BRIGADIER WEIR IN KOREA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27466, 28 September 1954, Page 8

BRIGADIER WEIR IN KOREA

Tour Of New Zealand Units VISIT TO SCENE OF ' FAMOUS BATTLE (N.Z. Army Information Service) KOREA, September 24. Covering a good many miles by jeep over dusty Korean roads Brigadier C. T. Weir, Quartermaster-General of the New Zealand Army, today

visited New Zealand Signals and A.S.C. units throughout the Commonwealth division area. From his remarks to the men it was apparent that he was very pleased with what he saw. “Taking a first look at you I would say that your journey here does not seem to have done you any harm,” he told the men of the Workshops Platoon of No. 10 company R.N.Z.A.S.C. “I would say that you look just as fit and robust as any New Zealanders I have seen. We in New Zealand are quite proud that we have played our part in resisting aggression in this theatre, and it is my belief from what I have seen that the Commonwealth Division has established a very fine record for itself. It would not have this record if it were not for the calibre of the soldiers in it.”

In the fourth day of his Korean tour Brigadier Weir accompanied by the K Force commander, Brigadier j; T. Burrows, first visited the main Divisional Headquarters Transport Platoon, the unit providing drivers for most of the seniior divisional staff officers and maintaining staff cars as well as other vehicles. There he was met by the commanding officer of No. 10 company, Major K. G. Miles, the commander of the divisional A.S.C. column, Lieutenant-Colonel H. McQueen, and the Canadian second-in-command of the column.

Brigadier Weir walked around the area with the officer commanding the platoon, 2/Lieutenant H. S. Hurst, and watched the men at their everyday work. From there he visited the Commonwealth Divisional Signals Regiment to which a troop of K Force men are attached. The New Zealanders there are directly responsible for laying communication lines for the division’s main headquarters and for signals dispatch work. After being welcomed by the commanding officer of the regiment, Lieutenapt-Colonel G. H. Starr, Brigadier Weir inspected the New Zealanders who paraded under the command of Captain R. M. Cooper (Christchurch). Immediately after lunch he drove to No. 10 company where he was met by a guard of honour under the command of Captain P. Sumner (Christchurch). With the commanding officer of No. 10' company, Major Miles, he inspected one of the transport platoons and had a good look around

the area c before moving on to the Workshops Platoon. Another long, dusty drive took Brigadier Weir and his party through the narrow, rugged gorge now famoue as the location where the Royal Gloucestershire Regiment made its heroic stand against an overwhelming force of Chinese and was practically wiped out. Brigadier Weir was also able tq inspect the area which No. 10 com* pany will occupy some time in the future.

In the evening he had dinner with No. 10 company and meet a number of A.S.C. officers from other Commonwealth countries.