Royal Australian Regiment and The Hook

2RAR bringing ammo to The Hook

 

9 & 10 July 1953 saw the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) relieving the King’s Regiment at the all too familiar Hook.  The 2nd RAR was given the left forward positions and the 3rd RAR the right flank bordering the Samichon River.  The Chinese defenders were no more than 200 meters from B Company/3RAR, at outposts Green Finger and Ronson.

A lot of work needed to be done at night to repair the bunkers and trenches from the May 1953 fighting.  A Contact Bunker, manned by a corporal and 6 men, situated in the “saddle” of the Hook, was established to connect the C Company of the left flank with the right flank of the 1st US Marine Division.  H Company/3rd Battalion was a 2RAR medium machine-gun position.  This was the Main Line of Resistance (MLR).

Outpost locations at the Hook

Very strong enemy pressure was being put on the infantry and on Hill 111, but this was not the enemy’s main objective; they were after outposts Berlin, East Berlin and Boulder City.  That did not stop the Chinese from battering the men on Hill 111 on 9 July and again, quite heavily, on 19/20 July.

Shelling and mortaring on all positions of the Battalion were constant and accounted for nearly all the casualties.  The nightly standing patrols were seldom missing a fire-fight.  It was afterwards revealed that enemy tunneling had occurred underneath the spur line to Green Finger .  As with all patrolling at this time in the war, the dash to make position first was important.  The loser usually had the most casualties.

A special report dated 24-26 July 1953 reads (condensed):

By 1200 hrs, 24 July, a very heavy build-up of wireless nets opposite the Commonwealth Div. was evident.  In a matter of hours, an attack of considerable size of the enemy were north and northwest of the Hook and others to the west for diversion.  Small groups moved in from the rear of Outposts Warsaw and Long Finger.

Simultaneously, the CCF was moving on OP Betty Grable and along the valley south of Seattle and Ronson, towards a point between Hills 111 and 121.  This latter group was about 5-8 strong and was flanked by 2 groups of about 10-15 each.  The task of these flanking groups was to make a fire corridor for the forward observation groups moving westward in order to allow them to get into position between the hills.

3 RAR, trench fighting patrol, July 1953

The movement of the southernmost forward observation group was successful; it got through although its flank guards were badly shot up.  Soon after it was giving fire directions onto friendly mortar positions from a sheltered spot.  The other group ran into difficulties and was not heard from again.  Heavy shelling and firing erupted especially at Outpost Betty Grable, who suffered heavy casualties.  But, the attacks were not very well organized and UN artillery, machine-gun and tank fire inflicted high enemy casualties as well.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Click on images to enlarge.

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Farewell Salutes – 

John Norman Anderson – Seattle, WA; US Army, WWII

Joseph A. Bell – La Prairie, Manitoba; RC Navy, WWII (Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame)

Sid Caesar –  Yonkers, NY; USO, WWII (Comedian)

Edward Cosentino – Chicago, IL; US Army, Colonel (Ret.), WWII

Alvie Followell – Brownwood, TX; WWII, PTO, 127th Engineers, 11th A/B

Patrick V. McCallum – New Orleans, LA & Plantation, FL; US Air Force, Vietnam

Leonard Miller – Burlington, VT & Miami, FL; US Army, Korea

William (Bill) Patterson – Christchurch, NZ; NZAF # 448085, Signalman

Emanuel Quartuccio – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII

Herman Shooster – Coral Springs, FL; US Army, medic, WWII, PTO

Ralph Waite – White Plains, NY; USMC, (beloved actor)

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