There are certain elements
in this book that one finds hard to fault where the author is concerned.
It is well researched and well documented with thirty-seven pages
of notes; a few notes have additional explanations. Secondary and
primary sources are well integrated and the author effectively analyses
and explains the diverse experiences of the 25th Canadian Regiment
(the Royal Canadian Regiment, the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry
and the Royal 22e Regiment) in the Korean War that was a "sideshow"
for Canada (p. 96). A significant question that arises from this
work is whether the Canadian government and military have learned
any lessons from the Korean War. The contributions of the 25th Regiment
have been overlooked and their participation in Korea was more than
police action or a peacekeeping mission: it was a war.
What did members of
this distinguished regiment face? The soldiers were inadequately
trained for patrol operations, and were badly in need of "Canadian
kit and clothing"(p. 38). The problems the soldiers faced with
the 9mm Sten gun conjure up bad memories of Col. Sam Hughes and
the Ross Rifle fiasco during World War I. The soldiers had an inadequate
knowledge of all things Korean, from foods, smells, the lack of
respect for life, and even language. Consequently, it was natural,
like Jacques Cartier of old, to describe the newfound country as
God-forsaken. Furthermore, as journalist Pierre Berton has pointed
out, soldiers and military administrators were culturally insensitive.
The author also focuses
on "the nature of group dynamics" (p. 68). The 25th Regiment
worked alongside the Korean Service Corp (KSC), "an esteemed
battlefield ally," and the Korean Augmentation Troops, Commonwealth
(KATCOM) who were viewed "as interlopers at best, and dangerous
battlefield liabilities at worst"(p. 68). But there were other
dangers, such as having to fight "a highly capable Chinese
enemy" that fought and outgunned "the Canadian patrols"
(p. 80). For the most part, Canadian soldiers were unable to conduct
successful patrols. They faced a dismal battlefield performance,
but despite casualties in the battle of Hill 355, battle exhaustion
and self inflicted wounds, "Canadian casualties in Korea were
extremely light [when] compared with the carnage in the two world
wars" (p. 108). However, Watson does emphasize the fact that
"clearly, the fighting in Korea was far more lethal than the
euphemism 'police action' suggests" (p. 111). The injured,
unfortunately, received appalling medical treatment. For many, the
injuries sustained were very traumatic and deadly.
There were other dangerous
challenges the soldiers faced. Diseases such as dysentery and malaria
were a serious threat to the soldiers and "the 25th Brigade
found itself confronting a VD epidemic unparalleled in Canadian
military history" (p. 133). The author makes a humble admission
at this point when he writes that "it is difficult for the
historian writing nearly five decades after the fact to express
in print the fear induced in front line troops by the ever-present
threat of contracting hemorrhagic fever" (p. 131).
While the first eight chapters will spark rage and sympathy among
readers, chapter 9, "Forgotten People", was the chapter
that caught my attention: "the soldiers in the firing line
lived like tramps without even the most basic comforts" (p.
142). The rations were unappetizing and drinking water was unsafe.
There were rats and snakes to contend with, and climatic conditions
in the winter and the summer posed "a formidable challenge
to weapons maintenance" (p. 150). Writing paper was a scarce
commodity and there was inadequate and unsatisfactory entertainment.
While the Canadian soldiers
faced numerous hardships, deprivations and an unhappy experience
in Korea, it was the "little things" such as a turkey
dinner for Christmas that made "all the difference to lowly
combat soldiers" (p. 156). What eventually sustained the morale
of the soldiers, and in many instances, turned out to be disastrous
and fatal, was the love of "rum and coke" as the last
chapter is entitled. Alcohol, a feature of military life, took its
toll.
It is unfortunate that
a regiment that made significant contributions under adverse conditions
would not be greeted with a parade upon their return home, nor receive
the concern of their government. It was a government that was more
Eurocentric in its policies, with an army that "was seriously
overextended during the Korean War era" (p. 179). Were any
lessons learned from the Korean War experience? Perhaps not, if
the larger picture is considered and if an individual reads chapter
three ("From the Great War to the Afghan War: Canada as Soldier")
of Andrew Cohen's book While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place
in the World.
Far Eastern Tour
is more than a catalogue of pathetic situations encountered by the
25th Canadian Regiment in Korea. It solicits a greater respect and
recognition for the Canadian soldiers who fought in the Korean War.
While it is possible to criticize the government's policy makers
and military administrators for their insensitivities, I came away
from this well-written book with a greater respect for the contributions
made by the Canadian Armed Forces.
This book will cater
to a small audience such as high school students and university
students interested in military history and in those distinguished
soldiers who fought for Canada and are still living. There was a
typo error on p. 39 (the word should have been "mud").
That aside, it would be beneficial to readers to view some photographs
— even wartime illustrations and posters — and a map or
two could have been included identifying such locations as Hill
355, Kap'yong, and the Jamestown line. For two good maps and sixteen
pages of photographs, a reader should consult Ted Barris' book Deadlock
In Korea: Canadians At War, 1950-1953.
References
Barris, T. (1999). Deadlock
in Korea: Canadians at war, 1950-1953. Toronto: Macmillan Canada.
Cohen, A. (2003). While
Canada slept: How we lost our place in the world. Toronto: McClelland
& Stewart.