Chapter 10
15 Independent Observation Battery Royal Artillery, Korea
An Epitaph
Major CJW Pollard became CO on 16 March 1951.
15 Independent Observation Battery RA was reformed in 1951 in Hong Kong as 15 Divisional Locating Battery RA.
On 17 December 1951 it embarked on USS Union at Victoria for Inchon, Korea arriving on 20 December. It then moved to Britannia Transit Camp en route to its operational deployment.
In Korea it was attached to 61 Light Regiment, RA, saw action and suffered casualties among our old comrades.
Hi,John,
Ref. The batteries casualities.
The Artillery list Names two Broadbents can you identify ‘Ginger’ or ‘Brum” Broadbent;
He was,I think. a ‘Driver Op’, who split the Bty. sports with a chap from the R.E.M.E.(phase two). Also we heard that Ray Hyam had been killed, but he is not on the list,
Did you mention Sid Wheeler, he was a friend of Ray’s, a cheerful chap, a canny footballer, I met Wally Langford at Larkhill, He had a bad time of it, as I remember it.
Sorry to drag up old memories of this kind.
Take care,
John
Sad indeed John, the only one I can recall is Sid Wheeler, he was a cheerful individual always good for a joke in whatever circumstance. He was in our barrack room at Stanley.
How the Battery got to Korea interests me and who accompanied it even more. Plus what happened to all in their Regular service as you told with Bill Hale and Tilburn- I was never that familiar with him to know his Christian name- we did move in different circles! As I said there is a forthcoming account of Korean service, and tough at times, but it is that initial period that I am really curious about.
And with your knowledge I hope you can help. What I have in mind is a contribution covering all of your own service and that I am sure will appeal to many.
If you are prepared to do so, and I hope you are, I can set it up.
Sad memories, true, but not to forgotten and this does help to memorialize individuals and 15 Battery in a fitting manner.
My regards,
John
PS, John,
I do now re-collect a “Broadbent” a regular, well muscled fellow with red hair and a Signaller?
I think he too was in our barrack room at Stanley.
Hi, John,
Greetings.
That’s the right one,was he the Sgt. or the Gnr. as two are mentioned,
do you have anything about the others ?
Regards,
John.
Hi John, the only Broadbent I knew of was in our barrack room and so must have been a Gunner/Signaler. I had little contact with him but his personality was such one was certainly aware of his presence.
Sorry can’t help with the others. As NS Surveyors we tended to stick together when off-duty-we went our way and non Surveyor regulars the other. Later on a regular Surveyor did arrive in the barrack room but it was as I was leaving and I never got to know him.
Regards,
John.
Hi Gunners John Hinds & John Flann,
I have a copy of “Casualties Sustained by the British Army in the Korean War 1950-53”. (ISBN 1843420104). The only Broadbent listed as a casualty is Sgt. R. H. Broadbent R.A. KIA 4.10.52.
L/Bdr. Ray Higham (note spelling) was wounded 28.4.52
Best wishes to you both,
Gunner John (7046)
Hello John (7046),
Thanks for that. So far as I can recall I never was aware of a Sgt Broadbent, do we know in what unit he served?
And John, your patience is appreciated we hope to get your Korean contribution up soon.
Kind regards,
John, (2933)
Hi John (2933),
Re.Sgt Broadbent – Unfortunately unit details are not given.
The list of subscribers to the Third Edition of the BKVA
published hardback “British Forces in the Korean War” includes a name with which you may be familiar. D.A. Morris / Royal Artillery (15 Obs Bty.). Was he a fellow surveyor with you in Hong Kong?
Don’t worry about my N. S. Notes. I have made a few additions / deletions since you received them, but only in a minor way to suit me.
John (7046)
John (7046), thanks for that and as far as I can remember I wasn’t aware of a DA Morris. I do have nonetheless another possible NS Surveyor contributor from 15 Obs Bty in Hong Kong who arrived later. He was there when the Bty left for Korea but did not go because his time was nearly up and he may know of Morris. We’ll see when his contribution is ready.
Minor amendments to your Notes can be managed without too much difficulty but wholesale changes are not practical.
John (2933)
What a joy! I just can’t believe that, at this stage in my life I should happen to read such a wonderful description of the same places and the same time I also spent as a Surveyor (Sound Ranger) in the RA.
The amazing thing is that, even today, I can still remember some of the names such a Wally Langford, who I was very friendly with, Also I remember Gunner Higham getting wounded in the head by shell fire.
As you say it was a great bunch of chaps to be with but, personally, I was very pleased when my service ended.
Hello Steve,
How happy I was you found this site and responded in such a manner. I, and I’m sure others, would like to learn more of your experiences and I hope you will feel inclined to share your memories with old comrades. I was very interested in what you had to say and it does seem that from Lo Wu (and maybe the Devonshire as well) to Stanley we did serve together, though you as a Sound Ranger in C and me a Flash Spotter in A Troop.
I too was pleased when my service came to an end. I have no regrets about my service in 15 Obs Bty and all the many experiences, in common with others, that I underwent, What made it so much easier was as you rightly say they were “…a great bunch of chaps to be with…”
The name Wally Langford does ring a few bells-was he a tall fellow? I didn’t know, as I can best recall, a Gunner Higham but sorry he suffered what seems a nasty injury.
I mentioned to you elsewhere I would welcome an account of your service and perhaps I, and other readers, can look forward to that. We have John Parnell’s account of his time with 15 Obs BTy and in Korea but he was later you. What makes yours an interesting story is that you were with the Bty from its departure from Hong Kong and arrival in Korea December 1951. Quite a tale there, I think.
With regards,
John.