Superb WW2 and Korean War Glorious Gloster’s Battle of Imjin River Prisoner of War Medal Group of Six – Pte. R.N. Knight, 1st Bn. Gloucestershire Regiment

An outstanding second world war Dunkirk 1940, Madagascar 1942, and 14th Army Burma 1944 campaign and Korean War Battle of Imjin River POW medal group of six with United States Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Private Reshton Newman Knight, 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, who is confirmed as having been taken prisoner on during the Battle of Imjin River which lasted from 22nd to 25th April 1951, and was then held in captivity till 1953. 

1939-45 Star unnamed as issued 
Burma Star unnamed as issued 
WW2 Defence Medal unnamed as issued 
1939-45 War Medal unnamed as issued 
Queen’s Korea Medal named to 5338045 Pte. R.N. Knight. Glosters 
United Nations Korea Medal (British Issue) unnamed as issued 

The group comes with original WW2 box of issue, US Presidential Unit Citation ribbon bar, Regular Army Certificate of Service book, Gloucestershire Regiment other ranks cap badge, original press photograph of recipient whilst in Korea, showing recipient when possibly a prisoner of war, shown sitting with two Korean children, and wearing the Gloucestershire Regiment cap badge and beret, an original photograph of recipient when on service in Korea, 2 x original photographs of recipient as taken after his return from Korea, and wearing all his medal ribbons, two of the recipient’s pay slips from 1947, an Income Tax notice form for the year 1946 to 1947, a letter from recipient’s daughter to the original purchaser – forwarding some further original document’s concerning Knight, this dated 21st July 2014 and a Gurkha Kukri knife, complete with scabbard.

Reshton Newman Knight was born on 25th November 1918, and worked as a labourer before enlisting into the British Army at Reading, Berkshire, on 1st May 1939, and then joined as a Private (No.5338045) the Royal Berkshire Regiment, being then posted to the 1st Battalion, and awarded his 3rd Class Certificate of Education on 13th June 1939. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Knight was posted to joined the British Expeditionary Force in France from 23rd September 1939, and was then evacuated from Dunkirk on 4th June 1940.

Knight next took part in the invasion of Madagascar, landing there on 22nd March 1942, he took part in the operations which led to the defeat of the Vichy French troops who occupied the island, and was then posted home again on 26th November 1942. With the imminent efforts to the reconquer Burma from the Japanese, Knight was then posted with his Battalion to India from 13th November 1943, and then saw service in the Arakan in Burma during 1944, before being transferred to Ceylon from 4th September 1944, and was then posted home from 22nd October 1945 after the end of the Second World War. Knight was transferred to the Army Reserve at Warwick on 2nd November 1946, and married on 6th September 1949, having found work at the Corby Steel Factory. He was at the time living at Gledow House, Corby Road, Weldon Corby, Northamptonshire.

With the outbreak of the Korean War, Knight was recalled and then joined as a Private (No.5338045) the Gloucestershire Regiment on 10th August 1950, and then saw service in Korea from 10th October 1950. He is confirmed as having been serving with the Glosters at the Battle of Imjin River from 22 – 25 April 1951 and was taken prisoner of war by the North Koreans. He would eventually be released from captivity and posted home on 16th September 1953, being discharged to the Class ‘Z’ Army Reserve on 27th December 1953. 

The battle opened on the night of 22 April 1951. A Chinese patrol on the north bank of the river moved around the Belgians on Hill 194 and continued to advance east towards the two bridges on which the Belgians depended. Elements of 29th Brigade’s reserve, the 1st RUR, were deployed forward at about 10 pm to secure the crossing but were soon engaged by Chinese forces trying to cross the river. The Royal Ulster Rifles were unable to secure the bridges. This development meant that the Belgian Battalion on the north bank of the river was in danger of being isolated from all other elements of 29th Brigade.

Chinese forces following the initial patrol either attacked the Belgian positions on Hill 194 or continued their advance towards the bridges. Those who were able to cross the Imjin attacked the Fusiliers’ right rear company, Z company, on Hill 257, a position close to the river and almost directly south of the crossings. Further downstream, Chinese forces managed to ford the Imjin and attacked the Fusiliers’ left forward company, X company, on Hill 152. The retreat of X company from Hill 152 had serious consequences for Y company which occupied the right forward position of what can be described as a squarish fusilier position marked out by four widely spaced company perimeters at the corners. Although Y company was not attacked directly, Chinese forces threatened its flanks by forcing Z and X company from their positions. After unsuccessful British attempts to regain those lost positions on Hill 257 and 194, Y company’s position was abandoned, the retreat being covered by C Squadron, 8th Hussars.

On the left of the brigade’s line, a forward deployed patrol of sixteen men repelled four attempts by a battalion of 559th Regiment, 187th Division to cross the river but was eventually forced to fall back after inflicting 70 casualties without suffering any loss. During the rest of the night, the Glosters’ right and left forward companies, A and D company, engaged Chinese units trying to cross the Imjin. By morning the next day, A and D company had suffered severe casualties; only one officer in A company remained in action. Casualties included A company’s commander, Major Pat Angier, who was killed during the night.

On 23 April, attempts by the Fusiliers and American forces from the 3rd Infantry Division’s reserve to regain control of areas lost during the night failed. A US attack by the 1st Battalion, 7th Infantry on Communist forces near Hill 257 was ordered to support the Belgian withdrawal from the north bank of the Imjin River. Despite losing seven vehicles, the Belgian battalion successfully executed its withdrawal, which was coordinated with the beginning of the American attack on Hill 257. The Belgians escaped to the east and took up new positions south of the Glosters and the Fusiliers before moving to the vicinity of 29th Brigade’s command post.

At around 8.30 pm on 23 April, the forward companies of the Glosters were withdrawn from their positions after suffering heavy casualties. Apart from A and D company, C company under Major Paul Mitchell retreated as well, but because of enemy pressure it was impossible for B company under Major Denis Harding to disengage and join the battalion’s remaining elements on and near Hill 235, a position between the Imjin and the  Seolmacheon stream that became known as Gloster Hill. The men of B company (including a young Lofty Large) were able to drive off seven Chinese assaults on their position before they were also able to withdraw to Hill 235 the next morning. Only 17 men of B company remained in action after reaching the remainder of the battalion.

During the night in which the Glosters’ B company faced numerous attacks, the Chinese 188th Division crossed the Imjin and attacked the Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles on the right of the brigade’s line. The 187th Division also engaged the brigade’s battalions on the right, while the 189th Division kept up the pressure on the left. Most dangerous for the unity of 29th Brigade was the Chinese deep penetration of the line between the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Northumberland Fusiliers, cutting off the Glosters. In order to have additional forces available to counter the Chinese attack and to protect the Glosters from being completely surrounded, the Philippine 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) was temporarily attached to 29th Brigade. A combined force of M-24 tanks of the 10th BCT and Centurions of the 8th Hussars supported by infantry reached a point 2000 yards from Hill 235 on 24 April. The column failed to make contact however, as the lead tank was hit by Chinese fire and knocked out, blocking the route and making any further advance against heavy resistance impossible. At this point, according to an official American narrative of operations, “the brigade commander considered it unwise to continue the effort to relieve the Gloucester Battalion and withdrew the relief force”.

Continued Chinese pressure on the UN forces along the Imjin prevented a planned U. S. attack by the Puerto Ricans of the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 65th Infantry to relieve the Glosters. When two further attempts by a tank troop to link up with the Glosters failed, Brigadier Brodie left the decision whether to attempt a breakout or to surrender to Lieutenant-Colonel Carne. No further attempts to relieve the Glosters were undertaken because, at 8 am on 25 April, the I Corps issued the order to execute Plan Golden A which called for a withdrawal of all forces to a new defensive position further south.

In accordancewith orders issued by I Corps and supported by C Squadron, 8th Hussars, and 55 Squadron, Royal Engineers, the 1st Battalion, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, the 1st Battalion, the Royal Ulster Rifles, and the Belgian battalion tried to reach the safety of the next UN position. The Belgians occupied blocking positions west and southwest of 29th Brigade’s command post in order to allow the other units of 29th Brigade which were still further north along Route 11, the main line of retreat, to fall back through the battalion’s positions (see map). However, the withdrawal while being under intense enemy pressure was made even more difficult by the fact that Chinese forces dominated parts of the high ground along the line of retreat and were thus able not only to observe any movements by elements of 29th Brigade but also to inflict heavy casualties on the retreating units. Among those killed was the CO of the Fusiliers, Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, who died when his jeep was hit by Chinese mortar fire. In the words of Major Henry Huth of the 8th Hussars, the retreat was “one long bloody ambush”. When B company of the Ulsters, which had acted as rear guard during the retreat, reached the safety of the next UN line, all elements of 29th Brigade except for the Glosters had completed the withdrawal.

The Glosters’ situation on Hill 235 made it impossible for them to join the rest of 29th Brigade after it had received the order to retreat. Even before the failed attempts to relieve the battalion on 24 April, B and C company had already suffered such heavy casualties that they were merged to form one company. Attempts to supply the battalion by air drop were unsuccessful. Despite their difficult situation, the Glosters held the positions on Hill 235 throughout 24 April and the night of 24/25 April. In the morning of 25 April, 45 Field Regiment could no longer provide artillery support for the Glosters. Since Brigadier Brodie had left the decision whether to attempt a breakout or to surrender to Lieutenant-Colonel Carne, the Glosters’ CO “gave the order to his company commanders to make for the British lines as best as they could” on the morning of 25 April. Only the remains of D company under the command of Major Mike Harvey escaped successfully from Gloster Hill and reached the safety of friendly lines after several days. The rest of the battalion was taken prisoner, including Lieutenant-Colonel Carne.

Had the Chinese achieved a breakthrough in the initial stages of their assault, they would have been able to outflank the 1st ROK Division to the west and the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division to the east of 29th Brigade. Such a development would have threatened the stability of the UN line and increased the likelihood of success for a Chinese advance on Seoul. Although the Chinese benefited from 29th Brigade’s scattered deployment and a lack of defensive preparations, they were nevertheless unable to overcome the positions before UN forces could check further advances. In three days of fighting, the determined resistance of 29th Brigade severely disrupted the Chinese offensive, causing it to lose momentum, and allowed UN forces in the area to withdraw to the No-Name Line, a defensible position north of Seoul, where the Chinese were halted.

According to a memorandum presented to the British cabinet on 26 June 1951, 29th Brigade suffered 1,091 casualties, including 34 officers and 808 other ranks missing. These casualties represented 20 to 25 per cent of the brigade’s strength on the eve of battle. Of the 1,091 soldiers killed, wounded or missing, 620 were from the Gloucestershire Regiment, which could muster 217 men on 27 April. 522 soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment became prisoners of war. Of those taken prisoner, 180 were wounded and a further 34 died while in captivity. 59 soldiers of the Gloucestershire Regiment were killed in action. Based on estimates, Chinese casualties in the Battle of the Imjin River can be put at around 10,000. As a result of the casualties suffered during the battle, the Chinese 63rd Army, which had begun the offensive with three divisions and approximately 27,000 men, had lost over a third of its strength and was pulled out of the front line.

On 8th May 1951, the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment was awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation – the citation reads as follows: The 1st Battalion, GLoucestershire Regiment, British Army and C Troop, 170th Independent Mortar Battery, Royal Artillery, attached, are cited for exceptionally outstanding performance of duty and extraordinary heroism in action against the armed enemy near Solma-ri, Korea on 23, 24 and 25 April 1951. The 1st Battalion and C Troop were defending a very critical sector of the battle front during a determined attack by the enemy. The defending units were overwhelmingly outnumbered. The 83rd Chinese Communist Army drove the full force of its savage assault at the positions held by the 1st Battalion, GLoucestershire Regiment and attached unit. The route of supply ran Southeast from the battalion between two hills. The hills dominated the surrounding terrain northwest to the Imjin River. Enemy pressure built up on the battalion front during the day 23 April. On 24 April the weight of the attack had driven the right flank of the battalion back. The pressure grew heavier and heavier and the battalion and attached unit were forced into a perimeter defence on Hill 235. During the night, heavy enemy forces had by-passed the staunch defenders and closed all avenues of escape. The courageous soldiers of the battalion and attached unit were holding the critical route selected by the enemy for one column of the general offensive designed to encircle and destroy 1st Corps. These gallant soldiers would not retreat. As they were compressed tighter and tighter in their perimeter defence, they called for close-in air strikes to assist in holding firm. Completely surrounded by tremendous numbers, these indomitable, resolute, and tenacious soldiers fought back with unsurpassed fortitude and courage. As ammunition ran low and the advancing hordes moved closer and closer, these splendid soldiers fought back viciously to prevent the enemy from overrunning the position and moving rapidly to the south. Their heroic stand provided the critically needed time to regroup other 1st Corps units and block the southern advance of the enemy. Time and again efforts were made to reach the battalion, but the enemy strength blocked each effort. Without thought of defeat or surrender, this heroic force demonstrated superb battlefield courage and discipline. Every yard of ground they surrendered was covered with enemy dead until the last gallant soldier of the fighting battalion was over-powered by the final surge of the enemy masses. The 1st Battalion, GLoucestershire Regiment and C Troop, 170th Independent Mortar Battery displayed such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing their mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set them apart and above other units participating in the same battle. Their sustained brilliance in battle, their resoluteness, and extraordinary heroism are in keeping with the finest traditions of the renowned military forces of the British Commonwealth, and reflect unsurpassed credit on these courageous soldiers and their homeland.

The Gloucester Valley Battle Monument was later built at the Gloster Hill, beside the Seolmacheon stream and the British Embassy in Seoul organises services for veterans on every anniversary of the battle. The annual service is officially called the Gloster Valley Memorial Service by the British embassy. In 2008, it took place on 19 April as part of formal commemoration ceremonies that were held throughout the period 14–20 April. The outline of the commemorations in 2008 encompassed a service of commemoration, including the laying of wreaths and the presentations of Gloster Valley Scholarships – financial assistance to deserving children in the area where the battle took place – as well as a picnic lunch that offered visitors the opportunity to mingle with veterans. About 70 British veterans as well as the British ambassador to South Korea took part in the event.

Regiment: Gloucestershire Regiment (formerly Royal Berkshire Regiment)

Era: WW2 and Korean War