A rare Crimean War sword, two working Boys Rifles and a Battle of Imjin MM stand out as interesting highlights from recent auctions
GOOD PRICE FOR IMJIN MM
The medals awarded to a Korean War sergeant who kept four Bren guns firing from an exposed position for three hours sold at Noonans in October
The April 1951 Battle of the Imjin River is ranked highly among Britain’s greatest victories. For his conduct during this action, Sergeant Stanley Robinson of ‘B’ Company, 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, was recommended for the DCM by Lieutenant-Colonel James Carne, VC, DSO. The award would be downgraded to the MM, but the circumstances in which it was earned were extraordinary nevertheless.
Born in Chatham, Kent in July 1920, Robinson was a World War Two veteran mobilised for Korea in August 1950. He joined as a corporal with ‘B’ Company, 1st Glosters, and was soon swept up in the retreat of UN forces following China’s entry into the war. By spring 1951, UN forces had pushed back beyond the 38th Parallel and Robinson had been promoted to sergeant in No.4 Platoon. The Glosters were deployed along the Imjin, but was impossible to man a continuous line, so they occupied the high ground, relying on artillery to cover the gaps. The Chinese Spring Offensive began on April 22, and the 63rd Army slammed into the Glosters. By dawn, Colonel Carne was forced to pull back, knowing his flanks had been turned. ‘A’ Company (reduced to one officer and 53 men) joined him and ‘C’ Company on Gloster Hill, while ‘B’ fell back to hold Hill 314.
