BRITISH TROOPS MOVED UP

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26211, 7 September 1950, Page 7

BRITISH TROOPS MOVED UP

SECTION ON NAKTONG RIVER TOKYO, September 6. British troops moved into the Raktong river front yesterday in the United States Ist Cavalry Division’s sector. They toox over the positions vacated by an American regiment, but they had not engaged the Communists by lat’ l?st night. Conscripts under 20 are included in the Briti'h forces in Korea, according to' a replv by Mr Attlee to a letter from Mr Raymond. Blackburn. M.P. Mr Attlee sa’d: “I am afraid that in vi?w o' f he Army’s stringent manpower difficulties, especially the shortage of regulars. I could not give you an assur.'nce that no one under the age of 20 will be sent into action in Korea or elsewhere. “ T t would have been impossible to ensure the operational efficiency of the British un ts recently dispatched from Hong Kong to Korea without retaining in them a certain number of National Servicemen, many of whom naturally are under the age of 20. “I think I should mention that for the greater part of the 1939-45 war the min’mum age of posting overseas was 19 years. No soldier has been included in the Korean force who was not at least 19 years of age on the date of embarkation.”