Many times I was frightened -as most were- but the foregoing brought to mind first, my most frightening occasion during my stay in that beautiful but ravaged country.
Although only being in Korea for a very short time, by coincidence I was the duty surveyor in the AP when a pair of Chinese heavy machine guns started firing tracer bullets to form a diagonal cross in front of us. I immediately dictated a sit rep (situation report) for my signaller to relay to base camp, by which time the surveyor bombardier relieved me so I could help man the defence trench – complete with my .303 rifle and two bandoliers of rounds.
The enemy had crossed no-man’s land during the previous night and laid low in the tunnels at the front base of our hill until dusk. The tracer signal started the typical method of attack. Bugles and whistles sounded eerie in the dying daylight. (I have since learnt that prior to Chinese attacks, all soldiers would be given orders as to what they had to achieve and that bugle calls were the only form of further communicating and rallying). With greatly superior manpower, lower skilled soldiers would make the first attack and most would be killed in doing so. The next wave of better trained men would then attack, in many cases having to retrieve the weapons dropped by their fallen comrade to arm themselves.
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