Thursday 23 April 2009

Kapyong Day: 24th April

Swamped by the remembrance ceremonies for ANZAC Day is Kapyong Day. The Battle of Kapyong took place on and around the 24th April 1951 near Seoul in the Republic of Korea (South Korea). During this battle, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (in association with other Kiwi, British, Canadian and American units) halted a major offensive by enemy forces. The Australian soldiers, vastly outnumbered by the enemy, repulsed the attack and prevented the loss of the South Korean capital (Seoul) to the enemy.

32 Australian soldiers died in this battle with a further 59 wounded and 3 taken prisoner. This battle resulted in more Australian casualties than any other battle since the Second World War.

Following this battle, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment was awarded a US Presidential Citation for "extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of combat duties".

Further information about the Battle of Kapyong is available from the Australian War Memorial's website.