Jim Grundy tells of his memories from his service during the Korean War. From humble beginnings in Eccles, Lancashire to the perils of Korea, between Busan and Daegu. Born into a poor family, the early years of Jim’s life were difficult and he was glad to join the army as part of the Army Catering Corps. He adjusted to army life well, after the struggles of initial training, which he recalls and in 1949 was sent to Aldershot – his first time leaving Lancashire, before being stationed at Rhyl. It was here that the army discovered that he had trained previously as an undertaker; he was assigned a very special job and dispatched to Korea, to work as a body hunter. Jim describes his first impressions of arriving in a new country and the amicable relationship between British troops and Koreans. He talks with pride about the work done by the small group of five unarmed men, of which he was a part; who worked closely together, helped each other and established a close bond.  The work was emotionally testing, the conditions horrendous. Particular emphasis is given to the appreciation these men received, despite not being on the front line. An arm injury from an incendiary shot, put an end to Jim’s time in the Korean war and allowed him to return home. Jim’s story is one of fortitude and friendship in a heartbreaking job.

Harry Hopkins had to pretend to be 16 to join the 1^st London Rifle Brigade in 1943. His age never proved to be an issue as by June 1944, he was a Lance Corporal and preparing for the Normandy invasion. Harry provides an enthralling firsthand account of being one of the first platoons to land at Arromanches in the D-Day invasion. Shortly after landing his squad was ambushed in a cornfield near Bayeux, where he lost two officers and was himself badly wounded and subsequently evacuated to the UK. After recovering Harry rejoined his battalion in Villers-Bocage where he had to be rescued by the French resistance after being pinned in a ditch by a German tank. The French underground returned him to the Allied front lines, and from here, Harry faced German paratroopers, flamethrowers, and more tanks as he campaigned through Belgium and Holland to St. Just where he suffered another serious injury and was again evacuated. Harry returned to Europe with the Army of Occupation which was deployed in Hamburg at the end of the war. He found it hard to adjust to the slower pace of life in the occupational army, and further struggled to re-enter life on the streets, but with the help of his new wife he slowly re-acclimated to society.

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.”