A battle that will never be forgotten

It’s an opportunity for us to remember the more than 17,000 Australians who served in the war, including some 340 who lost their lives.

Our country was one of 21 that supported South Korea, aiding their efforts to fight a growing communist presence in their country.

Veteran Ray Deed, 94, served in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), which was paramount in the Battle of Kapyong.

“I served more than 31 years in total and spent just less than 12 months serving in Korea,” the Sherwood-Indooroopilly RSL Sub Branch member says.

Ray, whose birthday falls on ANZAC Day, was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his service in Korea.

“Korean Veterans’ Day means quite a bit because the South Korean Government is very generous to us and as a service member, we appreciate their kindness towards us.”

“I used to go every year to a commemoration service, usually at the National Memorial Walk, but now at my age and with my health, I can’t do what I used to do.”

After his time in Korea, Ray went on to spend time serving in Japan (where he met his late wife) before returning home to Australia and being based in Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville.

Ray, his wife and their six children were based in Cairns when Ray was deployed to serve in the Vietnam war.

“She was a very special woman and I’m very lucky to have the amazing family that I do,” he says.

THE BATTLE OF KAPYONG

Ray served in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) in Korea

The Battle of Kapyong was one of the most significant battles for Australian troops during the Korean War.

After a major offensive strike was launched by Chinese forces against UN forces defending Seoul, soldiers including an Australian contingent were ordered to the valley of the Kapyong River.

Tensions rose in the days that followed and during the night of April 23 and into the daylight hours of April 24, the Australian soldiers of 3 RAR – alongside their comrades from a Canadian battalion and New Zealand artillery regiment – stalled Chinese advances.

Both the Australian and Canadian battalions received United States Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations for their role in the battle.

Ray, who served as a Platoon Sergeant in Korea, says that when war broke out most of his comrades “didn’t know where the hell Korea was.”

“Early in our time there, the weather played a lot of havoc with us, because we still had the old issue Army summer uniforms, and it took time for appropriate clothing to be issued to us. Quite a few people suffered from frostbite,” he says.

“The country itself is a mountainous country, and the icy weather was no pleasure. I wouldn't say we acclimatised, but you had to persevere, that was it.”

THE MEMORIES THAT MAKE US

Ray (second from left) with a group of Australian soldiers. 

Talking to Ray about his time in Korea, he relays stories of the people he met, his comrades and the mark they leave on his memory all these years later.

“I went back to Korea twice many years later and I heard a woman giving a talk who instantly reminded me of the daughter of a Chinese Prisoner of War in a photo he had shown me while he was with us in Korea,” he says.

“I’d never found out what happened to that man, if he got home to his family and young children. And in little moments like that one I will always wonder what happened to the people we came across during our time in Korea.”

Want to stay informed? Subscribe today and get the latest news, services, events and more direct to your email inbox.