Royal Australian Regiment and The Hook (2)

4th Platoon/B Company/3rd Battalion/3 RAR

It appeared that the attack on Boulder City was intended to secure a base and firm right shoulder against the inter-divisional boundary between the 1st US Marine Division and the 1st Commonwealth Division (CW Div.).  [An entire scenario was written out in this special report, knowing full well how the enemy could have taken the entire Hook area of dispute.]  There were sufficient additional enemy forces to the north and west of Paris and Betty Grable to do this.  But, “there is little doubt on one point, had it not been for a few stalwart infantrymen on Hill 121 and 2 tanks in the blocking positions…the speed and flexibility and weight of the 1st CW Div. artillery, the enemy would have broken through.”

Outpost locations at the Hook

“The night of 24/25 July was hectic! From about 0230 hours, incoming artillery and mortars were generally at a rate of 30 per minute… The actions by individual soldiers, NCOs was inspirational…like Sgt. Cooper’s section on Hill 111, who for most of the night were alone.  The composure of young NCOs in calling in artillery fire onto their own position was courageous, as was the literally toe-to-toe personal fights around the positions on Hill 111 and the Contact Bunker.  The standing patrols on Green Finger and Ronson on that same night were severely attacked and on Ronson, withdrawn after calling in defensive fire tasks.”

1st Battalion

The night of 25 July, throughout the evening, sky turned to nearly daylight from the battalion’s flares and those dropped by an aircraft crisscrossing above the battle zone.  “The accuracy and speed with which the division’s artillery performed in defensive fire task was extraordinary.  It is assessed that some 25,000 mixed rounds of shells and mortars were fired against the enemy.”

Human and material damage, both extensive, could be seen when broke that morning.  The Chinese communist forces attacked again that night, but with less enthusiasm as previously fought and by full morning, the attack gradually came to a halt.

The CCF

Click on images to enlarge.

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Farewell Salutes – 

Hector Bethart – Gainsville, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 187th RCT,  medical unit, PTO

Wright M. Buckley – Connerville, IN – UA Army Air Corps, WWII, 127th Engineers, PTO

Alfred J. Carlson – Peoria, AZ; US Air Force, Korea

Albert Haddad – Toronto, Canada; Canadian Armored Corps, Captain, WWII

soldier’s salute

Kenneth Hitch – Fairfax, VA; US Army, WWII & Korea, medical

Bertram Long – Washington, DC; US Navy, WWII

Roland V. Rakow – Miami, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, North Africa, 83rd Squadron, POW – escaped

William Render – Chicago, IL; US Army, WWII

John Tillman Simpson – Green Forest, AR; US Army, WWII

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To All our troops out there protecting those of us at home – THANK YOU – I do not have any other words to express the gratitude!  Take care and God Bless!

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