A reflective Ray Parry standing on the side of the Island feature in the Kapyong Valley looking ...

Accession Number P05776.145
Collection type Photograph
Object type Digital file
Maker Steel, Nigel Musselwhite
Place made Korea: 38th Parallel, Kapyong
Date made 25 March 2007
Conflict Period 2000-2009
Korea, 1950-1953
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Description

A reflective Ray Parry standing on the side of the Island feature in the Kapyong Valley looking out across the valley toward Hill 504 and the positions held by C Company 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) on the night of 23/24 April 1951. On the same night, B Company 3RAR held the Island feature and were attacked many times during the night by a large Chinese force. The then Corporal Ray Perry and his section of three soldiers, Private (Pte) Eric (Eck) Roberts, the section Bren Gunner, Pte Kevin Simms and Pte Leo Whidbourne held a defensive position all night against determined Chinese attack. For his outstanding leadership during this action Cpl Parry was awarded the Military Medal. On the morning of 24 April 1951, B Company was ordered to move across the valley to Hill 504 close to C Company. As the men of B Company moved out across the previous night's battlefield the extent of the enemy losses became apparent; the area was littered with dead Chinese soldiers. The action of these four soldiers during the Battle of Kapyong has been featured in a new diorama built for the Conflicts 1945 to Today galleries that were opened in 2007. This is one in a much larger series of photographs taken during a research visit to the site of the Battle of Kapyong in March 2007, and in particular the Island feature, by Deans Colls and Louise Skacej, the sculptors responsible for the construction of the diorama. Ray Parry accompanied the 60 Minutes television programme to Korea and his visit to the Island feature on this day was part of a collaboration between the Australian War Memorial and 60 Minutes.