Veterans pay respects 73 years after the Battle of Kapyong

Commonwealth veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War paid their respects to fallen compatriots during a ceremony held at the United Nations Memorial Ceremony in Busan on Tuesday, the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong.

A Korean War veteran from Canada pays his respects to fallen compatriots during a ceremony held at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on Tuesday, the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong.

Commonwealth veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War paid their respects to fallen compatriots during a ceremony held at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan on Tuesday, the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong.

Twenty-one veterans and surviving family members of those who fell during the war traveled to Korea from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to attend the ceremony.

The Battle of Kapyong was fought from April 22 to 27, 1951, between United Nations Command forces composed primarily of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealander troops and invading Chinese soldiers along the Gapyeong River leading south to Seoul.

The two forward battalions of the UN forces in the area — the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry — were supported by guns from the 16th Field Regiment of the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery, along with two companies of U.S. mortars, 15 Sherman tanks from the U.S. 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, two companies of the U.S. 74th Engineer Combat Battalion and the 1st Battalion of the British Middlesex Regiment.

The two Commonwealth battalions bore the brunt of the Chinese assault and stopped their advance during the hard-fought defensive battle.

The actions of the Australian and Canadian battalions were critical in preventing a breakthrough against the United Nations forces' central front, the encirclement of U.S. forces in Korea and ultimately the capture of Seoul.

The Battle of Kapyong is widely regarded as the most significant action fought by Canadian and Australian forces in Korea, and the most famous battle fought by the Canadian military since World War II.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]