A man who won the Military Medal (MM) for gallantry during the fighting in Korea in the early ...

A man who won the Military Medal (MM) for gallantry during the fighting in Korea in the early days of the campaign, is now back there for his second tour of duty, plays 'Mine Host' to his fellow diggers as manager of the canteen at Headquarters,28 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade. He is Lance Corporal (L Cpl) Alfred 'Chalky' White, of Pelican Flats, Newcastle, NSW. Twenty-six-year-old L Cpl White was a rigger on trading vessels around Thursday Island before he joined up, and he and his cobber were the first white men from the Island to volunteer for Korea. L Cpl White's friend was killed in the early fighting, but L Cpl White survived to win the MM for bravery during a platoon attack in the Samichon Valley in 1952. He was then serving with the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), which, as a unit, received an American Presidential Citation for outstanding courage in the Battle of Kapyong. L Cpl White's enlistment must be unique in its casualness. He recalls, ' we just walked into the pearl-shell trading centre and said we wanted to go to Korea'. L Cpl White arrived back in Korea on his second tour six months ago. In addition to running the canteen, he buys all its stocks, and runs the recently constructed adjoining beer garden. Here L Cpl White is checking up on his stock. (Original British Commonwealth Forces Korea (BCFK) Public Relations caption).