Michael White
Bio
Michael White was born in Kettering, North Hampshire England in 1932. As a child he grew up during World War II collecting the scrap metal from bombs dropped near his home town. He joined the British military at the age of 18 to do his service. After receiving training as a driver he was retrained and eventually assigned to the Royal Artillery before being sent to Korea in August of 1951. During his service in the Korean War he served as a mortar man on the front lines supporting the infantry.
Clips
MIss Fires
Michael White recalls incidents of mortars miss firing due to the use of World War II surplus weapons.
South Koreans Help the British
Michael White talks about how the South Korean young men helped his mortar platoon by providing physical labor, digging weapon positions and working as ammunition resupply runners for the guns.
Rest and Relaxation
Michael White speaks about being on leave from the duties of the front line. He speaks about being able to get a proper sleep.
Living on the Front Line
Michael White speaks about the living conditions on the front lines. He talks about living with lice and rats as well as being able to clean up.
Fear on the Front Lines
Michael White shares a story about being on the front lines facing an impending attack from the Chinese.
First Impressions
Michael White recall the physical destruction he saw when he was in Korea during the war. He compares how Korea looked during the Korean War with what he saw during his three visits to South Korea since the war.