Lance Corporal Mike Mogridge, a Royal Fusilier recounts his childhood growing up during WWII. Later in life, he signed up for National Service, where he met Ronnie and Reggie Kray, bonding over their shared love of boxing. Mike was sent to Korea with the Fusiliers, arriving in Pusan. Following a rest period, Mike and his battalion were sent to the frontline of The Battle of the Hook. This was a bloody conflict between Chinese and UN forces. During his time there, Mike remembers the bodies piling up eight feet high and the horrific smell. Mike recalls a time when his scouting party was ambushed, and luckily, friendly mortar fire drove the Chinese back. Assumed dead, they were discovered alive by a patrol. Mike humorously remembers walking into the Sergeant’s tent and being greeted with, “Oh, I thought you were dead, fancy a cup of tea?”. On his journey home from Korea, Mike shared a troopship with a Dorset regiment officer who, mistaking him for dead, expressed his regret. Told to turn around, the officer found Mike alive, apologising for not being dead. After National Service, Mike became SSAFA branch secretary.

Michael White grew up in wartime England, facing rationing and Nazi air raids. At 18, Michael signed up for National Service and trained as a driver for the Royal Artillery. In August 1951, he travelled on the Empire Fowey for his first deployment in the Far East. After reaching Japan, he was sent to Kowloon, Hong Kong, where he learnt about the brutal fighting in Korea. Soon after, he was chosen for duty in Korea. Before leaving, he trained with mortars and became a Technical Assistant Royal Artillery (TARA). Michael recalls how he used 4.2 mortars against the enemy and his experience of napalm. Soldiers experienced very rough conditions, dealing with lice and long periods without washing. During rest and recuperation in Incheon and Hiroshima, Michael experienced Asian culture and much-needed relaxation. He fondly remembers flying over Mount Fuji and notes that many soldiers took photos beside signposts showing how far away home was. Michael has since returned to Korea, witnessing its amazing transformation. For his service, the Koreans awarded him a medal and invited him to visit a memorial in Pusan, honouring those who died.

John Juby completed an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker before he was called up as a National Serviceman at 20, serving as a corporal in the Royal Norfolk Regiment in Korea. After initial training, he was sent to Korea, celebrating his 21st birthday en route. His journey to Korea included a stop in Hong Kong, where he had a chance encounter with his uncle, a Royal Navy officer. In Korea, he was part of the pioneer platoon and looked after the Korean porters who introduced him to local food, often lacking in hygiene. During his time in Korea, John Juby had various experiences that left a lasting impact. One of the most harrowing aspects of his service was dealing with the casualties, including his school friend, Roy MacDonald, who was killed by a mortar round. He also experienced the stress of friendly fire incidents and the harsh realities of war. Despite these hardships, he maintained a sense of duty and camaraderie with his fellow soldiers.

Morris Morby had been a regular soldier for a year in 36th Army Engineer Regiment when he volunteered for Korea in 1951. He recalls a pleasant journey by sea, marked by watching the porpoises playing round HMT Orwell and hearing the choir of a Welsh battalion in full voice. Once in Korea, the 3-day journey from Busan to Seoul was hair-raising, with rough tracks instead of roads. He then joined 28th Field Engineer Regiment as part of Stores Troop, ferrying defence and bridging stores from the railhead to the front line on the Imjin River. He was ‘under fire’ twice: on one occasion it turned out to be REME armourers testing Bren guns, unaware there were troops in front of them; on another, ammunition from tanks overshot when they fired at rafts that the Chinese were floating down-river to destroy bridges. He also recalls two deception operations: on one occasion he drove dummy tanks into the forward positions; on another, he was involved in building a huge netting tunnel to camouflage a road.

Leaving school at 15, Keith Nutter worked refurbishing shoe-making machinery before joining the army at 18, serving as a wireless operator in the Royal Norfolk Regiment. After basic training at Colchester, Keith applied for the Parachute Regiment. However, after sustaining a head injury during a motorbike accident, Keith was returned to his unit. Despite losing his opportunity to join the regiment he wanted, Keith remains grateful, as his service allowed him to visit a country that he only heard of for the first time upon joining the army. Keith speaks on the leisurely voyage he and his comrades had out to Korea, his first impressions on arriving in Pusan, and the devastation witnessed as they took a train North to Britannia camp in Samichon Valley. Keith goes into some detail about his training and role as a wireless operator, the conditions of living and working in the signalling bunker, and the process of transporting and using the radio set. Keith also addresses how the role of communicator relies heavily on trusting your platoon as you were ‘deaf to the battle environment’ due to the headset and unable to open fire easily due to handling the microphone. Keith talks of the listening, capture, and recce patrols he was involved in. One such patrol involved ambushing Chinese soldiers digging a trench on an unoccupied hill in the middle of the night. During this ambush, Keith, along with three other men, were responsible for collecting the wounded and stayed until first light to try and find the two men that remained unaccounted for. For his bravery displayed here, Keith was mentioned in dispatches; however, he speaks modestly, describing how he ‘was proud of it, but I just done me job … nothing brave.’ It was on this patrol that Keith lost a very close friend, Roy McDonald, killed by a Chinese mortar. Though he didn’t shed a tear at the time, once home, the devastation of the loss of his friend hit him hard. Keith was interviewed for the Britannia magazine in which he spoke about the sympathy he had for the Chinese army as the British had ‘better weapons, better clothing, better food’. When asked how he feels all these years later about being a veteran, Keith proudly says that he ‘loved it in C Company’, he’s really glad he went, and has ‘never regretted it.’ It led him to meet lifelong friends, one of whom he revisited Korea with some years later.

Following completion of an apprenticeship, Peter signed on as a regular in the Army for three years in 1951, because it meant he could choose where he wanted to serve. After training, he served in the Royal Army Service Corps as a driver. He tells of a posting to HQ Southern Command and from there being sent to Korea. Like many others, he explains that he hadn’t heard of Korea before this. Embarking at Southampton on the Empire Fowey, he and his compatriots travelled first to Japan. He recounts the journey from Japan to Korea, travelling through Hiroshima and seeing the crater, following which he was parachuted into Seoul. He was posted to the 26th Field Ambulance Division and drove both ambulances and transport. He tells of the poor conditions of the roads and the impact of the weather on their work, including that their trucks would freeze during the winter if not looked after properly. At the end of the Korean War, Peter tells of his brief foray into athletics, running for the battalion. He was then posted to Hong Kong. He expresses frustration at the lack of attention given to the Korean war in comparison to other wars.

David comes from a military background, his father and two older brothers served during WWII. He enlisted into the Navy in 1949 for seven years. He recounts a year of arduous basic training, which carried the risk of being “back-squadded” for failing. Although tough, David valued his training and was determined to succeed. Gaining the green beret was the proudest moment of David’s life. He began active duty in Korea, defending Wonson Harbour on Yodo Island in 4-1 commandos. He manned the heavy artillery, working alongside American counterparts to defend the island from enemy incursions. This also involved raids to disable strategic infrastructure. He enjoyed the opportunities for R&R in Japan and spent time there after peace was declared. David returned to the UK, following which he spent 3-month tours of duty in many areas including the Caribbean, often in guard duty roles on-board ship. David recounts happy memories of this time. Finally, David was stationed first in Malta, in charge of weapons stores and then in a similar role in Cyprus during the struggle for independence. It was while on duty that David was suddenly told to leave as his 7 years were up.

John Cumming shares a wonderful account of his time serving with the RAF in the Korean War from January 1951 to September 1952. Born in Glasgow, John welcomed the freedom offered by conscription and completed his training as a movement officer. Upon receiving his subsequent overseas posting to Iwakuni, the Australian Air Force Base in Japan, he admits he had never heard of the place, nor even Korea! At just 20 years old, John describes his initial work in Iwakuni, which mostly involved aircraft loading and movement. Soon enough, however, John undertook a role which transpired to be the defining work of his time in the Korean War: casualty evacuation. He shares some interactions he had with the plethora of injured troops, often a range of nationalities, that he helped to evacuate from Pusan. He also gives his impression of the American, Australian, and Canadian troops, including Australian female nurses, that he worked alongside. John also dives into tales of some close calls aboard Hastings and Dakotas, as well as stories of days spent partying in Korea, and meeting William Speakman-Pitt, VC. John concludes his account by sharing some insightful comments regarding the popular memory of the Korean War as the ‘forgotten war’, and contends with the repercussions of humanity’s disposition for conflict. John’s story reflects his determination and courageousness as he partook in casualty evacuation of the Korean War: a task far beyond what was expected of him when the RAF sent him to Japan.

Tony was brought up during World War Two and was conscripted into the Army, aged 18, in July 1950. The Korean War had begun and, after training, he was dispatched there via Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. At the front the weather was cold enough to freeze weapons and several men got frostbite. He was terrified when he had to use a mine detector and relieved when the Royal Engineers took over this duty. Later his platoon was hit by mortar fire and took heavy losses. At the Battle of the Imjin River his unit, with tank support, attacked a Chinese held hill. He remembers a tank destroying a bunker at point blank range. Later he caught dysentery and spent time in a hospital. When he returned to duty the war had stabilised and, by the end of the conflict, he thought he had become a good soldier although always frightened of capture.

After surviving the Blitz as a child, Leonard later joined National Service as a young adult. Following basic training, he volunteered for deployment in Korea, eventually travelling on the Empire Fowey. Upon arriving in Pusan, he joined the 14th Field Regiment. He reflects on his role as a signaller, detailing the equipment he worked with on the frontlines. Leonard remembers a night on duty when a radio transmission came through, the sound of gunfire in the background before fading into silence. By morning, he learned that those behind the transmission had been ambushed and killed by the Chinese. The cold of winter and the rabbit-sized rats that swarmed the battlefield and dugouts remain vivid in Leonard's memory. During his deployment, the Chinese broadcasted propaganda messages, aiming to demoralise soldiers by reminding them of home. Eventually, Leonard’s time in Korea ended and he returned home. He found it hard to adjust to life back home, but eventually settled. Years later, he revisited Korea and was amazed by how much the country had transformed since the war.

When Brian Hamblett was called up for National Service, he could hardly have imagined the journey ahead. He remembers the epic voyage around the world to Korea with real fondness — a last adventure before the war began in earnest.

Serving in the Machine Gun Company, Brian worked the Vickers gun on Hill 327, where he first witnessed the devastating effects of napalm. Soon after came the Battle of the Imjin River. Despite the overwhelming Chinese assault, Brian admits he never fired a shot before being captured and marched north to Camp No.1.

In his interview, Brian describes life as a prisoner of war: the harsh conditions, the struggle to endure, and the comradeship that helped men survive nearly two years in captivity. Returning home was not simple — the adjustment to post-war Britain brought its own challenges.

Looking back, Brian reflects on the war’s cost and its necessity, offering rare insight into both combat and captivity during one of Korea’s defining battles.