2RHPZ
06-01-2004, 03:32 PM
Operation Buffalo
August 13-14, 1952
Robert O'Neil
In late June 1952, 28 Bde relieved 25 Bde on the Jamestown Line, in an area NE of the Samichon River. From the central sector, 3 RAR, flanked by 1 KSLI to the left and 1RAR to the right, was to embark on two raids to capture a prisoner. This is the second raid.
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In mid-August, 3 RAR was ordered to make another attempt to capture a prisoner. This time, L/Col Hughes planned to use a stronger force, employing the whole of B Coy. The raid, Operation Buffalo, was directed at Hill 75, 1200 meters to the west of the battalion defences. This Chinese outpost was on the southern tip of a ridge which projected southwards from their main defensive line. It was 600 meters east of the Samichon, and could be attacked from three sides. It was held by a platoon supported by two machine-guns.
B Coy, commanded by Capt R P Richardson, moved out of its defences at 9 pm on 13 August to lie up in front of the enemy position before attacking at 11:45 pm. Richardson ordered 6 Pl (Lt L B Zwolanski) to make the initial assault, covered by 4 Pl (Lt J H Humphrey), which was to follow up on the right flank, while 5 Pl formed a reserve and held a firm base position. At 11:45 pm supporting tanks, artillery, mortars, and machine-guns opened fire on Hill 75 and the men of 6 Pl crept forward to within a safe distance, ready to assault as soon as the fire lifted. They encountered an enemy submachine-gunner in a crawl trench halfway up the hill and killed him as he tried to escape.
At 11:55 pm the fire lifted and 6 Pl assaulted, capturing the southern part of the enemy's defences without much opposition. Richardson moved his HQ group and 4 Pl up behind 6 Pl, which continued to assault the central and northern areas of the position. Humphrey sent one of his sections to the left flank of 6 Pl, and another to the right, to offer better protection to the assaulting troops.
hurled grenades
Zwolanski (known as Lieutenant George by the Diggers of 6 Pl) attacked the central area of the hilltop with two sections in extended line followed by platoon headquarters and his third section. The front line of attackers sprayed the first enemy trenches they crossed with machine-gun fire and hurled grenades into them. Once past this line of trenches the leading sections were fired upon from the rear by the enemy, who had re-emerged from their protective cover. The third section attacked savagely with Owen guns and phosphorous grenades, killing six Chinese. The section took up fire positions over the trench-line and continued to grenade the enemy fortifications and some tunnel entrances which were visible. The left forward section, led by Cpl M W Wilson, was fired on at ten meter range by a medium machine-gun, and several Chinese threw a shower of grenades into the attacking Australians, wounding many of them. Wilson attacked the machine-gun single handed, running ahead and hurling phosphorous grenades at the crew. He killed the gunner, but it was not until after Wilson's section had been sprayed with sub-machinegun fire that another Australian (Pte R K Cashman) killed the gunner's companion with an Owen gun, so preventing many casualties. The left section of 4 Pl, moving up on the right flank behind 6 Pl, sealed off an enemy escape tunnel, killing one man as he tried to leave.
tunnels
The Chinese withdrew into deep tunnels and brought down heavy 81 mm mortar fire onto their defences. By 12:20 am the Company's losses had become serious and a withdrawal was ordered.
More casualties were suffered from mortar fire as 6 Pl, followed by 4 Pl and Company HQ, moved back through the firm base held by 5 Pl. The raid had cost B Coy one killed, 24 wounded, and 2 missing. At least 12 Chinese had been killed. Richardson was awarded the MC, and Wilson the MM. Zwolanski was awarded the US Bronze Star for his leadership and bravery in the face of the heavy Chinese mortar fire. Cpl B Saville and Pte L C Holden were both awarded the MM, partly for this action and partly for their role in a later patrol clash in which they participated on 28/29 Sept.
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Footnote: Lieut George Zwolanski was a former WWII Polish Army officer, and the holder of the Polish equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
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Postscript: (by Ron Cashman)
Our task was to capture prisoners. 6 Pl performed the actual raid and ran into much stronger defenses than expected. Chinese encountered on the way up the hill fought it out and were killed. Others appeared from under-ground as our people went past and caused some casualties. By the time those of us who remained reached the main defense trenches at the top of 75 we were sadly depleted and 'Prisoners' was the last thought in anyone's mind.
L/Cpl Max Wilson, despite having been decked by a burst from a burp gun, his flak jacket saving his life, got to his feet and wiped out a machine gun post which was creating havoc. Soon after, a grenade put him out of action. The platn. was ordered to withdraw and, with the aid of 4 pltn. who had joined the fray, they did.
6 was virtually finished as a unit, having paid the price with 3 dead, 1 WIA and captured, plus a further 22 WIA. No true figure can be put on Chinese casualties, but they were quite considerable. As it was, no one hung around to count the bodies.
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Postscript: (by Jack Blankley a Sig in Company HQ)
........"the crackle of automatic fire can be heard faintly when there is a pause in the artillery, and shells bursting near the CP bring fine trickles of dust from the sand-bagged roof onto the heads of the listening officers in BHQ ......
.....when the last soldier is back within our lines, and not before, the men in the CP can relax while waiting for fuller reports to be delivered. When the last messages have been phoned through to Brigade, and the weary men move off to their bunkers for a well-earned sleep, an orange hue in the East portends the arrival of another day ....."
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Casualties during the operation:
Killed: D. Whitehouse - no known grave.
Died of Wounds: T. ****, R. Hill
Wounded: 22
P. O. W.: A. Jacobs
Chinese dead: At least 12, no one stayed around to count them
Account by Eddie Wright
Eddie Wright, BCoy, 3 RAR
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I was the platoon signaller with 6 platoon B. Coy on the 13-14 August 1952. We were the assault platoon in the operation. I and Lt. George and Sgt. Frewin were platoon H.Q. My task was to keep contact with our company H.Q. and some fire tasks with the Centurion tanks and Mortars. Also, I was to take over the flame thrower if Sgt Frewin became a casualty. So you see I was well and truly loaded up with a few tasks if things went drastically wrong.
We crossed the Sami-Chon valley through the burnt out village of Song-gok to our forming up area at the bottom of the hill to assault. As Zero hour arrived, we commenced our assault with 2 sections forward, H.Q. in the centre, and one section behind.
We ran into problems right from the start, as the Chinese had a listening post with 2 men manning it. The lead section on platoon HQ right dispatched the 2 Chinamen into the land of their ancestors.
At this stage, after we jumped over the first lot of trenches, our artillery started to come in onto our objective in front.
We continued the assault. Platoon H.Q. had lost the flame thrower, but we continued the assault anyway.
Lt. George may have realized that without the flame thrower we were going to have a hard time trying to get the Chinese out of their underground bunkers. Anyway, at this stage I saw Lt. George was on fire from phosphorous.
We were assaulting at a fair pace, and I was chasing after the Lt. I managed to tackle him with a good rugby tackle and started to throw dirt all over him trying to put out the flames and he was calling me all the names that he could think of. I don't think he realized what I was trying to do.
It didn't take more than a few seconds to get the flames out and brush the phosphorous off and he then got straight up. He didn't bother to say thanks, and was off to catch up with the lead sections, and left me to catch up with him. This is when things started to get a bit hairy for me.
There was artillery and mortars and tanks firing from our side, and now the Chinese mortars started to get stuck into us.
At this time I could no longer see the platoon commander, so I continued to move to the top of the hill and still couldn't find him or any of the platoon. I then went into this small saddle and came across a few bodies of Chinese dead and wounded. I think a few had been killed and wounded by our shelling, maybe some by our assault. Any way, I decided I wasn't in a very welcome place so I moved towards our lines off the saddle.
As I staggered off, I fell into this very deep Chinese trench.
As I picked myself up, I was just in time to see this group of Chinese coming out of this large bunker. I had only one magazine left, so I pressed the trigger and let them have the whole magazine, and started to run along the deep trench. I hoped to God that the Centurion tanks had collapsed the trench somewhere along the way.
My prayers were answered. They had done a good job and I was able to get out and continue down the hill.
Nearing the bottom, I came across one of our wounded. I helped him up, he was in a terrible state. Phosphorous was burning into his scalp, and both legs.
I got him down to the paddy field and took off my flak jacket, and then my shirt. I doused my shirt into the paddy field muck, ripped my shirt into pieces, and wrapped it around his head and legs, and it calmed him down a bit.
We continued along the valley floor until our faithful stretcher bearers arrived.
Daylight was just breaking when we reached our mine field and listening post, and through to our own lines. It was great to be back.
Another incident worth mentioning is Ron Cashman's encounter with three Chinese soldiers. He can tell that story.
The withdrawal was an outstanding success, when all things are considered. We got all of the wounded back except one. Poor old "papa" Jacobs was unconscious and we couldn't find him, but all the other 24 wounded were got back safely across the valley to our own lines. One of our wounded that we got back died later in hospitol. Trevor **** was his name. Also, Racer Hill died as a result of his wounds.
The Canadian flak jacket that I wore that night and morning without a doubt saved my life. After removing it to help my mate who was wounded, I had put it back on. Back in our lines, when I took it off again and looked at it, it was completely shredded with shrapnel and bullets. But all I got was slight bruising and welts around the midsection and back.
The Lord was with me, I reckon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 31, 1999.
Eddie Wright
http://www.kmike.com/oz/
August 13-14, 1952
Robert O'Neil
In late June 1952, 28 Bde relieved 25 Bde on the Jamestown Line, in an area NE of the Samichon River. From the central sector, 3 RAR, flanked by 1 KSLI to the left and 1RAR to the right, was to embark on two raids to capture a prisoner. This is the second raid.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In mid-August, 3 RAR was ordered to make another attempt to capture a prisoner. This time, L/Col Hughes planned to use a stronger force, employing the whole of B Coy. The raid, Operation Buffalo, was directed at Hill 75, 1200 meters to the west of the battalion defences. This Chinese outpost was on the southern tip of a ridge which projected southwards from their main defensive line. It was 600 meters east of the Samichon, and could be attacked from three sides. It was held by a platoon supported by two machine-guns.
B Coy, commanded by Capt R P Richardson, moved out of its defences at 9 pm on 13 August to lie up in front of the enemy position before attacking at 11:45 pm. Richardson ordered 6 Pl (Lt L B Zwolanski) to make the initial assault, covered by 4 Pl (Lt J H Humphrey), which was to follow up on the right flank, while 5 Pl formed a reserve and held a firm base position. At 11:45 pm supporting tanks, artillery, mortars, and machine-guns opened fire on Hill 75 and the men of 6 Pl crept forward to within a safe distance, ready to assault as soon as the fire lifted. They encountered an enemy submachine-gunner in a crawl trench halfway up the hill and killed him as he tried to escape.
At 11:55 pm the fire lifted and 6 Pl assaulted, capturing the southern part of the enemy's defences without much opposition. Richardson moved his HQ group and 4 Pl up behind 6 Pl, which continued to assault the central and northern areas of the position. Humphrey sent one of his sections to the left flank of 6 Pl, and another to the right, to offer better protection to the assaulting troops.
hurled grenades
Zwolanski (known as Lieutenant George by the Diggers of 6 Pl) attacked the central area of the hilltop with two sections in extended line followed by platoon headquarters and his third section. The front line of attackers sprayed the first enemy trenches they crossed with machine-gun fire and hurled grenades into them. Once past this line of trenches the leading sections were fired upon from the rear by the enemy, who had re-emerged from their protective cover. The third section attacked savagely with Owen guns and phosphorous grenades, killing six Chinese. The section took up fire positions over the trench-line and continued to grenade the enemy fortifications and some tunnel entrances which were visible. The left forward section, led by Cpl M W Wilson, was fired on at ten meter range by a medium machine-gun, and several Chinese threw a shower of grenades into the attacking Australians, wounding many of them. Wilson attacked the machine-gun single handed, running ahead and hurling phosphorous grenades at the crew. He killed the gunner, but it was not until after Wilson's section had been sprayed with sub-machinegun fire that another Australian (Pte R K Cashman) killed the gunner's companion with an Owen gun, so preventing many casualties. The left section of 4 Pl, moving up on the right flank behind 6 Pl, sealed off an enemy escape tunnel, killing one man as he tried to leave.
tunnels
The Chinese withdrew into deep tunnels and brought down heavy 81 mm mortar fire onto their defences. By 12:20 am the Company's losses had become serious and a withdrawal was ordered.
More casualties were suffered from mortar fire as 6 Pl, followed by 4 Pl and Company HQ, moved back through the firm base held by 5 Pl. The raid had cost B Coy one killed, 24 wounded, and 2 missing. At least 12 Chinese had been killed. Richardson was awarded the MC, and Wilson the MM. Zwolanski was awarded the US Bronze Star for his leadership and bravery in the face of the heavy Chinese mortar fire. Cpl B Saville and Pte L C Holden were both awarded the MM, partly for this action and partly for their role in a later patrol clash in which they participated on 28/29 Sept.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote: Lieut George Zwolanski was a former WWII Polish Army officer, and the holder of the Polish equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Postscript: (by Ron Cashman)
Our task was to capture prisoners. 6 Pl performed the actual raid and ran into much stronger defenses than expected. Chinese encountered on the way up the hill fought it out and were killed. Others appeared from under-ground as our people went past and caused some casualties. By the time those of us who remained reached the main defense trenches at the top of 75 we were sadly depleted and 'Prisoners' was the last thought in anyone's mind.
L/Cpl Max Wilson, despite having been decked by a burst from a burp gun, his flak jacket saving his life, got to his feet and wiped out a machine gun post which was creating havoc. Soon after, a grenade put him out of action. The platn. was ordered to withdraw and, with the aid of 4 pltn. who had joined the fray, they did.
6 was virtually finished as a unit, having paid the price with 3 dead, 1 WIA and captured, plus a further 22 WIA. No true figure can be put on Chinese casualties, but they were quite considerable. As it was, no one hung around to count the bodies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Postscript: (by Jack Blankley a Sig in Company HQ)
........"the crackle of automatic fire can be heard faintly when there is a pause in the artillery, and shells bursting near the CP bring fine trickles of dust from the sand-bagged roof onto the heads of the listening officers in BHQ ......
.....when the last soldier is back within our lines, and not before, the men in the CP can relax while waiting for fuller reports to be delivered. When the last messages have been phoned through to Brigade, and the weary men move off to their bunkers for a well-earned sleep, an orange hue in the East portends the arrival of another day ....."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Casualties during the operation:
Killed: D. Whitehouse - no known grave.
Died of Wounds: T. ****, R. Hill
Wounded: 22
P. O. W.: A. Jacobs
Chinese dead: At least 12, no one stayed around to count them
Account by Eddie Wright
Eddie Wright, BCoy, 3 RAR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was the platoon signaller with 6 platoon B. Coy on the 13-14 August 1952. We were the assault platoon in the operation. I and Lt. George and Sgt. Frewin were platoon H.Q. My task was to keep contact with our company H.Q. and some fire tasks with the Centurion tanks and Mortars. Also, I was to take over the flame thrower if Sgt Frewin became a casualty. So you see I was well and truly loaded up with a few tasks if things went drastically wrong.
We crossed the Sami-Chon valley through the burnt out village of Song-gok to our forming up area at the bottom of the hill to assault. As Zero hour arrived, we commenced our assault with 2 sections forward, H.Q. in the centre, and one section behind.
We ran into problems right from the start, as the Chinese had a listening post with 2 men manning it. The lead section on platoon HQ right dispatched the 2 Chinamen into the land of their ancestors.
At this stage, after we jumped over the first lot of trenches, our artillery started to come in onto our objective in front.
We continued the assault. Platoon H.Q. had lost the flame thrower, but we continued the assault anyway.
Lt. George may have realized that without the flame thrower we were going to have a hard time trying to get the Chinese out of their underground bunkers. Anyway, at this stage I saw Lt. George was on fire from phosphorous.
We were assaulting at a fair pace, and I was chasing after the Lt. I managed to tackle him with a good rugby tackle and started to throw dirt all over him trying to put out the flames and he was calling me all the names that he could think of. I don't think he realized what I was trying to do.
It didn't take more than a few seconds to get the flames out and brush the phosphorous off and he then got straight up. He didn't bother to say thanks, and was off to catch up with the lead sections, and left me to catch up with him. This is when things started to get a bit hairy for me.
There was artillery and mortars and tanks firing from our side, and now the Chinese mortars started to get stuck into us.
At this time I could no longer see the platoon commander, so I continued to move to the top of the hill and still couldn't find him or any of the platoon. I then went into this small saddle and came across a few bodies of Chinese dead and wounded. I think a few had been killed and wounded by our shelling, maybe some by our assault. Any way, I decided I wasn't in a very welcome place so I moved towards our lines off the saddle.
As I staggered off, I fell into this very deep Chinese trench.
As I picked myself up, I was just in time to see this group of Chinese coming out of this large bunker. I had only one magazine left, so I pressed the trigger and let them have the whole magazine, and started to run along the deep trench. I hoped to God that the Centurion tanks had collapsed the trench somewhere along the way.
My prayers were answered. They had done a good job and I was able to get out and continue down the hill.
Nearing the bottom, I came across one of our wounded. I helped him up, he was in a terrible state. Phosphorous was burning into his scalp, and both legs.
I got him down to the paddy field and took off my flak jacket, and then my shirt. I doused my shirt into the paddy field muck, ripped my shirt into pieces, and wrapped it around his head and legs, and it calmed him down a bit.
We continued along the valley floor until our faithful stretcher bearers arrived.
Daylight was just breaking when we reached our mine field and listening post, and through to our own lines. It was great to be back.
Another incident worth mentioning is Ron Cashman's encounter with three Chinese soldiers. He can tell that story.
The withdrawal was an outstanding success, when all things are considered. We got all of the wounded back except one. Poor old "papa" Jacobs was unconscious and we couldn't find him, but all the other 24 wounded were got back safely across the valley to our own lines. One of our wounded that we got back died later in hospitol. Trevor **** was his name. Also, Racer Hill died as a result of his wounds.
The Canadian flak jacket that I wore that night and morning without a doubt saved my life. After removing it to help my mate who was wounded, I had put it back on. Back in our lines, when I took it off again and looked at it, it was completely shredded with shrapnel and bullets. But all I got was slight bruising and welts around the midsection and back.
The Lord was with me, I reckon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 31, 1999.
Eddie Wright
http://www.kmike.com/oz/