Korean Winter

by Griff Hosker

  When we returned to the complex, we heard that L had arrived and would be joining us for dinner. We were in the officer’s club bar when he arrived. As usual, he was chain-smoking. It seemed to be an occupational hazard. Since my time in the hospital, I had smoked my pipe less. He gave me a thin smile, “Well done, Major Harsker. Your operation was successful and the rescue of Sergeant Callow might have resulted in a Victoria Cross under normal circumstances but as you have one and the mission was a delicate one…”

  I nodded, “I understand, er, Colonel?”

  He smiled, “We will stick with Churchill. I have a fondness for the name. As for your records, the incident was noted and I dare say a promotion might be forthcoming.”

  I shook my head, “This is my last foray, Colonel. When I am done here, I go back to my family!”

  “That is a pity. You appear to have a knack for it.” He turned to Major Aitkens, “Has our little red said anymore?”

  “He keeps demanding a lawyer and since he has realised that this is an American base, he has the effrontery to demand to speak with someone from the Consulate.”

  The man known as L laughed, “You have to admire his cheek. We learned a little more while I was in England. His father died at Dunkirk and the rest of his family were killed by a V1 rocket at the end of the war. The estate simply disappeared. No heir was found as Blair had changed his name. That may be another reason for his bitterness towards the British establishment.”

  Major Aitkens nodded towards our table which was now ready, “We can eat and tomorrow morning we can begin the real interrogation. It is a pity that our hands are tied in terms of the methods we might use. Our enemies are not so concerned about their methods.”

  We sat and the two Intelligence Officers talked of how they would approach it. We were drinking our coffee when L said, “You have been quiet, Harsker; is it the wound?”

  To be honest I had endured worse pains from other wounds and I shook my head, “I still don’t know what use I will be. You people seem to know your business, I will just be a spare part!”

  L shook his head and lit a cigarette, “When we had some psychologists look at Blair’s profile, they saw things that we didn’t. They seem to think that you are someone of interest to him. You joined as a private and rose through the ranks yet your father was well off. You are seen as a humanitarian officer. You lead from the front.”

  I was confused, “And …?”

  “And you make him question what his Communist masters have told him about British officers. You proved them wrong and he resents you. Perhaps he worries about his sexual preferences and you are a threat there. Happily married and attractive to the opposite sex, it may be that he is attracted to you too!” he shrugged, “One of the mind doctors told me that.”

  My eyes widened, “But…”

  Kathleen put her hand on mine, “This is all conjecture, Tom, and may not be true but the point is we can use you if we have to. First, we try our old-fashioned techniques. You are the joker we play if it is needed.”

  I was not needed for the next three days. I decided to get fit for I knew I would be returning to action at some stage. They had a PX on the base and I managed to get some gear to use for running. I could not leave the base as it would have entailed too many problems at the gate and so I had a circuit around the buildings. When it became obvious that I would not be needed soon I increased the length of the runs. The nature of my wound meant that it did not impair my running. In fact, the opposite. It was sitting which caused me discomfort. When I ate with the two Intelligence Officers at night, they were circumspect about what they had discovered. I guessed, from the cigarettes they smoked and their general demeanour, that they were not getting as far as they might have liked. What I did learn was that Blair thought I was dead and had succumbed to my wounds.

  I was sent for, as I came back from my run, on the fourth day. “Major Aitkens asked if you would dress, sir, and join them at the cell block. If you wait outside with your ID you will be admitted. No firearms are permitted, sir.”

  I put on my travelling uniform and took my pipe. I don’t know why I did that but, I suppose, it was something to hold and with which to fiddle. The room in which Blair was being questioned was in the heart of the building and there were no windows. An armed guard stood next to the door.

  The Staff Sergeant who escorted me to the room said, “The room is soundproofed, sir, and, as you might have noticed there are few windows in the whole building. It means the prisoners can be disorientated. We manipulate the days so that they lose all track of time. Right now, the prisoner thinks it is the middle of the night. Someone will be out for you in a short while. Until then you will have to be patient sir. This one is slippery!”

  So, Blair had had an effect on the Americans too.

  I did not have to wait long and I was just filling my pipe when the door opened and a corporal, complete with sidearm said, “Major, if you would like to come in.” He spoke quietly and, as I entered, I saw that the two Intelligence Officers were facing Blair whose back was to me. The corporal closed the door quietly behind him and Kathleen waved me to a seat next to her. Blair did not turn as I passed him but, when I had passed him, he looked up. His face showed great surprise and then blackened to show shock and outrage.

  “You are dead! They told me you were dead.” He jabbed a finger across the table at the two of them. “Typical lies!”

  I saw now one of the reasons I was here. Blair had been, seemingly, in control, but the sight of me set him off and made him unstable. They could exploit that.

  L said, as he stubbed out a cigarette, “We said no such thing. You assumed he had been killed and we merely allowed you to continue to think so. Sit down, Major.”

  I could see that Blair was rattled. I took out my pipe and continued to fill it. I knew that it would annoy him. Blair said, “Can’t bear to look at me, eh? Still guilty about the men who died following your orders.” I tamped down the tobacco and took out a match. “You are a heartless bastard! I should have let Roy slit your throat like he wanted.” Roy, that had been Marsh’s first name, and Marsh had been a simple lad taken in by Blair’s lies. “You will get yours one day.”

  I had the pipe going and I let the smoke out slowly and looked him in the eyes for the first time, “But not by you, eh, Blair? You will be tried and you will be hanged.”

  His eyes widened, “I will have my day in court then and this travesty of justice will be remedied. I will never be hanged. I have friends and they are in high places!” He jabbed a finger at L, “one of the men who command you is one. I will never hang and you cannot make me talk! Now let me return to my bed.”

  He had already said more than he intended. The sleep deprivation was working. I decided to use something that L had said. I would mention the radios and see what effect it had on him. I smiled, “Don’t worry, Blair, or whatever your real name is, we have replaced every radio operator in every British unit in Korea. Your plan has failed!”

  It was then that he lost his temper. He lunged over the table at me. I had been watching him carefully and I anticipated the move. The guard on the door grabbed for his gun but I merely moved to the side. He was tired and he was slow. He knocked the cups to the floor and he ended up cracking his head from the tiles. The sentry reached him and pinned his arms behind his back. I took my pipe from my mouth, “You were always a poor Commando, Blair.”

  Major Aitkens stood, “Take him back to his cell and the next time we interrogate him he is to be handcuffed!”

  “What about my head? I am bleeding!”

  She smiled, “When the doctor can find the time have him stick a band-aid on the wound, eh corporal?”

  When we were alone the MI6 man became serious, “There was a rumour that there was someone high up in MI6 who was a spy. This confirms it. Very effective, Harsker, and well-done Kathleen, you chose precisely the right moment to bring him in.” He nodded at me, “That was inspired about the radio operators. We wondered how
we would be able to track down potential enemy agents. This is manageable. I will send a coded signal to the units both in Korea and on their way. With the offensive about due to start the time is crucial.” We can check the backgrounds of the key radio operators much easier than going through every man’s file.”

  Later, the next day, I ate with the Colonel and Kathleen. “You have impressed people back in England, Tom. These are important people. I have been given permission to ask you to join us.”

  “Us?”

  He smiled, “Those who fight the enemies of the west but choose not to wear a uniform. You have the right skill set. You are clever. You speak a number of languages and I have yet to dine with someone who can use weapons as well as you do.”

  I took out my pipe. I needed thinking time. I was flattered, of course I was. In addition, part of the job excited me. I would still be fighting for England. I lit my pipe and nodded. I saw Kathleen smile, she thought they had won. I was merely nodding at the satisfaction having lit the pipe with one match. “I am happy to fight for England but it will be in this uniform and it will be alongside Commandos. I am here to do a job and when Korea is over I shall go home and be a dad once more. Sorry. I am flattered but I will go back to Korea.”

  L knew he was beaten but Kathleen was like a dog with a bone. “The war in Korea will be over soon.”

  “Then I will get home all the sooner.”

  Her face became a mask of anger. “You are a fool!”

  I smiled, “I think, on that, we are all agreed!”

  I was kept at the base for another week. I did not get to speak to Blair again but they still needed me as insurance. However, the coded radio signals to the regiments yielded results. They were not as bad as we had thought. Of those in Korea, only two had men whose backgrounds did not match and they were whisked back to Blighty. When the word spread in England that radio operators were being scrutinised five men deserted. Kathleen was surprised the number was so low.

  I understood why and I explained it to her. “It is hard to be a loner in the British Army and these men have to be the ones who can operate alone. I am not surprised but I am worried that Blair will get off because he has friends in England. I had a man murdered by Blair and others whose lives were put in danger. What happens when he gets representation?”

  Kathleen showed a cold side I had not seen before, “Tom, the only people who know that Blair was recaptured are the men of your unit and the MTB. If Blair were to disappear who would ask about him? He has no family and, as you have just pointed out, no friends. His story will never get out.” I opened my mouth, “Better that you do not ask any more questions. This way you have plausible deniability.” She smiled, “Besides, in a week’s time you will be returned to Korea. The offensive is beginning and when your men return from their first mission under Brevet Major Poulson then you will resume command!”

  Having seen the harder side of the intelligence agent I was more than happy to leave Hawaii. There was something about this that did not sit right with me. All wars were dirty wars; this seemed to be filthy.

  My last few days on the base with the two Intelligence officers were polite and nothing more. I saw them only at mealtimes for they sensed that they had a way into Blair’s head. I was still in Hawaii when MacArthur landed at Inchon with forty thousand men. I felt like a spectator at a football match played out on the radio. I heard the news along with the rest of the base, relayed through the radio. In four days, the army was racing to relieve Seoul and my unit had broken out of Pusan!

  Major Aitkens took me herself to the airbase at Hickam Field. This time it was not filled with wounded men but replacements for those lost in the advance towards North Korea. “Thank you for your help Tom and I am sorry… well, let us leave it at that. The word ‘sorry’ covers a lot of territory. Good luck when you get to Korea. It might be a new start for you.” She took my head in her hands and gave me a full-blown kiss. The other men waiting to board the Dakota cheered and wolf-whistled. The Major did not seem to care, “Your wife is a lucky woman and Tom, take care and keep your head down.” There was something in her words which made me wonder if there was a hidden message. I dismissed the thought. I had been around the shadowy world of espionage and spies too much. It was time to get back to my men. Her last words had a hidden meaning and I could not decipher it. I put the Major from my thoughts. That episode was over.

  I slept most of the way and, after we had landed, I had to find transport to the base at Donbaek-ri. I knew that it was unlikely that the men would still be there but it was a starting point. My orders were vague; I was to rejoin my unit. I was lucky. Most of the American replacements were heading north and would have to pass through Donbaek-ri which was our base before the offensive. My back complained all the way along the potholed road.

  It was dark when I arrived and the place seemed deserted. Of course, before I had left it had been a war zone and at the forefront of the action. Now it was a backwater. There was still an American base nearby but it had just an admin staff. There were ten men who had travelled with me bound for the base and we all shared a truck. I just had my holdall with me. I headed for our quarters where I assumed there would be some sort of caretaker. What I did not expect was Sergeant Major Thorpe. After being allowed through the compound gate I walked up to the barracks and opened the door. I heard voices within and Sergeant Major Thorpe beamed at me, “Well sir, they said you were coming but I didn’t know when! This is good timing. We leave in two days.” He put his pipe on the table and snapped a salute.

  I had not expected this. Behind him, I saw new faces. They were Commandos but not my team.

  “Good to see you, Sarn’t Major. Are we going to join Brevet Major Poulson?”

  His face fell, “They didn’t tell you, sir?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “The lads were sent behind enemy lines when the push started. They haven’t been heard of since but two days ago we heard that we were not to expect them back. These ten are replacements. The rumour is they were either captured or they are dead. Sorry, sir, I thought you knew.”

  The Major’s last words suddenly made sense. She had known and she had not told me; new start indeed!

  Chapter 2

  It seemed that the raid had been attempted during a chaotic time; the Americans were landing at Inchon and men were being dropped behind the lines to cause as much mayhem as possible. The Rangers had been used as well and it was Major Rogers who had reported that the Commando side of the raid had gone wrong. None had returned from the mission and, as it was behind enemy lines, no bodies had been recovered either. This was nothing short of a disaster. I had one experienced man, Sergeant Major Thorpe, and ten new men who were now my unit. Sergeant Major Thorpe told me that more men were being sent from Britain but it would take them more than a week to reach us and we had been ordered north. It was a lot to take in. “And what about Lieutenant Drake and Petty Officer Flynn?”

  “Sorry sir, they went north too but I think they are still active; they are based closer to the front line but we are making so many advances that it is hard to say where that is. When I was up at the American base, they were talking about invading the north.” He gestured with his pipe towards my kit bag, Bergen and weapons. They were on my cot, “We have all your gear and your letters. We knew you would be back so the Captain, er Major, said to watch over them. He thought it would be a cakewalk, sir, after we heard about Inchon.”

  That was the trouble. Polly was ever an optimist and sometimes it paid to look at things half empty.

  “And where have we been ordered to?”

  “The capital!” He smiled, “Just two hundred miles to Seoul, sir. It appears that the Americans are heading for North Korea and they want us close to them. We have a lorry but no jeep.”

  “An interpreter?”

  “Sergeant Bo-yeon Heon went with the lads. We are still waiting for his replacement.”

  “Well, we don’t wait here for one. We will have to rely o
n our basic Korean. Rations? Ammo?”

  “Plenty of both.”

  I lowered my voice, “And the new lads?”

  “A little green, sir. No World War 2 veterans amongst them apart from Corporal Dixon who was with Number 3 Commando on D-Day. But they are all keen as mustard.”

  “I will talk to them tomorrow before we leave. I shall read the letters from home first.”

  The Sergeant Major went to the admin desk and took out a single envelope and a number of others held together with an elastic band. Mr Poulson said to give this back to you. He said you would understand.”

  I nodded. It was the letter I had written to Susan in the event of my death. Polly had been right. I didn’t need it.

  I lay in my cot and read my letters. Mum and Susan had sent two. Mary and Dad just one. They made home seem a little bit closer. It was late when I finished reading them for I had read each one twice in case I missed anything. I finished the letter to Susan and then began one to Mum. I felt guilty that I hadn’t begun one on the long flight.

  The next morning was a new day and I determine to throw myself into my new command. I changed into my overalls for the journey and packed everything into my kitbag. The winter gear I had brought might prove useful. It already felt like Autumn at home and it was only the end of September. I knew that we were just a little further south than my home in England but the mountains here made it feel colder. The Sergeant Major drove and he turned off at the American base. “I told them we would call in when we were leaving. You know what the mail is like. The staff sergeant said he would send it on.”

  I nodded as we drove through crowded streets. The port was busy once more and men and material were being sent north as soon as they arrived. The ports we had captured further north appeared to be too damaged to use at the moment. We stopped at the gatehouse and the Sergeant Major went in. He was there longer than I had expected. The reason became clear when an American Captain came from the Admin block. He came to my side of the lorry and saluted, “Major Harsker I have a message for you from a Colonel Wilding in Seoul. He is a liaison officer between the American and Commonwealth forces. Apparently, you are now seconded to the American sector. It has all been cleared with your commanding officer. He said to go to the main base north of Seoul. I have a map.” He handed the map to me. Without an interpreter, it would be vital.