Pair: Rifleman P. Maher, Royal Ulster Rifles, taken prisoner at the battle of the River Imjin

Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (22233423 Rfn., R.U.R.) last ‘3’ and ‘Rfn.’ re-impressed; first ‘R’ of regt. an overstriking; U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed, good very fine (2) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals Relating to the Battle of the River Imjin.

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National Serviceman, Rifleman P. Maher, Royal Ulster Rifles was taken prisoner at the battle of the River Imjin. After suffering two years four months of harsh captivity, he was finally repatriated on 17 August 1953.  

On 22 July 1951 the Chinese 63rd Army, consisting of three Divisions comprising 20,000 men, launched a major attack across the Imjin River against the three battalions of 29 Brigade, the Glosters, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles. A Battle Patrol in Oxford Carriers from the R.U.R. was sent forward to protect the bridge known as the Ulster Bridge and came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire; the Chinese then began massed infantry attacks along the whole front. The R.U.R. occupied a number of high points and were subjected to a series of ferocious attacks, which were repulsed by the Battalion’s machine guns, bazookas and mortars. At one stage 45 Field Regiment R.A. had to fire directly over ‘Open Sights’ having come under small arms fire.
 
After forty-eight hours Chinese infantry had surrounded all the battalions of 29 Brigade and the Brigade Commander ordered a withdrawal. The R.U.R. Regimental History explains ‘These orders were passed to the CO and came as a great disappointment to the Battalion; in the forty eight hours the battle had now lasted, the sum total of the Battalion’s casualties was one man killed. No ground had been lost and the enemy had been severely punished in every attempt he had made to capture the hill or break through into the valley’.

A tactical withdrawal in the face of an advancing enemy is one of the most difficult of military operations. As the companies moved south they were ‘Completely in the open and after a few minutes automatic fire began to sweep the valley and the fire from light automatics and machine guns became intense’. The Irishmen supported by the tanks of C Squadron 8th Hussars fought back and gradually reached their new defensive position. Their gallantry had stopped the thrust of the Chinese advance and thwarted their capture of the Capital, Seoul. The Battalion had remained a cohesive fighting force and had continued the tradition of their Regimental Motto Quis Separabit – We shall not be divided. Casualties however had been severe with 16 killed, 41 wounded and 60 lost as prisoners including Rifleman P. Mayer.