Korean War Legacy Project

John Pound

Bio

John Pound grew up poor and was raised by his grandparents during WWII.  After seeing a neighbor in a sailor’s uniform, he decided to volunteer for the Navy at age 17.  Once John Pound was trained as a radar plotter for the operations room, he was stationed on the HMS Charity during the Korean War.  Throughout his time on the ship, he would watch the radar screen for the enemy, help pick up pilots who missed their aircraft carrier landing and shoot trains that were close to the coast of Korea. He describes his time ashore with his mates in Japan, Australia, Pusan, and Hong Kong. After serving in Korea, John Pound is honored when he is asked to formal dinners with Korean organizations around Britain.

Video Clips

Work as a British Radar Plotter

John Pound was trained as a radar plotter in the operations room. The ship operated in a constant state of darkness to avoid enemy detection. From the operations room, John Pound would search the sea for enemy boats with the occasional star shell burst breaking the silence to help illuminate the water to identify ships in the surrounding water. Often, he would spot small fishing ships.

Tags: Yellow Sea,Civilians,Food,Living conditions,North Koreans,Weapons

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Navy Noon Rum Ration

John Pound describes the daily rum ration to all sailors. This tradition was used as a form of currency on the ship and higher ranking sailors received the rum straight while the lower-ranking sailors had their's diluted by water. He discusses his first time to receive the ration and his night sleeping it off in his hammock.

Tags: Yellow Sea,Food,Living conditions,Rest and Relaxation (R&R)

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Sending and Receiving "Projjies"

John Pound's ship the HMS Charity would fire shells, or "projjies" short for projectiles, towards trains that traveled near the North Korean coastline. He remembers one Easter when North Korean gunners fired back from positions hidden in caves. He also describes assisting in spotting pilots who missed their landings on aircraft carriers.

Tags: East Sea,Yellow Sea,Communists,Food,Front lines,Living conditions,North Koreans,Physical destruction,South Koreans,Weapons

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Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJz76eZ9Mg0&start=1112&end=1492

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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-pound#clip-3

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