IRISH PRIEST CAPTURES 65 KOREAN PRISONERS

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 September 1950, Page 5

IRISH PRIEST CAPTURES 65 KOREAN PRISONERS

TOKIO, Sept. 9—Father Frank Woods, a carbine-carrying priest from Dunleer County, South Eire, shouted a few well-chosen words in Korean to the opposing side beyond a rice field west of Changnyong. There was a pause of a few minutes, and then 65 strongly-armed Communists who had been in position to attack came out to surrender, their arms field high above their heads. This incident occurred during this week’s heavy fighting on the central Naktong River front in Korea. Father Woods first came to Korea 15 years ago as a missionary. He said he had previously served two years in the Irish Republican Army and afterwards worked in the grocery and liquor trade in Dublin before entering the church. Father Woods, now an unofficial chaplain to one of the battalions fighting in this sector, was with his men when North Koreans infiltrated during the night to within 25 yards of a command post. At dawn one of the Communists stood up, but refused to drop his rifle, and was shot. Father Woods walked to the edge of the field and addressed the hidden Communists, urging them to lay down their arms. He assured them that they would be treated well and not killed. One by one the Koreans popped up their hands above their heads. The G.l.’s were dumbfounded. However, they rounded up the prisoners and collected their rifles and machine-guns. Father Woods said it was “all a mistake." With a twinkle in his eyes, he declared that he was merely, talking to a wounded man, telling him' he had better give up. “I think he was dead even then," he said, “but to my surprise all the others popped UP"