The Battle of Kapyong, (April 23–25, 1951), a Korean War battle in which a vastly outnumbered United Nations Forces checked the communist advance on the South Korean capital of Seoul. The Chinese advance was part of a Korea-wide offensive with the objective of destroying the strength of UN Forces and regaining ground lost during the first UN counteroffensive in the winter of 1951. One of the objectives was to recapture Seoul but the offensive had a much wider aim and scope. A component of that United Nations Force was a handful of volunteer Canadian soldiers. Significantly outnumbered, perhaps five to one, Canadians and their allied colleagues fought a massive Chinese night assault. If Kapyong had fallen, it would have opened up a big breach in the UN lines, risking Seoul and the stability of the UN Command’s overall defences. But it did not fall that night, thanks in large part to those Canadian soldiers. Those soldiers were members of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI) – they were the vanguard of the Canadian Army Special Force recruited specifically for Korean War service. The remainder of the force, the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade, would arrive in Korea in May 1951 after training in Fort Lewis. The Chinese advance was halted thanks to the resistance of the Canadians, as well as the efforts of 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (whose hill was taken out the night before the attack on the Canadians), New Zealand artillery, and an American tank unit. All four of these units later received the Presidential Unit Citation for their defence of the Kapyong valley. Photo - Thanks to CWM - CWMMCG ARCH PHOTOS 52A 5 1.84 |
