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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 172

An unusual Korea Medal awarde Private A. H. Carter, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, who authored the book We Lived They Died about his experiences of the conflict

Korea 1950-53 (22599113 Pte A H Carter DWR), good very fine

Alan H. Carter was a native of Leicester, Leicestershire and was called up for National Service on 15 October 1951, being posted to the 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Embarking on the Dunera, he headed to Japan and from there was deployed to Korea on 31 October 1952. The book 'We Lived They Died' provides a great deal of information and commentary on the Korean War - however, Carter's most vivid descriptions are reserved for the Battle of the Hook:

'The night drags on. All at once the whole sky above the Chinese lines lights up a vivid red. Two minutes later the first shells come crashing down on top of us. The whole fighting bay shakes and soil sprinkles down on top of us. Another salvo comes in, and another; there are brilliant flashes as shells and mortar bombs explode with vibrant rainbow colours in front of our fighting bay window. My head has gone numb with the blast and I feel those pins and needles of fear in the back of my neck again. The three of us are crouching down below the window, knowing we are safe as yet from the Chinese infantrymen. But when the terrible barrage lifts, they will be here.
"Get the fags out Judd, lets have a smoke!" I yell above the din. Even Jack has one tonight and he doesn't smoke!
Crash, Crash, Crash, still they come. The whole bunker is shaking.
"Oh my God, we are going to get buried alive here Jack it's going to collapse!" I scream.
Despite the ferocity of the barrage, Sergeant Pete is running around to each bay, checking on the men and making sure the bays are in intact [sic]. We hear our own shells, mortars, and Vickers machine gun bullets whizzing through the air in reply to the enemy.
After what seems like forever, the bombardment stops. We look down the slope and see men running towards the barded wire fence which is yards deep in front of us.
"They're coming Al!" says Jack. We fire mag after mag in the light of the flares; all the Dukes' guns are firing everywhere along the front. Our gunners are still shelling them, doing tremendous damage and the Dukes' mortars and Vickers machine guns are firing too.
The attack peters out; it's over. Flares light up the front all the time now, sailing down on their small parachute silks. A Corporal comes round. "Its all over- for now, anyway" he says; and that is that for the rest of the night.'

Not long later the Brigadier and the Colonel of the Dukes came on a tour of the shattered positions occupied by 'B' Company.

'Looking up I see the Brigadier and our CO, the Colonel of the Dukes, walking towards us along the tunnel. They have started to inspect the lines of B Coy. It is standard procedure to rise when senior ranks come amongst you but today no one rises to attention. No reprimand comes from Lieutenant Tom, who is with them. Seeing our condition, the Brigadier turns to the Colonel and says "How long have these men been here?"
"Nearly two weeks."
"Get them out! Get D Company up to take over from them. They will have a job to withstand another attack of considerable size". He talks to us all, shaking our hands and saying "Well done!".

For this reason they were stationed on Hill 121 during the major attack on 28 May 1953:

'At last it is easing off a bit. The cracking and splintering sounds and thuds are slowly stopping. When it has stopped we jump up to look out of the fighting bay window; we see Chinese rushing up towards us, reaching the wire. we let them have it with everything we've got. Those that have survived the British Artillery fire are chopped and mown down by our Brens and Brownings. It is carnage. A Chinese 2-company assault is stopped in its tracks at the barbed wire defence.
Meanwhile on the Hook, the Chinese infantry has managed to reach the front trenches. They find the whole system has finally collapsed from the ferocity of their shelling. Some of the Dukes have been buried alive in the fighting bays and are unable to fire on them. Others have withdrawn to the tunnels and are fighting from them, some without Officers or NCOs. Groups of men are fighting hand to hand with the enemy all over the place. All radio contact is gone, the enemy are rampaging all over the Hook positions.'

Despite the savage fighting on the Hook Carter survived the war, recording how when the armistice was agreed he and his Sergeant fired coloured mortar flares into the air to celebrate. He was demobilised and returned first to Japan, then on to Britain. He ends the story of his National Service: 'With thanks to God we were all going home in one piece'; sold together with a copy of 'We Lived They Died'.

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Sold for
£710

Starting price
£110