A little over a week after arriving in Pusan in the Republic of Korea, 3RAR was in the vanguard of the US-led advance across the 38th parallel into North Korea.
North Korea’s capital Pyongyang was captured by the US 24th Infantry Division on 20 October. The same day, the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team (187th RCT) known as the Rakkasans made a parachute jump north of the enemy capital near the towns of Sukchon and Sunchon. Aiming to cut off retreating North Korean forces and rescue US prisoners of war being transported by train from Pyongyang to the north, the Rakkasans began moving south and soon encountered the North Korean 239th Infantry Regiment, which had been left behind as a blocking force. Situated on the high ground around the town of Yongju, the North Koreans soon had US paratroopers on the back foot. Faced with the prospect of being cut off, the paratroopers radioed for assistance.
With the 24th Division securing Pyongyang and surrounds, the 27 British Commonwealth Brigade (made up of the 1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and 3RAR) was the only formation able to assist. Led by the 1st Battalion, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the brigade passed through the enemy capital during the morning of the 21st of October.
By the evening of 21 October, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders had encountered the North Korean 239th Regiment, cleared several hills to the south of Yongju, and halted for the night. The following morning they cleared Yongju and the 1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, known as the Diehards, took up defensive positions to the north of the town.