| Place | Asia: South Korea |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL35793.001 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Medal |
| Physical description | Bronze |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1955 |
| Conflict |
Period 1950-1959 |
United Nations Service Medal for Korea : Private G O Penny, 1 Royal Australian Regiment
Description
United Nations Service Medal for Korea. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.
History / Summary
Associated with the service of 52689 Private Graham Owen Penny, born 30 January 1935. In the 1950s he enlisted in the Australian Army and served in Korea from 15 February 1955 to 6 February 1956 with 1 Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). The Korean War had ended before Penny was sent there. The end of the war came with the signing of an armistice on 27 July 1953, three years and one month after the war began, however, Australian forces remained in Korea long enough to ensure the armistice was effective. Between 1953 and 1956 the Australian battalions posted to Korea were primarily involved with fortifications, rehabilitation and training. Every few weeks, they would take part in Operation Scram. An alarm call would sound and the entire force would stand to across the Korean peninsula to test readiness to repel surprise attacks.
In April 1954 1RAR relieved 2 RAR, who returned to Australia. This left 1 RAR and 3 RAR in Korea, until September, when it was announced that 3RAR would be withdrawn, but not replaced. The Australians had been stationed on the Kansas Line, south of the Imjin River. In October 1954, 1 RAR built new accommodation called Gallipoli Camp and the troops moved from the Kansas Line to this camp. For the next seventeen months 1 RAR remained at Gallipoli camp, occupied in training, exercises, taking part in Operation Scram, policing the southern boundary of the demilitarised zone and maintaining the Kansas Line. 1 RAR was finally withdrawn from Korea in March 1956. Other Australian personnel remained with the Commonwealth Contingent, until it was dissolved in August 1957. By 1963 Penny had enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force. In that year A17162 Leading Aircraftman Penny was injured in a service transport accident while serving with No 1 Control and Reporting Unit He later served in the Malayan Peninsula and Singapore between June 1965 and August 1966.