John Wallar
Bio
John Wallar was born on July 31, 1933, in West Auckland, England. He grew up on a farm and graduated from West Auckland Secondary Modern School. Shortly after completing his education, he was conscripted into the British Commonwealth Forces in December 1951. John underwent basic training at Brancepeth and was later stationed in Berlin, Germany. In September 1952, he was deployed to Korea, where he arrived in Pusan. He was sent north to the Little Gibraltar area and served as a radio operator in the Signal Platoon of the 28th Brigade, DLI 1st Battalion. During his time in Korea, he participated in several skirmishes before being rotated back home in September 1953. He revisited Korea in 1985. Today, John Wallar resides in England.
Video Clips
Living Conditions in the British Army
John Wallar describes his unit's living conditions during his time in Korea as part of the British Army near Uijeongbu. He discusses the living quarters, bedding, and how they kept their tents warm during the cold winter months.
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"You Needed Letters from Home"
John Wallar discusses writing and receiving letters from home. He shares the various topics he wrote about to his thirteen "pen friends."
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Mending Communication Lines
John Wallar recounts his experiences being under Chinese mortar fire while working with a line gang. He explains the tasks his team undertook and the methods they used to repair damaged communication lines.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/john-wallar#clip-3
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Video Transcript