Thaw in Korean relations could see British war dead repatriated
KOREAN War veterans have welcomed reports that North Korea is willing to return the remains of dead servicemen and hope that 336 British troops listed as missing might soon be repatriated.
Pyongyang is in talks with the US over the return of 200 Americans whose remains have been found in the North since the end of the three-year war in 1953.
Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, returns to Pyongyang this week for direct talks with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, over the creation of a firm timeline for North Korea to abolish its nuclear research capabilities and stockpile of nuclear warheads.
Caskets have already been delivered to the North, and Pyongyang is expected to release the remains as a show of good faith in discussions that many analysts say have lagged due to deliberate foot-dragging by the regime.
While most remains are likely to be of US personnel, veterans in the UK believe they may include British troops. Even if the first exchange excludes Britons, the veterans say, warming ties across the Demilitarised Zone mean that more soldiers’ remains could be repatriated in the future.
Among those missing with no known grave are Corp R D Weaver, Pvt A D Maile and Pvt W Philpot. “It has been a long time since these men went missing and I expect it will be difficult to identify them after all these years, but everything should be done to confirm their identities and give them the burial they deserve”, said Sam Mercer, formerly of the Gloucester Regiment.
In the encounter, 650 men of his regiment resisted 10,000 Chinese troops and held a key position near Seoul, the South’s capital. “A lot of time has elapsed, but they should be brought home,” Mr Mercer added.
According to Frank Fallows, the chairman of the British Korean War Veterans Association, a total of 336 British military personnel are still listed as missing. Of that number, 50 were Royal Navy or merchant navy and are considered lost at sea. The remaining 286 were with regular British Army regiments, the Royal Marines or RAF.
Some 1,108 British troops died in the Korean War and 106 spent time in POW camps in North Korea.