Exploration on Royal Ulster Rifle Crossing along the Imjin River
I
and my wife kicked off in 22 April 2018 to explore the Imjin battle place,
specially the UR crossing point. The
day was the first day when the British soldiers fought against Chinese onslaught
during the Spring Offensive in April 1951.
Ironically,
the first day of British Imjin battle is same day of my father memorial day who
passed four(4) years ago in 2014. When my father was alive, I visited this
Imjin river and Gloster hill with him to commemorate the foreign sacrifices. On
this special day, I and my wife could have chance to explore the place I have
wanted to explore.
Because
the current road condition, it is difficult to approach the point described in
the book Last Round written by Andrew Salmon, based on the living veterans.
There is bridge between Kawol-ri and Majeon-ri where the Belgium Battalion
station was fighting to protect the hinge point of Hantan and Imjin river vital
to maintain the US Army Div. 3 and British Regiment defensive line.
At
that time, a Pontoon bridges were installed at the current point, crossing
Imjin river to link Majeon-ri and the opponent Eouji-ri near Jeokseong. Now a
days, I could drive for Eoyuji-ri, Southern part of Imjin, after visiting
Gloster hill memorial site. I also had chance to locate the UN cremation site,
in the Majeon-ri, which is preserved by the national property. In a way of Eoyuji-ri northward, I could take the
lamp for Paju and Yoncheon motor way and drove out of the motor way to go for
the bay formed by two rivers and used by the Belgian to retreat on 23 April
1951 from their camping place Majeon-ri.
To
the end of the bay, I drove along the road, crossing the Hantan river, and
arrived the blind end of the road where a training center building was existed.
A guard of the center came out of post to check why we came here. He had retired
from his military job as a master sergeant and worked for four(4) years. He had
spent his military career here in Jeokseong to inform of some military sites.
In the map, the road is linked with the center and pass beneath the UR crossing
point, but he told us that we could not enter and no road was existed behind
the center. He advised us to visit the nearby memorial monument, but not by car.
He told we could go down the Hantan river as soon as we crossed back the
bridge.
This
was the point where the Belgium Battalion went down to cross the Hantan river
for their retreat, breaking out of Chinese surround. All soldiers raising
theirs rifles up were wading calmly to reach the southern bank of the river
while one group of soldiers were given the mission to protect the north part of
the bridge for safe crossing of the battalion vehicles and a battalion of US
Div. 3 was attacking the hill 257 located beneath the bridge in Eoyuji-ri to
disturb Chinese focus on the retreating action. In the process, US tanks and
aircrafts were supported to drop napalm bombs and to fire Chinese collecting
points including the place of the Belgium forces were stood in Majeon-ri.
I
and my wife walked along the river on sand bottom, looking up the opponent bank
and the river we had just crossed. If we could cross the river now, we climbed
up from the river and took a valley to find the road leading to the Route 11 used
as main retreat route by RUR and Nothumberland Fusillier forces.
After
exploring the river bottom, we drove to the motor way for Yoncheon. We took the
road 3, bounding for Dongdu-cheon southward and turned right into the small
road to get in the southern area of the crossing point, just before where we
stood, as near as possible. As passed by Yoncheon health center, I could drive
down the small lamp to reach a small bridge without guard rails. I looked into
a map and identified the one(1) lane road was stretched beneath the Hantan
river southward and linked with Jeokseong Yoncheon road. I drove carefully
along this small road and no car and people was seen in driving. The small road
was formed along the foot hill and valley of mountains which are hard to
cultivate. It was rather a no man’s mountainous land.
But,
disappointedly, I could not approach the road(trail) along which the Mobile Patrol
Unit of RUR drove to respond the order to observe the enemy status and to
secure retreat route, on the first day evening of Imjin battle 22 April 1951. I
had to stop and identify the crossing route Dogam-po(old ferry), but I lost the
access point while I hurriedly took the road 11, passing the crossing point.
12
patrol vehicles and 20 British RUR were ambushed at the crossing point by
Chinese army infiltrating and trapping well and arranging themselves to
surround the isolated British mobile unit in a dead zone. The patrol unit was
shot on an open space in the river bank and destroyed at once in the confusion
status of Chinese onslaught.
I
and my wife kicked off in 22 April 2018 to explore the Imjin battle place,
specially the UR crossing point. The
day was the first day when the British soldiers fought against Chinese onslaught
during the Spring Offensive in April 1951.
Ironically,
the first day of British Imjin battle is same day of my father memorial day who
passed four(4) years ago in 2014. When my father was alive, I visited this
Imjin river and Gloster hill with him to commemorate the foreign sacrifices. On
this special day, I and my wife could have chance to explore the place I have
wanted to explore.
Because
the current road condition, it is difficult to approach the point described in
the book Last Round written by Andrew Salmon, based on the living veterans.
There is bridge between Kawol-ri and Majeon-ri where the Belgium Battalion
station was fighting to protect the hinge point of Hantan and Imjin river vital
to maintain the US Army Div. 3 and British Regiment defensive line.
At
that time, a Pontoon bridges were installed at the current point, crossing
Imjin river to link Majeon-ri and the opponent Eouji-ri near Jeokseong. Now a
days, I could drive for Eoyuji-ri, Southern part of Imjin, after visiting
Gloster hill memorial site. I also had chance to locate the UN cremation site,
in the Majeon-ri, which is preserved by the national property. In a way of Eoyuji-ri northward, I could take the
lamp for Paju and Yoncheon motor way and drove out of the motor way to go for
the bay formed by two rivers and used by the Belgian to retreat on 23 April
1951 from their camping place Majeon-ri.
To
the end of the bay, I drove along the road, crossing the Hantan river, and
arrived the blind end of the road where a training center building was existed.
A guard of the center came out of post to check why we came here. He had retired
from his military job as a master sergeant and worked for four(4) years. He had
spent his military career here in Jeokseong to inform of some military sites.
In the map, the road is linked with the center and pass beneath the UR crossing
point, but he told us that we could not enter and no road was existed behind
the center. He advised us to visit the nearby memorial monument, but not by car.
He told we could go down the Hantan river as soon as we crossed back the
bridge.
This
was the point where the Belgium Battalion went down to cross the Hantan river
for their retreat, breaking out of Chinese surround. All soldiers raising
theirs rifles up were wading calmly to reach the southern bank of the river
while one group of soldiers were given the mission to protect the north part of
the bridge for safe crossing of the battalion vehicles and a battalion of US
Div. 3 was attacking the hill 257 located beneath the bridge in Eoyuji-ri to
disturb Chinese focus on the retreating action. In the process, US tanks and
aircrafts were supported to drop napalm bombs and to fire Chinese collecting
points including the place of the Belgium forces were stood in Majeon-ri.
I
and my wife walked along the river on sand bottom, looking up the opponent bank
and the river we had just crossed. If we could cross the river now, we climbed
up from the river and took a valley to find the road leading to the Route 11 used
as main retreat route by RUR and Nothumberland Fusillier forces.
After
exploring the river bottom, we drove to the motor way for Yoncheon. We took the
road 3, bounding for Dongdu-cheon southward and turned right into the small
road to get in the southern area of the crossing point, just before where we
stood, as near as possible. As passed by Yoncheon health center, I could drive
down the small lamp to reach a small bridge without guard rails. I looked into
a map and identified the one(1) lane road was stretched beneath the Hantan
river southward and linked with Jeokseong Yoncheon road. I drove carefully
along this small road and no car and people was seen in driving. The small road
was formed along the foot hill and valley of mountains which are hard to
cultivate. It was rather a no man’s mountainous land.
But,
disappointedly, I could not approach the road(trail) along which the Mobile Patrol
Unit of RUR drove to respond the order to observe the enemy status and to
secure retreat route, on the first day evening of Imjin battle 22 April 1951. I
had to stop and identify the crossing route Dogam-po(old ferry), but I lost the
access point while I hurriedly took the road 11, passing the crossing point.
12
patrol vehicles and 20 British RUR were ambushed at the crossing point by
Chinese army infiltrating and trapping well and arranging themselves to
surround the isolated British mobile unit in a dead zone. The patrol unit was
shot on an open space in the river bank and destroyed at once in the confusion
status of Chinese onslaught.
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