Author guest post from Robert Dixon.

The year 2026 marks the 75^th Anniversary of the Battle of the Imjin River in Korea that ran from the 21st to the 26^th April 1951. It was fought by the British 29^th Independent Brigade Group alongside the Republic of Korea 1^st Division on their left flank and elements of 10 US Corps on their right flank. They faced the Chinese 63^rd Army. It was the largest battle the British Army has fought since the Second World War and it deserves to be remembered.

The Chinese attack was a major offensive right across the Korean Peninsula, roughly along the line of the 38^th Parallel to take Seoul and then drive the UN Force back into the sea. It failed but at times it was a close run thing. In this defensive battle the 29^th Brigade played a vital part as they were guarding two of the shortest routes to Seoul. In my book I hope I have given due acknowledgement to the other regiments in the Brigade; the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, the Royal Ulster Rifles, the 8^th Hussars, the Royal Tank Regiment, 45 Field Regiment and 170 Mortar Battery Royal Artillery, 55 Squadron Royal Engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the vital logistic units of the Service and Ordnance Corps. They all fought bravely but the 1^st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, The Glosters, had to fight bravely for that little bit longer and paid the price.

So my book concentrates on my old regiment which has been part of me since the age of four as I describe, and continues to the present day as I carry on with research into its history. The book makes the point that the Glosters were part of the most experienced expeditionary force that this country has ever sent abroad and I look forward to arguing that point. It begs the question could we do something similar today. I do not try to answer that in the book but I hope it provides some scope for discussion. The weapons used at the time are described and of course technology has moved on. However be wary of falling into the trap that says we no longer need infantry. Infantry will always be needed to prove that the ground is being held, and ensure the safety of other weapons systems. Present day Russian tactics seem to be more akin to World War One than AI and science fiction.

The other point I make is that The Glosters were both a County and a National Regiment. The reservists, called up to make the army up to strength, came from all over the United Kingdom. There was a solid core of men from Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Stroud Valleys, The Severn Valley, The Cotswolds, and that law unto itself: The Forest of Dean. But when it was all over every man was proud to say ‘I fought with The Glosters’, wherever they came from. This is my tribute to them, the men that I served with, and I hope will be an inspiration to succeeding generations.

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