Chinese medal : Private J C Burgess, 3 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment

Circular brass enamelled Communist Chinese medal with ribbon. The obverse of the medal is enamelled and shows a red star at the base with light green wings on either side. A red map of China in the centre is superimposed with Chinese characters and the date '1948'. This is surrounded by white and encircled with a sky blue ring. There is part of a yellow laurel wreath on either side of the blue ring and next to this are red wings that extend beyond the circular form of the medal. A red Communist Chinese flag forms a semi-circle around the top of the medal with the pole extending into the map of China. The attached ribbon is vertically aligned red and yellow stripes.

Collected by 2/400460 Private Jim C Burgess who served in 3 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) during the Korean War. Burgess enlisted in K Force as a volunteer on 13 July 1951. He trained at Ingleburn Camp in Sydney before moving to Japan for further training. He was posted to Korea in December 1951 and served in C Company, 9 Platoon, 3RAR. He found the Chinese medals in early January 1952, near Hill 355 in Korea. After completing his tour of duty he returned to Japan in December 1952. In January 1953 he transferred to the Royal Corps of Australia Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Kure, Japan where he served until July of that year.