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KEITH-WATSON

A veteran interview with

Keith Watson

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About Keith Watson

Keith Watson was a carpentry apprentice before he was called up into the Royal Norfolk Regiment for his National Service. His first posting was on the Yugoslav/ Italian border in 1952. When he returned home, he served as batman to the Regimental Sergeant Major, a role that kept him out of trouble until he arrived in Korea.

On arrival, Keith was moved to B company and sent to the frontline. He gives a first-hand account of life on the hills in Korea, which mostly involved: digging trenches, keeping warm, and trying to avoid the mosquitoes.

Keith details the configuration of barbed wire fences and mines in No Man’s Land and how, as a patrolman you had to be very aware of how to navigate these defences. He recalls being sent to a small hill in No Man’s Land nicknamed “the island” to survey the enemy – the hill was very exposed, and Keith counts himself lucky not to have been attacked.

Keith served the maximum of 12 months in Korea and was pleased to be sent home. His interview culminates with a moving poem dedicated to soldiers who served in Korea.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Ed Thorns

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Home | Veterans | Keith Watson

A veteran interview with

Keith Watson

KEITH-WATSON

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Watson, Keith. A Veteran Interview with Keith Watson. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/keith-watson/. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Watson, K. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Keith Watson [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 25, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/keith-watson/
Chicago Style:
Watson, Keith. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Keith Watson. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed May 25, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/keith-watson/
Harvard Style:
Watson, K. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Keith Watson. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/keith-watson/ (Accessed: 25 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Watson, K. A Veteran Interview with Keith Watson [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2025 May 25]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/keith-watson/
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