Medical support in the Korean War: Difference between revisions

After the outbreak of Korean War on 25 June 1950, 6 countries (arrival order): Sweden, India, Denmark, Norway, Italy and West Germany provided medical support for South Korea and UN Forces. The source of statistics in this article is the official book about Korean War statistics published by South Korean Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History in June 2014.

Sweden

Memorial of Sweden Medical Support in Busan

The Swedish Red Cross Field Hospital in Busan

The Swedish Red Cross Field Hospital was the Swedish mission sent to Korea to deal with the humanitarian situation created by the Korean War, 1950-1953. Following the North Korean invasion, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution asking all UN member states to support South Korea. The Swedish government responded on July 14, 1950 by authorizing the dispatch of a 200-bed mobile field hospital. Shortly before his death, King Gustaf V announced that the Swedish state would cover the hospital's expenses. The Swedish Red Cross Field Hospital personnel arrived in Korea on September 23, 1950 and began medical support on September 25, 1950. Deciding that a 400-bed (stationary) Evacuation Hospital would be more valuable than the smaller but more mobile Field Hospital which opened at the beginning of October, the Swedish Hospital was converted and moved to the compound of the Commercial Middle School in Pusan where it remained until 1958. The hospital was expanded to 600 beds by the end of the war, staffed by 174 Swedish doctors and nurses at any one time, all belonging to the Swedish Red Cross. Among its patients was the ROK Army Major Park Chung-in.

After the ceasefire in July 1953, They changed their name to 'Swedish Hospital in Pusan' and the Swedish hospital stayed comparatively unchanged as a civilian hospital until it was closed in March 2017. The closing ceremony was held on 20 March 1957, and personnel left soon afterwards.. A small advisory group from Sweden stayed in Korea to advise on medical practices until autumn 1958. Over the duration of the conflict 1,124 Swedish men and women served in the Swedish hospital and 19,100 United Nations personnel and 2,400 Korean personnel were treated by Swedish doctors. At the closing ceremony, the hospital received the Republic of Korea Presidential Citation. Some personnel received the Korean Order of Military Merit as belows.

Because of Sweden's reputation for neutrality during the major 20th century conflicts (First World, Second World and Korean Wars), Sweden was included as one of the four founding members of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission and several Swedish military personnel served in Korea enforcing the Panmunjom armistice. Sweden was the first Western European country to establish diplomatic relations and an embassy in North Korea.

India

Indian troops on the USS Point Cruz get ready to be flown by helicopter to the neutral buffer zone in Korea, 7 September 1953.

South Korean 500 won stamp issued in 1951 commemorating the role of the Indian 60PFA during the Korean War 1950–1953.

After the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 June 1950, India decided to provide a medical unit—the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance (60th PFA), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Rangaraj, arrived on 20 November 1950 and began to operate on 6 December 1950 at Pyongyang front. The main unity was attached to the British 27th Infantry Brigade and the 1st Commonwealth Division and provided medical support at the front, while the detachment served in the hospital at Daegu, providing services to the UN Forces, South Korean Army and Korean civilians. They treated about 20,000 soldiers and civilians from November 1950 to February 1954.

After Operation Tomahawk on 21 March 1951, for which the 60th PFA was attached to 187 Airborne Regimental Combat Team, two members of the unit were awarded with Maha Vir Chakras, while the 60th PFA was awarded the President's Trophy on 10 March 1955.

There was one fallen Indian Army officer—Colonel M. K..Unni Nayar, part of the United Nations Korea Committee, died on 12 August 1950 when he was killed in a mine accident. He was buried in Daegu, his wife was interred in the same grave in 2012. A memorial to him in Suseong District, Daegu was unveiled on 7 December 1950.

Denmark

Memorial of MS Jutlandia in Copenhagen

Main article: MS Jutlandia § Korean War

• Hospital / Unit: Danish Red Cross Hospital Ship - MS Jutlandia
• Arrival: 7 March 1951
• Departure: 16 August 1953
• Hospital / Unit operations: 10 March 1951 – August 1953
• Based in: Port of Busan, Port of Incheon (since 20 November 1952)
• Personnel: 100 (quota) / 630 (total)
• Director or commander: Kai Hammerich (Commander), Mogens Winge (Director of Hospital), Christen Kondrup (Captain) and so on
• Award and commendations:
  • Republic of Korea Presidential Citation: twice (27 March 1952, 27 August 1954)

Norway

Memorial of NORMASH in Oslo

A Norwegian nurse tending to a Canadian soldier

Norwegian Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (NORMASH) was the Norwegian field hospital participating in the Korean War from 1951 to 1954 under United Nations Command. On December 29 1950, the Norwegian Red Cross received a request for a hospital to help in Korea. During the first days of 1951 a plan was drafted for a field hospital based on the American Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) with 60 beds and a staff of 83. On March 2 the Norwegian Parliament approved the plan. The first group of personnel left Norway on May 16, and was followed by the second group on May 23. The route from Stavanger to Tokyo ran via Munich, Nice, Naples, Beirut, Cairo, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok and Hong Kong. From Tokyo the personnel were transported to Seoul by military transport aircraft. They arrived in South Korea on 22 June and NORMASH was first established at Uijongbu, approximately 12 miles north of Seoul, on 19 July.

The hospital consisted of both Nissen huts and tents and had a surgery with four operating tables. The hospital was later moved to Tongduchon about 40 miles north of Seoul, and was moved a third time to its final location a few miles further north. In total, NORMASH treated 90,000 patients, of which the largest groups were the U.S. (36%), South Korea (33%) and the various British and Commonwealth troops (27%). The unit also treated 172 North Korean and Chinese POWs. NORMASH performed on average eight surgeries per day. In the fall of 1951 it was decided to increase the personnel from 83 to 105, and on October 26 the decision was made to maintain the hospital as an army hospital for the duration of the UN operation in Korea.

With the signing of the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, the hospital stopped receiving wounded soldiers, but a substantial number of civilian Koreans were now treated. Though an armistice was in effect, the stability of it was questionable, and the hospital was kept at the ready in case of a breaking of the ceasefire. In the fall of 1953 NORMASH was the only hospital for four divisions in the 1st Army Corps. The hospital was kept awaiting the establishment of a Scandinavian training hospital in Seoul, and it was not until October 17 1954 that the hospital received orders to return to Norway. Four days later the last patient was released, and on November 10 all equipment was returned to the US Army.

In total 623 men and women served in NORMASH over seven contingents, two of which were after the Armistice. The hospital lost two personnel; driver Arne Christiansen was shot and killed in 1952, while laboratory technician Brit Reisæther was killed in a car accident in 1954. NORMASH twice received the United States Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (6 October 1952, 23 November 1953). All personnel also received the Norwegian Korea Medal, and were visited by Marilyn Monroe.

Italy

Main article: Italian Red Cross Hospital 68

• Hospital / Unit: Italian Red Cross Hospital 68 (L’OSPEDALE Croce Rossa Italiana N°68)
• Arrival: 16 November 1951
• Departure: 2 January 1955
• Hospital / Unit operations: 6 December 1951 – 30 December 1954
• Based in: Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul
• Personnel: 72 (quota) / 189 (total)
• Award and commendations:
  • Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: twice (6 October 1952, 22 December 1954)

Germany

On 7 April 1953, Chancellor of Germany Adenauer visited Unites States and met President Eisenhower, where he proposed that West Germany offer medical support. Two parties of medical personnel left Germany for Korea in January and February 1954. The hospital opened on 17 May in Busan with 80 personnel and closed nearly five years later on 14 March 1959, with a total of 200 Germans having treated about 2,400,000 civilians. President Moon Jae-in visited Germany in July 2017 where he met the surviving staff member, Karl Hauser, and the others' descendants, acknowledging their contributions; Hauser was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Citation. The former staff of the hospital and their descendants visited South Korea in November 2017; the South Korean Government acknowledged Germany's support in June 2018. There is a memorial in Seo District, Busan

Memorials

On 20 September 1976, Memorial for Sweden, India, Denmark, Norway, Italy was unveiled in Yeongdo District, Busan.

See also

• United Nations Forces in the Korean War
• United Nations Command
• United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, where 2,300 casualties from various nations are buried

External links

• United Nations Peace Memorial Hall