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A veteran interview with

Dennis Grogan

Dennis Grogan talks in detail about his time in Korea serving with 1903 Air Observation Corps. These flights, were equipped with Austers, and operated from an airstrip which was constructed for them by Canadian Army Engineers prior to their arrival in Korea. It’s a great account about a little known chapter of the Korean War.

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About Dennis Grogan

Dennis loved planes as a child, having lived near the American airbase in Northern Ireland. He joined up as an RAF Halton apprentice at aged 16 and describes an extensive and wide-ranging education, working on Spitfires, Hurricanes and even a Mosquito. On completion of his apprenticeship, Dennis was posted to South Wales for 1 year of improver training, during which he worked on Mark 3A and 4 Meteors and then transferred to Pembroke Dock, where he worked on the Sunderland Flying boats. It was from here, that in 1952 he was posted to Korea at short notice. He was based near the Imjin River with the British Army and tasked with working on the Auster aircraft. He describes in detail the work he had to do to keep them flying and the many experiences he had during his time there. The winters were very difficult and he tells of the ingenuity of the British troops in overcoming some of the hardships. He was also posted to the aircraft carrier HMS Glory for one tour, he was clearly fascinated by the operations on board ship. He returned home to his wife and a 23-month-old daughter whom he had never met.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Jenny La Fontaine Papadopoulos
Transcribed by:
Katie Clark

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

If you would like a version of the transcript that has been transcribed manually by Katie Clark, please complete this form or email info@legasee.org.uk.

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Home | Veterans | Dennis Grogan

A veteran interview with

Dennis Grogan

Dennis-Grogan_Web-e1588701381362

Dennis Grogan talks in detail about his time in Korea serving with 1903 Air Observation Corps. These flights, were equipped with Austers, and operated from an airstrip which was constructed for them by Canadian Army Engineers prior to their arrival in Korea. It’s a great account about a little known chapter of the Korean War.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Grogan, Dennis. A Veteran Interview with Dennis Grogan. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 9 Nov. 2017 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/dennis-grogan/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.
APA Style:
Grogan, D. (2017, November 9). A Veteran Interview with Dennis Grogan [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved August 17, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/dennis-grogan/
Chicago Style:
Grogan, Dennis. 2017. A Veteran Interview with Dennis Grogan. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, November 9. Accessed August 17, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/dennis-grogan/
Harvard Style:
Grogan, D. (2017). A Veteran Interview with Dennis Grogan. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 9 November. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/dennis-grogan/ (Accessed: 17 August 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Grogan, D. A Veteran Interview with Dennis Grogan [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2017 Nov 9 [cited 2026 Aug 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/dennis-grogan/
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