When the Canadians sailed from Seattle on November 25, 1950 the war in Korea seemed to be near its end. When they reached Yokohama on December 14 the picture had completely changed. Communist China had intervened.
By the end of October 1950 six Chinese armies had already crossed the Yalu River and, with an approximate strength of 180,000, were concentrated in front of the advancing United Nations forces. Conducted at night with great secrecy, these large scale Chinese movements had gone undetected by UN forward troops and air reconnaissance units. Unsupported reports by prisoners of massive build-up were not believed. On October 27, at a time when thousands of organized Chinese troops were pouring across the Yalu, General Headquarters, United Nations and Far East Command showed them still poised for action in Manchuria.
As the Chinese build-up developed, the United Nations forces continued their advance northward reaching the main enemy positions between Pyong-yang and the Yalu River on November 26. Then, the Chinese launched a massive attack which turned the UN advance into a retreat to new positions along the Imjin River north of Seoul.
It was in this atmosphere of unexpected disaster that the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry arrived in Korea in December 1950. The occupation role which they had expected to fill no longer existed. Instead the emphasis had shifted to the speed with which the battalion could be thrown into action. The Patricias began an intensive training period at Miryang near Taegu as grim news continued to arrive from the north.
The New Year opened with another crushing offensive by the Chinese which forced a further general withdrawal. Seoul again fell to the Communists on January 4, 1951. A new line was established some 64 kilometres south of the former capital.
While these events were taking place the Canadian battalion underwent the further training in weapons and tactics required before they could be committed to battle, and carried out limited operational tasks, such as anti-guerrilla patrols.
The cemetery in Pusan, on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, is the only cemetery in the world where those who fought under the United Nations flag in wartime, lie buried. The Canadian veterans and youths held a major ceremony at this cemetery at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 13th, (8:00 p.m. Monday, EST), to remember the 378 Canadians who rest here, and the 16 who are named on the memorial and whose final resting places are not known. Canada's Ambassador to South Korea, Arthur C. Perron, and Veterans Affairs Minister, Fred Mifflin, laid wreaths at the memorial, and the Minister delivered a moving address to the delegation and onlookers.
Alfred Ernest Roy Hansen of the Princess patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was killed on February 25th 1951. Auspiciously enough, only a couple hours from where fate has gently place me.
This is a great follow up to meeting all my family in Windsor for the first time.
I would greatly appreciate a bit of info from the archives. I would still be willing to "pay" you. Please send Salvatore info directly to me rather than posting it, as this may be a sensitive topic. Finding out where he was from would be great info.
I don't think I'll be writing a book anytime soon, but if I did, I'm sure I would hog the cover all to myself, hehe.
A Love for Art was a collaborative blog for visual artists, musicians, writers, and social scientists. This blog has evolved into a new blog called BETA, go check it out!
9 comments:
I will be the first person in my family to ever visit Alfred.
Awesome post!
Thats really amazing. Did he fight in Korea? You return to learn.
Maybe he served with Tommy Prince?
The gathering of family history, now that's some good times.
The Chinese Intervention
When the Canadians sailed from Seattle on November 25, 1950 the war in Korea seemed to be near its end. When they reached Yokohama on December 14 the picture had completely changed. Communist China had intervened.
By the end of October 1950 six Chinese armies had already crossed the Yalu River and, with an approximate strength of 180,000, were concentrated in front of the advancing United Nations forces. Conducted at night with great secrecy, these large scale Chinese movements had gone undetected by UN forward troops and air reconnaissance units. Unsupported reports by prisoners of massive build-up were not believed. On October 27, at a time when thousands of organized Chinese troops were pouring across the Yalu, General Headquarters, United Nations and Far East Command showed them still poised for action in Manchuria.
As the Chinese build-up developed, the United Nations forces continued their advance northward reaching the main enemy positions between Pyong-yang and the Yalu River on November 26. Then, the Chinese launched a massive attack which turned the UN advance into a retreat to new positions along the Imjin River north of Seoul.
It was in this atmosphere of unexpected disaster that the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry arrived in Korea in December 1950. The occupation role which they had expected to fill no longer existed. Instead the emphasis had shifted to the speed with which the battalion could be thrown into action. The Patricias began an intensive training period at Miryang near Taegu as grim news continued to arrive from the north.
The New Year opened with another crushing offensive by the Chinese which forced a further general withdrawal. Seoul again fell to the Communists on January 4, 1951. A new line was established some 64 kilometres south of the former capital.
While these events were taking place the Canadian battalion underwent the further training in weapons and tactics required before they could be committed to battle, and carried out limited operational tasks, such as anti-guerrilla patrols.
United Nations Memorial Cemetery
The cemetery in Pusan, on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, is the only cemetery in the world where those who fought under the United Nations flag in wartime, lie buried. The Canadian veterans and youths held a major ceremony at this cemetery at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 13th, (8:00 p.m. Monday, EST), to remember the 378 Canadians who rest here, and the 16 who are named on the memorial and whose final resting places are not known. Canada's Ambassador to South Korea, Arthur C. Perron, and Veterans Affairs Minister, Fred Mifflin, laid wreaths at the memorial, and the Minister delivered a moving address to the delegation and onlookers.
Alfred Ernest Roy Hansen of the Princess patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was killed on February 25th 1951. Auspiciously enough, only a couple hours from where fate has gently place me.
This is a great follow up to meeting all my family in Windsor for the first time.
Unraveling my own mystery.
I`m sure this journey will make for a great read one day Macro.
.....Can I do the cover?
I would greatly appreciate a bit of info from the archives. I would still be willing to "pay" you. Please send Salvatore info directly to me rather than posting it, as this may be a sensitive topic. Finding out where he was from would be great info.
I don't think I'll be writing a book anytime soon, but if I did, I'm sure I would hog the cover all to myself, hehe.
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