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Historically Important Battle Dress Blouse of the Last British Korean War Prisoner of War to be Released Major David Maurice

C & T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd - Live

Lot 269

Historically Important Battle Dress Blouse of the Last British Korean War Prisoner of War to be Released Major David Maurice Sharp, the battle dress is a officer tailored Canadian made WW2 example which he wore with his later service with the 16th Independent company Parachute Regiment. The battle dress has original embroidered shoulder titles, unit designation, Pegasus formation sign, airborne qualified jump wings and parachute regiment cloth rank pips. To the breast is medal ribbon bar for the BEM Military with emblem, General Service medal, Korean War medal, UN Korea medal and US Military Merit medal. The battle dress is not named, however Jon Mills formerly owned the original paperwork (scans will accompany the battle dress) but sold these documents previously, keeping just the battle dress. A history of David Sharp can be found:There were only a handful of Allied soldiers who escaped from POW camps during the Korean War (1950-3) and little is mentioned or generally known in the UK about this war and the men who fought in it. ELMS President, Major David Sharp, was one of the few who escaped. Although British authorities officially denied any British personnel were on special operations in Korea, there were in fact five.David enlisted in 1945, and was posted to the Far East in 1946 on ‘special duties’, before becoming an instructor in Jungle Warfare. After the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the US Army were looking for personnel with ‘behind the lines’ experience and David volunteered, serving with them on intelligence operations deep inside North Korea from the end of 1950 until the end of March 1951. David was due to be returned to his Battalion, when the Battle of The Imjin River occurred and he was wounded and captured whilst trying to break a Chinese road-block. He was left injured at the side of a road, with several others, without any treatment or assistance for five days. Eventually, recognising that the wounded men were no threat, some Chinese soldiers gave them food and two days later the wounded soldiers were put into the back of a pony wagon and taken to the POW collection point. Once there, David faced his first of many interrogations and three weeks later he was put onto a death-march of over300 miles. It was during the march that he made his first escape attempt; but after four days he was re-captured by Chinese troops. David was ‘worked over’ and returned to the march. He later arrived at a place called Mun-Hari, where several ‘special’ POWs [including David] were taken away from the column and interrogated severely; this included being bound with rope and placed in a bunker for 28 days; and being tied to a tree in front of a firing squad who then went through the very realistic motions of being about to shoot him – this was intended to frighten him, and David admits that it did! After another march north, David’s interrogation and confinement continued until February 1952, when he was placed in front of a tribunal and accused of being an intelligence agent and being a ‘disturbing element in the POW camps’ – i.e. causing trouble for the Chinese authorities. He was sentenced to be transferred to a ‘special place’ then handed over to the Korean Security Police and put into a Korean jail. Whilst in jail, David was joined by Lieutenant Leo Adams-Acton, who had also been a member of the UN partisan forces, and who had been captured in December 1951. Although both men were in isolation, they managed to established communication. They eventually escaped, but were re-captured after 4 ½ weeks on the run and placed back in Chong Song.David was later moved to Ogye Dong Penal Camp, and remained there until June 1953. He has the dubious privilege of being the last British POW to be handed over by the Chinese on 06 September 1953; they insisted he was the last prisoner to leave the truck! Lieutenant Leo Adams-Acton, with whom David escaped, was executed by the Chinese in July 1953, the very month that the Korean War ended. Following his release David was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1954 and also the Korean Partisan Honour Medal; Lieutenant Adams-Acton was posthumously awarded the Military Cross for a very Gallant Operation.Following his release David was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1954 and also the Korean Partisan Honour Medal. He is said to have been the CO of 16th Independent Parachute Company. The citation for the British Empire medal is as follows: ‘Sergeant Sharp was the intelligence sergeant of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, at the time of his capture on 25th April 1951, at the battle of IMJIN River. Shortly after his capture, the nature of his appointment became suspected by the Chinese and he underwent brutal and prolonged series of interrogations, during the greater part of which time his arms remains bound and he was denied even the simplest requirements of daily life including the opportunity to wash or visit the latrine. He gave no information to his captors; and they finally convinced he knew nothing released him. Not long afterwards he was re-arrested for his activities directed against the Chinese in the form of instruction to defy political indoctrination and military interrogation, and for his part in escape attempts. Again subjected to brutal interrogation, he remained obdurate and, finally, was sent to a special camp for recalcitrant other ranks prisoners. Throughout his captivity, Sergeant Sharp set the highest example of integrity, loyalty and courage. He never failed to do his duty. Frequently he did a great deal more than the normal call of duty demanded.’

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