John was drafted into the Army and, upon becoming a commissioned officer in the Royal Welsh Regiment, chose Jamaica as his dream destination. Fate chose Folkstone’s barracks for John instead.

He explains how his strong relationship with his platoon commander, rugby and the British weather – but not its terrain – prepared them for Korea. John then fondly recounts travelling and being posted to Hong Kong in 1951, aged 19, and explains how “Tuffy” the goat mascot deeply affected Welsh servicemen’s morale!

Most men had never left Wales, so they brought Welsh hymns with them as they landed in Pusan. John recalls acclimatising to a country and people devastated by war.

Posted on the “Hook” ridge frontline, John gives a colourful depiction of the British defensive positions and cooking with petrol. He recalls his first (very) close enemy contact and the Chinese army’s professionalism.

John fought fiercely on Hill 169. He explains what night-time fighting was like and how his company fought their way out of a Chinese encirclement. John poignantly reflects on how the love for his men often trumped his fear of death.

John shares a heart-racing encounter with a numerically superior enemy and how British artillery helped them escape into no man’s land. John explains how the unreliable Sten gun hindered their retreat and how an act of god saved his men. On another dreaded daylight patrol, John shares a heart-breaking memory of how a well-placed mortar killed two of his men.

There were always two other enemies, the cold weather and hills, and John explains how they were fought.

John’s platoon was then posted to Hill 355. John recalls a night-time raid behind enemy lines and how his men kept their discipline under unimaginable terror, and how he won the Military cross. He also speaks of keeping his humanity during war.

Korea gave John clarity on life’s important things and a steadfast resilience to its challenges. He also got nightmares and a lifelong grief for his fallen men. John is testament to the British soldier’s camaraderie, honesty and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges.