A heroes' welcome after the 'Forgotten War'
TODAY MANY CLAIM IT
to be the "Forgotten War'' but in
Southampton, more than half a
century ago, the survivors of the
cruel, harsh conditions of Korea
were welcomed with open arms
by those who always
remembered.
For the crowds that thronged
the city's docksides, in the
autumn of 1953, waiting for
that first glimpse of a loved one,
who had been fighting for
freedom in a foreign land that
previously many British people
had never considered, must have
seemed like an eternity.
However, 58 years ago, the
country, still carrying the deep
scars of the Second World War,
had to face up to another
conflict when at 4am on June
25, 1950 the Cold War erupted
into flames as the North Korean
army launched an all-out
offensive against the South.
Britain answered the call to
arms as once again the British
Tommy went into battle in a
country far away that for most
people, at the time, would be
hard to find on a map.
There is still a feeling,
especially among those that
endured the terrible hardships of
Korea, that this conflict has been
forgotten and overshadowed by
the Second World War.
The Korean War exacted a
heavy toll on all sides with the
British forces suffering 1,078
killed in action, 2,674 wounded
and 1,060 missing or taken
prisoner.
The Weekend magazine in the Daily Echo has a number of fantastic pictures from the homecoming of the POWs and a three page feature.
5:24pm Saturday 19th July 2008
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