Walter Coote
Bio
Walter Leslie Coote enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, City of London Regiment, after friends encouraged him to join the army during tough economic times. Growing up in a family with thirteen children, he found times tough, so enlisting seemed like a good way to make a living. He received his initial training at Shorncliffe Army Base. There, officers discovered his illiteracy, which prompted his transfer to Norwich for additional education. Afterward, he joined his battalion in Germany to train and first learned about the conflict in Korea. He served on the front lines as a rifleman near Hill 355 and the Chinese positions on the adjacent four hills known as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He also participated in the Hook Campaign. An incoming shell injured him during his time near Hill 355. In 2016, he had the opportunity to revisit Korea. Amazed by the country’s progress, he felt proud of the role he played in the Korean War.
Video Clips
Returning to Korea
Walter L. Coote contrasts the Korea he witnessed in 1952 while serving with the Royal Fusiliers with the Korea he experienced on his revisit in 2016. He recalls a landscape dominated by paddy fields, hills, mountains, and valleys during his service. However, upon returning in 2016, the bustling country filled with skyscrapers and extensive highway systems struck him.
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Wounded Near Hill 355
Walter Coote vividly shares his experience of being wounded near Hill 355 on September 16, 1952. After sustaining injuries, he received treatment at a Norwegian MASH unit and then transferred to a British-run hospital in Seoul. He recalls being placed on the operating table, surrounded by three or four doctors who worked to repair his shoulder and leg wounds. During his hospitalization, he met an "Aussie" soldier who shared his cigarettes and offered him friendship.
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Waiting for You
Walter Coote describes the daily life for his unit near the Hook, emphasizing the intensity of night patrols and ambushes targeting Chinese and North Korean positions under the cover of darkness. He notes that they rarely captured enemy prisoners. He also recounts the tragic loss of two friends, who died in a Chinese ambush during one of these patrols. Many years later, when he visited Korea and the cemetery at Busan, he and his wife discovered the graves of his friends lying side-by-side. An Airborne Captain who accompanied them remarked that Cooper and Tully had been waiting for him.
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The Armistice
Walter Coote served in Korea when the Armistice was signed. He recalls many shells being fired from both sides prior to the midnight ceasefire; however, as soon as the clock struck twelve, everything abruptly stopped. As the sun rose, he witnessed thousands of Chinese troops in the valleys celebrating. Reflecting on his experiences, he feels fortunate to have served in Korea, survived numerous dangerous situations, and endured the extremely cold weather of 1952.
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Photos
UN Cemetery
