Text | Scholar
On the eve of the outbreak of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the United States co-opted allies to form the so-called "United Nations Army", and many allies responded one after another, and as a loyal ally of the United States, Australia showed great enthusiasm and took the initiative to send elite troops to participate in the war.
Australia is the most economically developed country in the southern hemisphere, located between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and is the only country in the world that covers the entire continent, with a territory area of 7.692 million square kilometers and a population of about 25 million, which is far away from the Korean Peninsula.
Originally, the Korean War had nothing to do with Australia, but at the invitation of the United States, Australia gladly sent troops and acted very positively. According to the data, at that time, Australia was a navy, army and air force, and the army sent the 3rd battalion of the Royal Australian Legion, which was an elite unit of the Australian Army, with about 1400 soldiers. In terms of the Air Force, Australia sent a squadron of fighter jets and the Navy dispatched 3 destroyers, which was one of the countries with the largest number of troops in the United Nations army at that time.
On 28 September 1950, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Legion landed on the Korean Peninsula from Busan and was incorporated into the British 27th Brigade. Shortly after arriving on the Korean Peninsula, the Royal Australian 3rd Battalion threw itself into battle, and in October 1950 an Australian company encountered the Korean People's Army in an apple orchard, and after a fierce battle, the Australian side announced that they had killed 150 enemies with bayonets and captured 239 people, while only 7 of themselves were wounded.
The Australian side called the battle the "Battle of the Apple Orchards", and the victory in the first battle also made the Australian soldiers' self-confidence soar, and even said that "we can challenge the world". In the battle at Apple Orchard, the Australian soldiers did not leave a single Korean People's Army wounded, because they were troublesome, they killed the wounded Korean People's Army wounded who were wounded and had limited mobility because of the trouble.
In his book Scorched Earth and Black Blood, the Australian writer Salmon detailed the massacre of prisoners by Australian soldiers in North Korea. Not long after the Battle of Apple Orchard, the Australian soldiers were not happy because the Chinese volunteers had entered the war.
In early November 1950, the 117th Division of the 39th Army of the Volunteer Army launched an attack on the United Nations forces in the Bocheon area, and after the retreat of the American army, the British 27th Brigade was responsible for the break of the Cheongcheon River, and after the safe withdrawal of the American troops, the British drama also withdrew, leaving the Australian battalion to stop the volunteer pursuit troops.
On November 5, 1950, the 350th Regiment of the 117th Division of the 39th Army of the Volunteer Army launched an attack on the positions of Australian soldiers, and voluntarily withdrew from the battle after dawn. According to the 117th Division, in more than two hours of fierce fighting, the volunteers annihilated more than 200 enemy troops, and Australia also said that in this battle, 2 of the battalion's 3 company commanders were seriously wounded and one company was devastated.
According to statistics, during the entire Period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Australian Army and the Republican Volunteer Army conducted 8 exchanges, none of which were bargained, a total of 746 people were killed by the volunteers, plus missing and captured personnel, Australia lost a total of 1416 people in Korea in three years, which can be described as heavy casualties, and after encountering the volunteers, Australian soldiers no longer dare to say anything to challenge the world.