Social Studies Component

War on land: the Australian Army in Korea

“The Korean War was overwhelmingly a land war, in terms of numbers of participants, casualties and material costs. It was fought across rugged terrain through which ran only rough, narrow roads and tracks. Operations were further complicated by extreme conditions of heat and cold, rain and snow for long periods.”

Robert O'Neill, Official Historian of Australia in the Korean War

Living Conditions

The terrain and climate made conditions in Korea difficlut for Australian troops there. Almost eighty per cent of Korea is mountainous: the effort of moving even short distances over mountains and valleys was exhausting and time-consuming.

Soldiers also had to cope with extremes of temperature, with heat as well as cold. The pervading, numbing cold of the winters is well remembered by veterans. Soldiers slept with their guns to their chests, to keep the parts from freezing up. Living and fighting in this climate posed a constant struggle, creating difficulties with transport, the movement and maintenance of supplies and the soldiers' health. Australian soldiers were eventually issued with better protective clothing by the Americans and British.

Some items used in the battle against the cold:

A fuel-burning pocket hand warmer, brought back from Korea by Captain Colin Brown, commander of A Company, 3 RAR.REL 24558

http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/korea/ausinkorea/army/