Colonel John Murray Church DSO (Rtd) as a lieutenant platoon commander 3rd Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), Korea 1950-1951, interviewed by Colonel David Chinn MBE (Rtd)

Church speaks of Officer and post-graduate military training before posting to 3 RAR in Japan in March 1949; experience with 3 RAR in training, as well as other duties; posting as aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Commander-in-Chief (CinC) British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF; his rejoining 3 RAR in early December 1950 in North Korea ; reactions to the operational environment and climatic adjustment; the tactical situation facing 3 RAR and its 27th Commonwealth Brigade, and his long road patrol of three hours to locate any enemy; the range of military experience of members of 3 RAR; the effectiveness of 3 RAR's administration in supporting operations; further reflections on the effect of the extreme cold on operations; reactions to encountering the Chinese Army initially, the Chinese lack of artillery yet well prepared defensive positions supported by mortars and machine guns; the lack of significant operations in the period December 1950- March 1951 but his dreading of Sundays; his further experience of patrolling in the Korean tactical and climatic environment; the circumstances of the operational environment which put most strain on 3 RAR; the problems of evacuation of casualties and dead from actions forward of our positions; the lack of mine-warfare activity and use of barbed wire; the characteristics of flanking and in-support allied forces; the integration of reinforcements into his platoon replacing casualties and other 'evacuees'; 3 RAR's individual soldier rotation system in comparison with the RAR unit rotation system used in South Vietnam; his being wounded in the brigade attack on 11 March 1951; the most testing time as a platoon commander in 3 RAR; an event of light amusement being the 3 RAR Officers' Mess Christmas party; events raising unit morale; the standards of medical and hygiene facilities; the illnesses reducing the battalion's manning level significantly; amenities provided for the battalion and the system of leave to Japan; the members of 3 RAR having the most influence on him; his experiences as a staff officer in Japan following discharge from hospital.