James Carne: Difference between revisions

Carne was 45 years old and a lieutenant colonel commanding the 1st Battalion, [[Gloucestershire Regiment|The Gloucestershire Regiment]] in November 1950 when the regiment was attached to the [[29th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|29th Independent Infantry Brigade]] and deployed to Korea following the outbreak of the [[Korean War]]. Carne led his battalion as they provided the rearguard to retreating [[United Nations]] forces following their defeat at the [[Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River]].<ref>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|pp. =50, 55–57</ref>55, 57}} He also led the Glosters in a successful a counter-offensive launched by UN forces on 16 February south of the [[Han River (Korea)|River Han]].<ref>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|pp. 105–107</ref>=105−107}}

In early April, Carne and his battalion were spread over a 9-mile (14&nbsp;km) front along the [[Imjin River]] guarding a ford which was part of the main route to the city of [[Seoul]]. During the night of 22 April, Chinese forces launched their [[Chinese Spring Offensive|Spring Offensive]] which was intended to annihilate the British 29th Brigade as well as the US [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]], thus enabling the capture of Seoul and delivering a crushing blow to UN forces in Korea.<ref>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|pp. 128–129</ref>=128−129}}

By the morning of 24 April, Carne and the surviving Glosters gathered on Hill 235 where he received orders from 3rd Division commander [[Robert H. Soule|General Soule]] that the Glosters were to hold their ground and await reinforcements.<ref name{{sfn|Salmon|2010|pp="Salmon p. 187">Salmon p. 187</ref>}} These reinforcements, however, were forced to retreat just 2,000 yards (1,800 m) short of the Glosters' position, leaving the Glosters alone in trying to hold Hill 235 against an entire Chinese division.<ref>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|pp. =129, 203–206</ref>203−206}} Both sides fought fiercely throughout the night for control over the hill and by the morning of 25 April, the Glosters still held the hill but had very little ammunition, no hope of relief and no artillery support. Carne requested permission to attempt a breakout and ordered his men to split into small groups and make as best they could back to the British lines. Only 63 of his men would succeed in doing this with the rest of the battalion, including Carne, being either killed, captured or wounded.<ref>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|pp. 206–225</ref>=206−225}} Despite the battalion's effective annihilation, the Gloster's stand earned them worldwide fame as ''The Glorious Glosters'' and had enabled the rest of the British and American forces to retreat before they too were overwhelmed.<ref name=salmon-quotes>{{sfn|Salmon |2010|p. =314</ref>}}

[[File:Lieutenant Colonel James Power Carne VC, DSO.jpg|thumb|left|Lieutenant-Colonel James Carne VC pictured in 1953 after his return from the Korean War.]]