Go to article index for other editions of Bob Orrick's IN RE (In the Matter of).
Army Support Units And How The Korean War Snuck Up On The World
By
Bob Orrick
The recent news that an army element of Canada's armed forces is preparing itself for possible 'dirty' fighting in a foreign land, brings to mind that when the army is mentioned - as it was in the aforementioned - an image of a soldier, a rifleman, comes to mind. What is often not mentioned in news items is that many other units of that same army support the 'soldier'. A short time ago, mention was made that the 50th anniversary of the cease-fire in Korea will be on 27 July 2003. The article mentioned that Canada's army, navy and air force had served well in that conflict. What was not mentioned was the various support units.
During the 37 months of the War in Korea, 1950-53, Canada's light infantry - 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry [PPCLI]; 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment [R22R or Van Doos]; and 1st 2nd and 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment [RCR] - were supported by a number of non-rifleman units.
Included in those units were: Lord Strathcona's Horse [Royal Canadians], 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery [RCHA]; 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, [RCHA]; 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, [RCA]; The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers [RCE]; The Royal Canadian Corps of Signals; The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps [RCASC]; The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps [RCAMC]; The Royal Canadian Dental Corps; Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps; The Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers [RCEME]; Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps; The Royal Canadian Postal Corps; The Royal Canadian Army Chaplain Corps; The Canadian Provost Corps; and Canadian Intelligence Corps.
While the rifleman, or soldier as the media prefers, often is the one who is mentioned or who has his picture taken for exposure 'back home,' none of those stalwart soldiers would be able to sustain his position or carry out his mission without the close support of the units mentioned above. Not often mentioned are those support units that, in some instances, are 'in there' before the foot soldier. The engineers, for instance, were often called upon to prepare suitable positions so that the soldier could carry out his assigned mission. None of the units mentioned previously was excess baggage; all were important to the overall effort and each led to the success of the Canadians' participation in Korea.
That the Korean War happened when it did should not have come as much of a surprise; but it did. The following is a quote from Indelible Memories, Canadian Sailors in Korea 1950-55, A retrospective look at the Korean War.
When Communist North Korea launched an unprovoked and unannounced invasion of its southern neighbour early in the morning of Monday 25 June 1950, the world was shocked. At the United Nations, representatives were asking why and how. Military leaders, particularly American, were pondering their next move. Many said North Korea's sneak attack came as a complete surprise, without the usual blustering and posturing that often leads to war. The diplomats and politicians and military men were wrong. The Communists had given ample warning that they were planning to invade South Korea. Yet, the vaunted world leaders did nothing; they sat and twiddled their thumbs; they didn't see any need to heed the numerous warnings.
To put the warnings into context, we must travel back in time to circa 1939-40. Sometime during that period, a young Korean, Kim Sung-ju [Kim later changed his name to Kim Il Sung, the name of a legendary Korean guerrilla who had earlier fought the Japanese], attended the Khabarovsk Infantry Officers School in the Soviet Far East. During the summer of 1942, the Soviets ordered the creation of a brigade, the 88th. The unit had four battalions: Russian, local people of the Far East, Chinese, and Korean. The Korean battalion was formed to train a nucleus for a future Korean People's Army. Kim Il Sung was appointed its commander with the rank of captain. It was not long before he caught the eye of his Soviet superiors.
At this state, some eight years before the start of the Korean War, Kim's idea of a unified Korea was revealed. Kim did not believe in a peaceful unification of the peninsula. His view was unification by armed means. Interestingly, later, when Stalin approved of Kim's selection as national leader, he balked at the suggestion. He changed his mind when a Soviet colonel urged him to reconsider his decision.
By 1945, the Soviet Union was in complete control of North Korea. Despite Kim's elevation to national leader, the real power remained firmly in the hands of the Soviets. Although ideological partners, Stalin kept a wary eye on China's Mao, who was attempting to gain a toehold on the Korean Peninsula. Stalin wanted it known to the Koreans what it was he and the Soviets, not the Chinese, who liberated Korea.
By 1947, with the Cold War emerging on the world stage, the Soviets and the Americans, each with a direct interest in Korea, concluded their interests in the area were irreconcilable with those of the other. By 1949, Kim had successfully manoeuvred Stalin into siding with his view of unification of the peninsula. The hostility between the Americans and the Soviets aided Kim's purpose.
When the Soviet Union pulled 120,000 men out of Korea, it left behind all its weapons. These were quickly turned over to Kim and his recently minted Korean People's Army [KPA]. Besides the Soviet's largesse, Kim and his KPA added armament seized from the defeated Japanese armies. An ingredient had been added to the soon-to-be-war pot.
In 1949 and 19050, Kim and Stalin met. During the April 1949 meeting, Kim and Stalin discussed the situation in Korea. Kim told his Soviet mentor that the South Koreans had been violating the border between the two Koreas. Stalin is reported to have responded and quizzed Kim what he meant. Stalin asked whether Kim had sufficient arms. If the North Korean needed more weapons, Stalin was more than ready to provide any shortfall Kim identified. During the meeting, Stalin suggested Kim, "Strike the southerners in the teeth. Strike them, strike them." [A note here: The South had not been violating the border, it was Kim's way of justifying his intention to invade.]
Following that meeting, Kim returned home to mull over Stalin's words. One more ingredient had been added; the pot was starting to boil.
From the quotation, it is easy to see that there were forewarnings of a battle between the North and South.
When the Korean War did erupt, the news was not met with much alarm in Canada. The House of Commons was in session and shortly after the attack, Foreign Affairs Minister Lester Pearson added no information beyond what was carried in the press. He did state, however, that the safety of Canadian nationals in South Korea would be looked after. That said, the House turned its attention to 'important' matters; it discussed the decline in the production and increase in price of cheese.
Five days later, Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent stated that Canada had no intention of declaring war on any nation; however, if Canada were to become involved in Korea "It would be as a member of the United Nations fulfilling her obligations under the Charter."
Canada did and Canada did just that, admirably.
Interestingly, it was that same Lester Pearson who, as prime minister in the mid-60s, started the country's armed forces on their way to today's 'sad sack situation.' That, as they say, is a story for another day.
Bob Orrick is a private tutor of English grammar, literature, poetry and Canadian history to off-shore youngsters. His pupils hail from such places as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Venezuela. He was previously in international marketing, was a ministerial assistant to a provincial cabinet minister, spent a few years as a reporter then editor of a community newspaper and enjoyed a career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
Advertising Information 
