AUTUMN BEGINS IN KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26529, 18 September 1951, Page 7

AUTUMN BEGINS IN KOREA

N.Z. Troops Notice Fall In Temperature

[N.Z. Army Information Service] KOREA, September 16. New Zealand gunners in Korea shivered this morning when they found that the temperature had fallen 20 degrees overnight, marking the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.

At 9 p.m. yesterday the Fahrenheit thermometer registered 69 degrees. This morning’s reading was 49 degrees—the lowest since ebout the middle of May. However, the gunners consoled themselves with the knowledge that the rainy season—the worst period for military operations—had ended.

In the last two months more than 20 inches of rain had been recorded. Conditions for traffic were poor. The ground was soft, rivers and streams were at tlffiir highest levels and much of the low farmland was converted into flooded paddyfields. Because of the lull on the Western battlefront during the Kaesong talks the New Zealanders weathered the rainy season without much inconvenience.

Drivers soon learned new dodges. The high-wheeled three-tonners were able to plough through almost anything, but before attempting deep crossings jeep drivers learned to remove the fan belts from their engines and to coat ( the distributor housing and spark plugs with thick grease The highest temperature in the shade the New Zealanders experienced during the last two months of summer was 95 degrees, with a humidity of nearlv 9 per cent, and yesterday the Koreans celebrated the last day of summer with their customary festival.

Temneratures are predicted to remain fairlv constant from now until the first winter snowfall occurs in the first few days of December, but the New Zealanders will have exchanged their jungle-green clothing for winter battlcdress by the middle of next month. New A.S.C. Co.imany

The first elements of the K Force Army Service Corns Comnany arrived at the front here to join the Ist Commonwealth Division yesterday. The 40 other ranks and one officer in the part'' are to relieve an equiv-’l-mt number of men in the original New Zealand Transport Platoon, who are being posted to new platoons so that each will have an experienced section. Meanwhile, the remaind”r of the new unit which set out from New Zealand in the Wahine are still training somewhere in Korea. The new men have received them vehicles — English three-tonners—and when they ioin the division New Zealand Army Service Corps drivers will be operating a total of almost 200 for the division.