Peter was conscripted when he turned 21 in 1951. He was sent to the Army Service Corp where he learnt how to drive various vehicles and also became responsible for the new national service recruits. He was unaware that war had broken out in Korea until he returned from leave to see his name on the board for dispatch there. Peter recalls the 4 week journey to Pusan and the devastated landscape where the trees had all be burnt down and the land scorched. One day he spots a notice looking for a medical orderly and gets the job. One of the big bonuses was a tent to himself and no longer sharing with eleven other men. He describes his day to day duties and having his eyes opened to the spread of VD. He then applies for a job looking after the canteen supplies. He didn’t have to go on any patrols but would go out to help retrieve dead bodies. Peter also describes the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) tents where he was impressed by the work being done. Peter reflects that his time serving may not have been the most exciting but it was important, valuable work that needed done.

Jim Selway grew up in Mill Hill, London. Though his father had served in the First World War, his own military path was sparked by an uncle’s advice to pursue tanks. After Sandhurst, which he found something of a disappointment, he was commissioned to Germany where he first encountered the formidable Centurion Mk3. By 1952, his regiment was ordered to relieve the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in Korea.

In his interview, Jim recalls the static nature of the conflict when he arrived: tanks holding no-man’s-land and protecting the vital position of the Hook. As a commander, he was known for being aggressive in action — “you just lived and breathed, about to be attacked.” He describes both the safety the tanks offered and the risks of leaving their armour.

Jim’s reflections span the camaraderie of Commonwealth troops, close ties with Australian comrades, light-hearted moments on R&R in Tokyo, and even the cast iron bell he brought home — still rung daily at Bovington. For Jim, Korea was the making of him as an officer, and he remains determined that it should never be remembered as the “Forgotten War.”

George Hodkinson left school with little education but secured work as an apprentice boilermaker before National Service caught up with him. To his father’s fury, he persuaded his grandmother to sign his papers and soon found himself in uniform with the East Surrey Regiment, before transferring to the Royal Fusiliers. After training at Brentwood, he sailed east to a conflict few knew much about — the Korean War.

As a radio operator on the 38th Parallel, George served alongside Officer Hoare, sharing both the routine of trench life and the sudden dangers of combat. During Operation Pimlico in November 1952, those dangers became starkly real. When Hoare was killed, George was forced to take charge, recalling the desperate fighting in vivid detail before being knocked unconscious and captured.

What followed was a gruelling 300-mile trek to Camp 2A in North Korea, where he endured captivity until his release in the Little Switch of 1953. His interview recalls not only hardship but also kindness, resilience, and the unforgettable moment of returning home to embrace his mother.

George Hodkinson passed away on 11 January 2024.

When his National Service call-up papers arrived, Brian Parritt was more than ready. Inspired by watching his father serve on Ack Ack guns during the Second World War, he seized the chance to join the Royal Artillery. By Christmas 1952, he was in Korea, posted to the Hook — one of the war’s most dangerous positions.

In his interview, Brian shares vivid memories of life on the gun lines: the camaraderie of Baker Troop, the routines of firing missions, and the sudden moments of danger that claimed friends and comrades. He recalls the brutal third Battle of the Hook, daring raids into no-man’s-land, and the uneasy quiet of the ceasefire that followed.

Returning home, Brian chose to stay in the Army. His service took him from Korea to Cyprus and beyond, eventually rising to Brigadier in the Intelligence Corps and receiving both an MBE and CBE. His reflections reveal not only the experience of a young officer in combat, but also the lifelong impact of service and leadership.

Stuart Holmes joined the RAF as soon as he was 17 ½ years old in 1949 and was soon sent to Southern Rhodesia for pilot training, travelling there in some style aboard RMV Stirling Castle. After 18 months he returned to the UK as a sergeant pilot and converted to Sunderland flying boats. In 1951 he was posted to Singapore, which was a permanent RAF base from which detachments of three or four Sunderlands were forward-based in Japan to support operations in Korea. He completed two detachments over Korea and was commissioned during his time there. He describes in some detail the operations he flew: patrolled the coast to spot any Chinese or Russian ships interfering; prevent the Chinese from inserting agents by sea; bombing designated patches of jungle before ethe army moved in; gathering accurate weather information for allied forces as the Chinese had stopped weather reporting. He highlights the challenges and excitement of learning to fly Sunderlands, including weapon training and adapting to different flying conditions.

Stories of the Korean war by the men who experienced it.

George Higgins delivers a captivating tale of his travels as a soldier during the 1940s and 1950s. Growing up in London, George first joined the military at the age of twelve (lying that he was fourteen) where he became a runner for the Home Guard. He was forced to keep it a secret from his father who was, at first, adamantly against the idea of a military career after he received a low pension from serving in WWI. When he finally turned eighteen, George enlisted with the Royal Engineers before transferring to the Royal Artillery. In 1948, he was awoken early one morning by an officer, announcing that was being sent to Hong Kong. He remembers a tumultuous voyage to the east. At one point, he was taken ill after developing kidney problems, something which became a reoccurring liability during his service. Arriving in Hong Kong, he recalls defending the border against the Chinese who were trying to cross the Sham Chum River. However, he saw little action. Soon war in Korea erupted and he decided to volunteer for the Middlesex Regiment. Landing during the winter, George was faced with unpleasant conditions. Much of his experience consisted of hiding in trenches where there was less combat and more sleeping. Food became a constant struggle and the British lacked the equipment to keep clean and sustain warmth. Despite these issues, he was saddened after he was eventually invalided from Korea when his kidney problems returned. A few years later, he joined the regiment in Cyprus during the Cyprus Emergency. The Greek General Georgios Grivus had begun a war of independence against the British and the troops were tasked with reducing the riots. He remembers the confusion of a terrorist war, fought at close quarters, and finding it hard to distinguish who was a terrorist and who wasn't. This confusion led to one incident where an innocent elderly lady on a donkey was shot in a case of mistaken identity. Tragically, the conflict’s toll also affected his personal life; George's wife was with him in Cyprus, but amid the constant strain, she suffered a miscarriage, which led to her decision to return to England. She asked him to accompany her, and though it meant leaving the military, he agreed. Sadly, they later separated. Despite these hardships, he remembers his military years fondly, always finding humour even in challenging times. George's interview captures the harsh realities and strengths of being a soldier; forced to accept one's mortality and the consequences of their actions while managing to retain courage and optimism.

Frank Bewley, born in London in 1931, joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1948 and was initially posted to RNAS Culdrose, where he recalls early trials of jets landing without undercarriage. He volunteered for Korea and joined 821 Squadron, which trained at RAF Makrihanish before heading to Korea in 1952. He served on HMS Glory, which flew old World War II Firefly 5s for ground support. He was responsible for maintaining his assigned aircraft and had a close relationship with his pilot, Lieutenant Barrett. Initially unfamiliar with Korea, he learned about its history through old World War II books. He found HMS Glory more friendly than other ships, but prone to rolling. He describes the challenges of working on the flight deck, where a lot of maintenance and arming work was completed, in inclement weather and the camaraderie among the crew. They still operated on messdecks containing up to 14 men, sleeping in hammocks and collecting food form the galley, rather than having a central canteen.

At 18 years old Bill Hurst joined the 1st King's Liverpool Regiment as a national serviceman, and describes how his initial training as a driver ultimately led him to fighting in Korea, a country he had never heard of. Bill recalls the terror of the shelling, and the shared realisation amongst the soldiers that they might not be returning home. In one particularly moving moment, he remembers the fear of being sent over the top and the shrapnel he took in his knee as a result of enemy fire. He also reflects on the huge loss of young men during this war, and how it has been largely forgotten as a war. However, Bill maintains the importance of remembering the funnier moments and shares fond memories of the friends he made, and the end of the war where they all knew they would be going home. Remembering the Battle of the Hook, Bill makes clear that he tried to keep his head down and survive the never-ending barrage of shells. His interview provides an authentic account of the Korean war and the reality of life in the trenches.

In 1951, Norfolk-born John Lincoln volunteered for National Service. He was trained in Norfolk and Hong Kong before being shipped to Korea. John was recruited to the Royal Fusiliers after spending two weeks with the Black Watch. In the Fusiliers, he served as a stretcher bearer and jeep driver. John recalls life on the hills of Korea; he experienced frostbite, regular shelling’s, and – as a stretcher bearer – treacherous journeys into no man’s land to recover wounded soldiers. He recounts being hit by shrapnel whilst on duty and details how this still affects him today. John talks about the battle of the Hook and how he was stationed in a nearby wireless post. He speaks of the horror of hearing the battle, and the awful scenes the following morning. John goes on to briefly recall life on Hill 355 (Kowang San), specifically his use of the “Flying Fox” a Royal Engineer-made cable car which could transport soldiers up and down Gibraltar Hill – making his life much easier! Today, he laments the idea of a “forgotten war” as any soldiers lucky enough to survive still bear the physical and psychological scars from Korea.