps which straddle the road. I think they are putting the non-American UN troops in one.”

  “Right.”

  We tramped down the road. I took the opportunity to light my pipe. While we had been trudging through the snow, I had not allowed myself that minor pleasure. Now, behind the front line, I would enjoy a pipeful. The traffic on the road had turned the snow to slush. When night came it would freeze into jagged, sharp, icy spikes and would be a nightmare for the drivers. The lads were in a better mood. They had not forgotten the five men we had lost but they had been put to the backs of their minds. It was their way. Harris began to sing. He had a good voice and our men enjoyed singing together. Even Lieutenant Morrison joined in. I smiled at the singing but, while I was walking, I was examining the defences. There were bunkers, dug in artillery and tank traps. This would not fall as easily as in the summer. As we neared the town, I saw the tents which lined both sides of the road. An MP. said, “You are British, sir?”

  “Yes Lieutenant, Royal Marine Commandos.”

  He pointed to his right. Those tents are for U.N. personnel. Only a few are occupied and they are by a Turkish unit so take your pick, sir. We have messes but they are closer to the town.” He looked at my men, “You came from, Seoul, sir?” I nodded. “Then you will need a hot meal. When you have found your tents then I would suggest you head to the mess tent. I will send one of my guys to ask them to hold some ham and eggs for you.”

  “You are a good man, Lieutenant.”

  The first four tents were occupied and so we took the next five. The Lieutenant and I would share one, the NCO’s a second and the next three by the others. There were eight cots in each tent and pillows and bedding on the top of each cot. We dumped our Bergens on the cots we would use but kept our guns. Sergeant Major Thorpe addressed them all as we lined up outside the tents. “We are representing the British Army here so let us look and march like soldiers.”

  He organised them and when he nodded to me, I said, “Right, Sarn’t Major! Let’s go!” As we reached the road I looked back and saw the refugees. They were being closely questioned. It did not seem fair to me but I knew the MP’s had to be scrupulous. The last thing we needed was to allow infiltrators into the new defences. We marched, in step, down the road.

  We reached the mess tent. I could see that most of the men had already eaten but there were men still seated around the tre
stle tables and I recognised some of them. They were from the base. Their heads were down, staring at the half-eaten mess left on their metal plates and they showed all the signs of men who had been to the absolute limit. As we walked down the line of cooks each tray was loaded with ham, eggs, hash browns and bread. I was also offered a stack of pancakes which I declined but I took the mug of coffee gratefully. The rest of our men gave the Lieutenant and myself some space. I drank half of the coffee before I began on the food.

  I had just picked up my knife and fork when Sergeant Houlihan appeared at my side, “Sorry to bother you, sir, but I just wanted to thank you and your men. I know that without you guys less than half of us would have made it. Did you lose any men, sir?”

  I nodded, “Five; a sergeant and four men.”

  “Sorry about that. I will say a prayer for them.” I had not noticed it before but now that he had no tie his crucifix hung out of his shirt. Someone once said that there were no atheists in the trenches. Perhaps they were right.

  “The Colonel?”

  He shook his head, “Didn’t make it, sir. He was killed at the start of the last attack. He was cut in two by the machine gun on one of their tanks.”

  “I am sorry. He was a good man and I liked him.”

  “The feeling was reciprocated, sir. Anyway, I just thought I would thank you personally.”

  “And what next for you, sergeant?”

  “Office work is out of the question for a while. We have all been assigned to combat units. When I had to fire my rifle, I didn’t realise how out of practice I was. I mean, I hunt at home in North Carolina, but combat is different.” He laughed, “What am I telling you for, sir? It must be second nature to you.”

  I shook my head, “Sergeant, you would be surprised. You take care now and don’t try to be a hero.”

  “I leave that to you and your men, sir.”

  He saluted and left. A steward came along and topped up my coffee. “Don’t let that food go cold, sir.”

  Thus admonished I wolfed down the plateful of food and wiped it clean with some bread. I pushed the tray away and said, to no one in particular, HP sauce, that is what the Americans need. It makes all the difference.”

  Lieutenant Morrison had finished some time ago and he laughed, as he lit a cigarette, “Yes sir, you are right.” As I cleaned out my pipe he said, “Will we be working behind the lines or doing the same as Sergeant Houlihan?”

  “I think, Lieutenant, that for the next week or so we will just try to stop the Chinese making more gains than they already have. I for one intend to get as much sleep as I can today just in case we are woken tonight.” I had the pipe going and I emptied the mug of coffee. The steward made to come to refill it but I shook my head. I stood, “However, before I get my head down, I have five letters to write and a report to begin.”

  “I can do that for you if you like, sir.”

  I shook my head, “You will have time enough when you are the senior officer. Don’t rush back on my account.”

  Back in the tent, I took off my greatcoat. It was cold enough for me to continue wearing it but I would not be able to write that way. I had paper in the bottom of my Bergen and I took out the Birome pen my father had given me. It was hard to believe that we did not need a nib and ink any longer. When he had been given the pens in 1945, they had been both rare and expensive. Now they were more commonplace. I spent an hour writing the letters. I guessed the rest of my men were talking about the events of the last couple of days.

  I had just finished them and was about to lie down on my cot when the flap opened and a Lieutenant Colonel stood there. “Major Harsker?”

  I stood and clicked my heels together. I was not wearing a hat. “Sir.”

  “At ease and I am sorry to bother you. I am Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Coulter in command of the 95th Infantry regiment. You and your commandos are attached to my unit until further notice and I thought I should meet you and, if you don’t mind, let me show you your position in the line.”

  I grabbed my greatcoat and comforter. “Yes, sir.”

  He saw my Colt. “I see that you use an American weapon.”

  I nodded, “I had a Thompson too but I gave it to the Korean who helped us to escape from Seoul.”

  He laughed, “From what I hear that was a fair swap. I will get you another. Guns we have; men who know how to fight is another matter and a friend of mine, Major Rogers of the Rangers, told me that you have more medals and experience than any man he knows.”

  “He is too kind. I hope he is keeping safe.”

  “Last I heard he was in Indian country!” We crunched through the snow, “Those words show me that you are a warrior. We do not need your men to stand a watch at night time but, during the day, you will be in line with us.”

  I stopped, “With respect, sir, it is night time when we will be needed. So far that is when they sound their trumpets and gongs. The noise they make terrifies men. Also, we have air support during the day but not at night. We will be on the line at night. We will be sleeping at other times but ready to fight when the Chinese come.”

  He nodded, “I won’t argue with you. From what I hear you are the expert in all of this.” We had reached the front line. There was a long trench behind which were sandbagged bunkers. The long trench had snow-covered sandbags and was wide enough to use mortars. I spied four of them on each side of the long trench. There were four heavy machine guns too. He pointed to the sandbagged bunkers behind the main trench. “Those are the places we use for sleeping between watches.” His men stood to attention as we used duckboards to cross the trench. He pointed ahead. “Here we have our firing pits. Each one accommodates four men.” I saw that they had four sets of firing pits and they were staggered so that they had a continuous line of fire. “Every other trench has an automatic weapon of some type.” He pointed to the barbed wire. “That is to slow them down.”

  I shook my head, “Except that it won’t.”

  He frowned, “Won’t?”

  I sighed and, fastening my greatcoat across me, ran at the wire and, with my cap covering my hands, threw myself upon it. “Feel free to use me as a bridge, Colonel.”

  I heard him laugh and I stood up. “I guess you have done this before?”

  “Just a few times, sir. The trouble is the snow. It stops you putting mines down. The enemy can see where you have put them. Now if you attached grenades to the wire you would have warning of an attack and kill a few too.”

  He turned and led me back to the trench. I saw the soldiers there grinning at the mad Englishman. “So, this is where you will be. We want your men to occupy every other trench. I want to make your unit part of mine.”

  “Good idea.”

  “You can be with me, in the command trench.”

  “No, sir. I will be here, with my men.”

  “I can see how you won so many medals but a commanding officer needs to have the whole picture.”

  “And you are the commanding officer, not me. I lead my section. I only have twenty-four men left. I would like to be close to them.”

  “Your call. We will give you the rest of this day and night off, Major. You have had a hard few days.”

  “Don’t worry, sir, if we hear gongs and trumpets, we will be in those firing pits with the rest of the battalion!”

  By the time I reached my tent the rest of the men were back. I sighed, sleep would be denied me a little while longer. “Sergeant Major, bring the sergeants and corporals. Lieutenant, put on your coat. I will show you where we are fighting.”

  I took them back to the trenches and summarised what the Lieutenant Colonel had said. “We sleep in our tents tonight but I said we would be on the line for the next few nights. We can always sleep in our tents during the day. We all know they will attack at night.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  I want one officer or NCO with each group of three. See to the rota, Sergeant Major!”

  “Right, sir!”

  I was proud of them. None
complained and none were dismayed at the situation. They were soldiers and would just get on with it.

  When we returned to our tents, I took off my boots and just wrapped myself in my blanket. I slept. I was woken by trumpets! I sat bolt upright and then realised it was just reveille. I felt such a fool. When we had walked to the mess, the previous night, I had seen the showers. I knew that it was unlikely I would stay clean for long but a shower would make me feel more human again. The snow had stopped, albeit briefly but I saw thick black clouds to the north. More was on the way and that could only help the Chinese and the North Koreans. After a shower and a good American breakfast, I felt like a new man.

  We had spare cots and I laid out my equipment to check it over. I was halfway through when a voice from outside said, “Major Harsker?”

  I stepped outside, “Yes Corporal?”

  The American Corporal held out a Thompson machine gun and a dozen magazines. “The Colonel said you might like this sir.”

  I could not help grinning, “Tell him he is a gentleman!”

  The Corporal said, “I am not sure some of the guys would agree with you, sir, but I will tell him.”

  I had checked over the gun and repacked my Bergen when I heard firing from the north. My training kicked in and I grabbed my new gun, pistol and greatcoat. “Sergeant Major! Stand to!”

  “Sir! Come on my lovely lads! We have had a day off! Back to work eh?”

  The fact that they were all outside in less than a minute complete with weapons and greatcoats told me that they were eager. We ran to the gun pits. I had Ashcroft, Hall and Lofting with me. With a Thompson and a Bren gun, we had some serious firepower. As I passed the Colonel in the main trench I shouted, “What is happening, sir?”

  “They have overrun the men at the crossroads!”

  As I ran to our slit trench, I saw the two Pattons reversing across the snow. The sentries from the crossroads were clinging to the back. The tanks were firing their machine guns and main gun as they retreated; the commander of each tank was using his Browning .50 Calibre. Behind us, I heard the crack of the 155 mm heavy guns further south as they opened fire. Snow and flames belched into the air as the shells struck. They were using high explosive and the Communists would be taking heavy casualties.