Western News: August 03, 2023

4
Thursday August 3 2023
Veteran came to the conclusion
THE KOREAN Armistice
Agreement brought about a
complete cessation of hostilities
of the Korean War, and
Forbes Taylor well knows the
70th anniversary of that very
important ceasefire date – July
27, 1953.
Back 70 years ago Forbes, who
lives at Ngaio Marsh Retirement
Village, was near the frontline of
a war that had been running for
three years.
He remembers on the night
after the ceasefire had been
announced there were flares
let off and search lights shone
into the sky above the new
division between north and
south.
“It took effect at 10 o’clock at
night. The armistice was read out
to us, and then suddenly all the
war zone lit up with search lights
and rockets and things. It was a
very colourful display with all
those lights from the flare guns
and search lights,”
he remembered the day
after celebrating his 92nd
birthday last week.
There was a feeling of
celebration amongst the allies
in the south because they had
won further ground to the north
of Seoul that would form part
of the new South Korea, Forbes
said.
The bitter conflict began in
June 1950, with North Korea
supported by China and the
Soviet Union. Talks concerning
an armistice had started as early
as July 10, 1951, but the frontline
remained a dangerous place.
Forbes said it was really a matter
of luck as to whether he and
other fellow servicemen survived.
It was June 1953 and Forbes
had not long been flown into
Gimpo Airport, near Seoul.
He had joined the Signals C or
‘Charlie Troop’ to help service
the telephone lines that were used
by 1st Commonwealth division
troops including in the ‘Battle of
the Hook’.
He remembers desperate nighttime
attacks by the Chinese,
trying to capture Hook valley
territory before the July ceasefire
was called.
During this time repairs
were needed on the telephone
lines. The Chinese were repelled
by United Nations forces, he said.
On one frontline occasion, a
shell exploded about 40 yards
(36.5 metres) away. But it could
have easily been much, much
closer.
HISTORY: A tankled
patrol hunt
down North
Korean guerrillas
somewhere in
the mountainous
region of Korea in
January 1951.
PHOTO: GETTY
Right – Korean
War veteran Forbes
Taylor relaxing at
home.
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