THE ROYAL ULSTER RIFLES iN KOREA and the battle of imjin river

 Oh, Tommy Martin....Oh, Tommy Martin

  I'll miss you- ugly, uncouth, fartin' Tommy Martin;

  God, I'll miss you, Tommy Martin.

  Oh, Tommy Martin....Oh, Tommy Martin

  Why did you let them kill you?

  Stupid bastard , Tommy Martin!

  Oh Tommy Martin....Oh Tommy Martin;

  You know i loved you, ugly bastard;

  Father, brother, best friend, Tommy Martin.

  Oh Tommy Martin....Oh Tommy Martin,

  In your head you've gotta hole, Tommy Martin;

  Shall i push your brains back, Tommy Martin?

  Gotta hole in your head, and your dead, Tommy Martin

  Christ you look untidy, now you're dead,

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin

  Shall i let them wrap you up in; in your Soldier's

  Blanket up in; what's the point; your cold and dead,

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin

  If i put you in a hole, there's no point;

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin, for the Gooks' will dig

  you up, for your blanket and your boots...

  Tommy Martin.

  God! i'm lonely now without you, Tommy Martin

  I am lonely now you've gone; im the frightened one;

  I'm alone without you, Tommy Martin....I'm alone.

  Oh Tommy Martin....Fusilier Tommy Martin,

  I won't let them bury you; for i've a need for you!

  I'll pretend it hasn't happened ;Tommy Martin I'm afraid

  Tommy Martin i am cold, its because I'm on my own;

  If i live, I'll not forget you, Tommy Martin;

  And if i die; I'll not be lonely....I've my friend...

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin!

By Asley Cunningham -Boothe

  Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

 Oh, Tommy Martin....Oh, Tommy Martin

  I'll miss you- ugly, uncouth, fartin' Tommy Martin;

  God, I'll miss you, Tommy Martin.

  Oh, Tommy Martin....Oh, Tommy Martin

  Why did you let them kill you?

  Stupid bastard , Tommy Martin!

  Oh Tommy Martin....Oh Tommy Martin;

  You know i loved you, ugly bastard;

  Father, brother, best friend, Tommy Martin.

  Oh Tommy Martin....Oh Tommy Martin,

  In your head you've gotta hole, Tommy Martin;

  Shall i push your brains back, Tommy Martin?

  Gotta hole in your head, and your dead, Tommy Martin

  Christ you look untidy, now you're dead,

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin

  Shall i let them wrap you up in; in your Soldier's

  Blanket up in; what's the point; your cold and dead,

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin

  If i put you in a hole, there's no point;

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin, for the Gooks' will dig

  you up, for your blanket and your boots...

  Tommy Martin.

  God! i'm lonely now without you, Tommy Martin

  I am lonely now you've gone; im the frightened one;

  I'm alone without you, Tommy Martin....I'm alone.

  Oh Tommy Martin....Fusilier Tommy Martin,

  I won't let them bury you; for i've a need for you!

  I'll pretend it hasn't happened ;Tommy Martin I'm afraid

  Tommy Martin i am cold, its because I'm on my own;

  If i live, I'll not forget you, Tommy Martin;

  And if i die; I'll not be lonely....I've my friend...

  Tommy Martin....Tommy Martin!

By Asley Cunningham -Boothe

  Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

4453530 Corporal Thomas W. Martin was killed in hand-to-hand combat at Sibyon-ni, North Korea, serving with "W" Company 1st Battalion The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1950. From the book " British Forces in the Korean War " Edited by Ashley Cunningham-Boothe and Peter Farrar

4453530 Corporal Thomas W. Martin was killed in hand-to-hand combat at Sibyon-ni, North Korea, serving with "W" Company 1st Battalion The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1950. From the book " British Forces in the Korean War " Edited by Ashley Cunningham-Boothe and Peter Farrar

At the amalgamation parade at Ballykinlar in 1948 after the 83rd and 86th had become the 1st Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles.The Regiment was addressed by the Colonel of the regiment General Sir James S. Steele, who ended his speech with these words- " We shall be prepared for whatever call to service comes " That call came quicker than anyone would have ever imagined.

In the summer of 1950 the 1st Battalion then stationed at Sobraon Barracks in Colchester, was engaged in the normal routine of Field Service Battalion in a peace-time garrison.The Battalion formed part of the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade group, a formation which at this time existed more on paper and in the minds of the planners than on the ground. Brigade Headquarters was in Colchester as wsas the 45th Field Regiment Royal Artillery. The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars were in Tidworth, the 1st Battalion the Gloucestershire regiment was newly arrived in Colchester, and the third infantry Battalion the 1st Battalion the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers had not yet Joined the Brigade. the Sappers, R.A.M.C and the R.A.S.C along with other essential components of the Brigade Group were not yet formed.In the Far East the war in Korea had broken out; the out-numbered American and South Korean Forces were in difficulties and the United Nations Organisation was forced to appeal to the other member nations for assistance in the fighting zone. Great Britain despatched two Infantry Battalions in great haste from

Hong-Kong, but almost immediately announced her intention of sending a composite and self-contained Brigade Group as her contribution to the common cause.

So in the autumn the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group under Brigadier T. Brodie bacame a reality: into the 1st Battalion , whose Regular strength at this time was just below half that of a Battalion on the war establishment, something like 400 Reservists, mainly from the North Irish and Lancastrian groups were mobilised. These men in spite of their bewilderment, at the sudden turn of events were soon to prove themselves invaluable, with their considerable experience of the last war and their general steadines and the determination to get the job over and done with. In a very short time they fitted into and became part of the Battalion as a whole and indeed they were not given long to acclimatise themselves. After a very brief period of training and an even shorter period of leave, their stay in Colchester came to an end. The Colonel of the Regiment Sir James Steele, visited the Battalion on the 30th of September and addressed all reanks, saying that he was sure all would spledidly uphold the name of the unit and of the Regiment whose badge they bore. he went on to remind them that theyw were about to take part in a United Nations undertaking , which saw something new in the Annals of the British Army; and after remarking that his thirty-six years of Active Service, which had given him a great deal of adventure, had ended a few days earlier, he said that he could not resist feelings of envy for those who were just starting on this new enterprise.That night the Battalion entrained for Liverpool and on the 1st of October, embarked on the Trooper " Empire Pride " at Princes Landing Stage. Here the Secretary of State for War, Mr Strachey, was waiting to wish them Good Luck and to the future peace of the world. Many other friends of the Regiment came to wish them

Godspeed, and they set out on their journey heartened by the knowledge that they carried with them the good wishes of the whole Regiment.

At the amalgamation parade at Ballykinlar in 1948 after the 83rd and 86th had become the 1st Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles.The Regiment was addressed by the Colonel of the regiment General Sir James S. Steele, who ended his speech with these words- " We shall be prepared for whatever call to service comes " That call came quicker than anyone would have ever imagined.

In the summer of 1950 the 1st Battalion then stationed at Sobraon Barracks in Colchester, was engaged in the normal routine of Field Service Battalion in a peace-time garrison.The Battalion formed part of the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade group, a formation which at this time existed more on paper and in the minds of the planners than on the ground. Brigade Headquarters was in Colchester as wsas the 45th Field Regiment Royal Artillery. The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars were in Tidworth, the 1st Battalion the Gloucestershire regiment was newly arrived in Colchester, and the third infantry Battalion the 1st Battalion the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers had not yet Joined the Brigade. the Sappers, R.A.M.C and the R.A.S.C along with other essential components of the Brigade Group were not yet formed.In the Far East the war in Korea had broken out; the out-numbered American and South Korean Forces were in difficulties and the United Nations Organisation was forced to appeal to the other member nations for assistance in the fighting zone. Great Britain despatched two Infantry Battalions in great haste from

Hong-Kong, but almost immediately announced her intention of sending a composite and self-contained Brigade Group as her contribution to the common cause.

So in the autumn the 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group under Brigadier T. Brodie bacame a reality: into the 1st Battalion , whose Regular strength at this time was just below half that of a Battalion on the war establishment, something like 400 Reservists, mainly from the North Irish and Lancastrian groups were mobilised. These men in spite of their bewilderment, at the sudden turn of events were soon to prove themselves invaluable, with their considerable experience of the last war and their general steadines and the determination to get the job over and done with. In a very short time they fitted into and became part of the Battalion as a whole and indeed they were not given long to acclimatise themselves. After a very brief period of training and an even shorter period of leave, their stay in Colchester came to an end. The Colonel of the Regiment Sir James Steele, visited the Battalion on the 30th of September and addressed all reanks, saying that he was sure all would spledidly uphold the name of the unit and of the Regiment whose badge they bore. he went on to remind them that theyw were about to take part in a United Nations undertaking , which saw something new in the Annals of the British Army; and after remarking that his thirty-six years of Active Service, which had given him a great deal of adventure, had ended a few days earlier, he said that he could not resist feelings of envy for those who were just starting on this new enterprise.That night the Battalion entrained for Liverpool and on the 1st of October, embarked on the Trooper " Empire Pride " at Princes Landing Stage. Here the Secretary of State for War, Mr Strachey, was waiting to wish them Good Luck and to the future peace of the world. Many other friends of the Regiment came to wish them

Godspeed, and they set out on their journey heartened by the knowledge that they carried with them the good wishes of the whole Regiment.

The journey out was uneventful and not unlike any other voyage to the Far East in a trooper. Some training and a good deal of recreation were organised, and in the First Class Lounge a map was maintained showing the progress of the war in Korea.

As the Commanding Offficer, LT-Col R.J.H Carson had said in an interview with the BBC, before embarkation, the war appeared to be nearly over, and it seemed that all that would be required of the Battalion would be occupation force duties and some anti - guerilla work. Infact on the 7th of October, the United Nations had passed a unified Government in Korea and inviting the people of both North and South Korea to co-operate in the restoration of peace.

But during the last week of the voyage, new symbols began to appear in red on the war map in the " Pride " and as these increased in number, the mention of Chineese Communist Forces became more frequent in the general speculation as to the future. In the day or two before the ship reached Pusan, it became clear that the whole character of the war was changing and that a completely new phase of operations was begining in Korea. But the full implication of the advance of the Chinese armies across the Yalu river were not yet realised on board, for news was very scarce.

On the morning of the 5th of November the mountainous coastline of Korea came into sight, although partly hidden by driving squalls of rain. By midday the " Empire Pride " was anchored in Pusan harbour and , while she waited her turn to go alongside, the men on board took their first look at the bleak harbour, the squalid township beyond, and in the distance the dark and rugged mountains stretching away inland to the North.Soon after midday the ship went alongside and Major John Shaw, who had been in command of the advance party, came aboard to give the Battalion the news.In the meantime , below on the quay-side, the 56th United States Army Band,, gave us ( the Battalion ) a resounding and martial welcome. In the late afternoon the Battalion disembarked and marched to the railway station, there to entrain for Suwon, where the Brigade was to form up

The journey out was uneventful and not unlike any other voyage to the Far East in a trooper. Some training and a good deal of recreation were organised, and in the First Class Lounge a map was maintained showing the progress of the war in Korea.

As the Commanding Offficer, LT-Col R.J.H Carson had said in an interview with the BBC, before embarkation, the war appeared to be nearly over, and it seemed that all that would be required of the Battalion would be occupation force duties and some anti - guerilla work. Infact on the 7th of October, the United Nations had passed a unified Government in Korea and inviting the people of both North and South Korea to co-operate in the restoration of peace.

But during the last week of the voyage, new symbols began to appear in red on the war map in the " Pride " and as these increased in number, the mention of Chineese Communist Forces became more frequent in the general speculation as to the future. In the day or two before the ship reached Pusan, it became clear that the whole character of the war was changing and that a completely new phase of operations was begining in Korea. But the full implication of the advance of the Chinese armies across the Yalu river were not yet realised on board, for news was very scarce.

On the morning of the 5th of November the mountainous coastline of Korea came into sight, although partly hidden by driving squalls of rain. By midday the " Empire Pride " was anchored in Pusan harbour and , while she waited her turn to go alongside, the men on board took their first look at the bleak harbour, the squalid township beyond, and in the distance the dark and rugged mountains stretching away inland to the North.Soon after midday the ship went alongside and Major John Shaw, who had been in command of the advance party, came aboard to give the Battalion the news.In the meantime , below on the quay-side, the 56th United States Army Band,, gave us ( the Battalion ) a resounding and martial welcome. In the late afternoon the Battalion disembarked and marched to the railway station, there to entrain for Suwon, where the Brigade was to form up

It was dark by now and the chaos and muddle in the pitch blackness of the station were unbelievable: All those stores-petrol for cookers, rations and water-necessary for the two hundred mile journey north to Suwon ( reputed to take four or five days, if all went well ) were to have been placed on the train before the Bttalion's arrival. Infact of course they were not there and it was only after a frantic search round a very strange town in the darkness that they were eventually assembled and put on the train with the assistance of an American Driver and his truck. Thus it was brought home to the Bttalion at the very begining of the campaign, that to exist at all the Battalion would have to do everything possible to feather its own nests, in spite of the extreme helpfulness of the Americans; for evidently the british supply organisation was not yet funtioning.

Shortly before midnight the train pulled out and a tedious journey began; It was uneventful however, except for a report brought in by an American R.T.O, in the middle of the night to the effect that a guerilla ambush was expected in a tunnel some miles further north. This was treated with some scepticism; but it did at least give two of the Officers the chance of fulfilling a life long ambition by riding for the rest of the night on the footplate of the engine-ostensibly to ensure that the driver did not bolt if anything happened. In spite of this, the journey was completed in record time, and at about 1000hrs on the 7th Battalion detrained at Suwon and helped by the Pipes and Drums marched half a mile or so to billets in a silk-worm research station. Very comftable arrangements had been made by the advance party, including Capt (QM) Tom Smith and his colour sergeants, in spite of all the difficulties. The next few days were spent in collecting and sorting out the heavy baggage and stores which had followed the Battalion from Pusan by a later train. The ship carry the Battalion transport had not yet arrived at Pusan, and a party, under Captain H.D. Miller and Lieut . Alan Hill, had been left to bring the vehicles up by road when they did arrive.

Taining and acclimatisation in what were called the ' nursery slopes ' - some low hills nearby- were started immediately. Up till now the advance of the main United Nations Forces had been swift, and had generally followed the few main roads. Thus immense areas of wild and mountainous country had been bypassed and in these existed numbers of North Koreans left behind in the retreat, who had formed themselves into large well organised and potentially dangerous guerilla forces.

These forces were begining to constitute a serious menace to the 8th Army's lines of communication, and so it was that on the 11th, the battalion was put at short notice to move out on anti- guerrilla operations. In spite of the fact that almost none of the Battalion vehicles and a few of the support weapons were yet ready for use, the move took place the same day and at about 2000 hrs the four rifle companies and Battalion HQ set out in R.A.S.C transport on the road north to Seoul.

under construction

It was dark by now and the chaos and muddle in the pitch blackness of the station were unbelievable: All those stores-petrol for cookers, rations and water-necessary for the two hundred mile journey north to Suwon ( reputed to take four or five days, if all went well ) were to have been placed on the train before the Bttalion's arrival. Infact of course they were not there and it was only after a frantic search round a very strange town in the darkness that they were eventually assembled and put on the train with the assistance of an American Driver and his truck. Thus it was brought home to the Bttalion at the very begining of the campaign, that to exist at all the Battalion would have to do everything possible to feather its own nests, in spite of the extreme helpfulness of the Americans; for evidently the british supply organisation was not yet funtioning.

Shortly before midnight the train pulled out and a tedious journey began; It was uneventful however, except for a report brought in by an American R.T.O, in the middle of the night to the effect that a guerilla ambush was expected in a tunnel some miles further north. This was treated with some scepticism; but it did at least give two of the Officers the chance of fulfilling a life long ambition by riding for the rest of the night on the footplate of the engine-ostensibly to ensure that the driver did not bolt if anything happened. In spite of this, the journey was completed in record time, and at about 1000hrs on the 7th Battalion detrained at Suwon and helped by the Pipes and Drums marched half a mile or so to billets in a silk-worm research station. Very comftable arrangements had been made by the advance party, including Capt (QM) Tom Smith and his colour sergeants, in spite of all the difficulties. The next few days were spent in collecting and sorting out the heavy baggage and stores which had followed the Battalion from Pusan by a later train. The ship carry the Battalion transport had not yet arrived at Pusan, and a party, under Captain H.D. Miller and Lieut . Alan Hill, had been left to bring the vehicles up by road when they did arrive.

Taining and acclimatisation in what were called the ' nursery slopes ' - some low hills nearby- were started immediately. Up till now the advance of the main United Nations Forces had been swift, and had generally followed the few main roads. Thus immense areas of wild and mountainous country had been bypassed and in these existed numbers of North Koreans left behind in the retreat, who had formed themselves into large well organised and potentially dangerous guerilla forces.

These forces were begining to constitute a serious menace to the 8th Army's lines of communication, and so it was that on the 11th, the battalion was put at short notice to move out on anti- guerrilla operations. In spite of the fact that almost none of the Battalion vehicles and a few of the support weapons were yet ready for use, the move took place the same day and at about 2000 hrs the four rifle companies and Battalion HQ set out in R.A.S.C transport on the road north to Seoul.

under construction