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#OTD 1951 Lieutenant Angus McDonald, Corporal Lawrence Buckland, Corporal Donald Buck, Private Edward Light & Private Thomas Hollis, of 3 RAR were captured by Chinese troops whilst on a reconnaissance patrol. #KoreanWar70Years #KoreanWarAustPOWs 1/9
In preparation for an upcoming UN offensive, company-sized reconnaissance was conducted by 3 RAR. On the night of 20-21 Jan 1951 a smaller reconnaissance patrol from A Company was reconnoitring a village forward of the main company position. 2/9 AWM image P01813.546
An attack on the company position in the early hours of the morning prompted a 5km withdrawal, which isolated the smaller patrol in no man’s land. After encountering Chinese troops in the former company position the patrol took shelter in a hut 500m away to wait for dawn. 3/9
They were discovered by a Chinese patrol after a Korean civilian disclosed the Australian’s presence. After several days of interrogations conducted in different locations, the five men were marched to a Chinese POW camp. 4/9
There they experienced an early version of what the Chinese euphemistically dubbed their ‘Lenient Policy’. Endless days of morning lectures covering subjects such as the ‘evils of capitalism’, followed by afternoon discussion groups led by Chinese political officers. 5/9
Several days after arriving the Chinese released McDonald, Buckland and Light on 10 Feb 1951 along with a group of American POWs. Buck and Hollis were not so lucky and endured nearly three more years in captivity before being released in August 1953. 6/9
Chinese propaganda photograph taken at Camp 5, Pyoktong, North Korea, on the Yalu River near the Manchurian border. L to R Pte Robert Parker, Pte Keith Gwyther, Pte Thomas Hollis and Cpl Donald Pattison Buck. 7/9 AWM image P03874.006
A Court of Inquiry was held to determine, among other things, the circumstances of their surrender. Two issues raised the suspicion of military officials; first, the men had surrendered without anyone being wounded and second, only three of the five captured had been 8/9
released undergoing a rudimentary political indoctrination course. This inquiry indicates that the nature of capture in war had acquired an overt political connotation to it and that the motives of POWs had an element of suspicion attached them. 9/9 #KoreanWarAustPOWs
