PPCLI Duties

Heroes Remember

PPCLI Duties

Transcript

We were on counter attack for the Black Watch, Brit Black Watch because we were commonwealth division over there. So we were counter attack company or counter attack battalion for the Black Watch Battalion. We're about 20 miles behind them out of artillery range and they got, they got hit the night that night. We were there a couple nights I think no, no we were there longer than that. We were there about a week or so and then they got hit and you could see it you know. It started about ten o'clock at night and it went on to about two then the trucks came in and we had to move up and we had to do a counter attack to take that position over and... well it was a counter attack, but it was a company attack. That, that's a big attack you know. So we went up there. We lost 16 men. They lost 76 men. We got the position back, but the, the colonel of the Black Watch actually called down artillery on his own position. The Chinese over ran them because they, they, they come in there with thousands of guys you know. Then I went back since then, you know you had to be in good shape to do, do those hills and that's attacking right up hills because that's the way the positions were dug in. They were dug in on, in on the, on the hill eh. So they had to attack. That's the way the done it. It's kind of a, a wake up call for me for you know. So we did 2 weeks up there, did a few patrols then they relieved us with another, I think their band, they put, they put another company together and they came over and took back their position so. So we moved back to our own position where we were, counter attack row and then, then we weren't too happy about this. We had to go back and take over that position. Now that was our position. I didn't know how long we were going to stay there. Well it's usually on, on a position like that is a month you know or three if it's kind of quiet, depending on how, on how the division is set up you know. Then I went back in. We went back in and then I, I was going down for, for blankets and rations and, and I stopped at the MA's bunker and I was talking to him. We had, we had this stuff on a stretcher and all of a sudden the mortar start coming in. I had a bullet proof vest on so I was not too bad. I got hit and the other, the guy that was carrying the stretcher with me, got it in the back and he didn't have a bullet proof vest on. So then we were, we were evacuated from there to our mash no Norwegian mash. I went to Norwegian mash. I think they flew him out to someplace else. He went out with a chopper and I went out with just one of those ambulance trucks, got operated on, went back to our own, our own position. It's they had like guys getting wounded so they had a holding wing for that. People... right after you come out of the mash and the mash handled only operations eh and then for recovery you went to your own our, our, our medical people had our own, we had our own layout down there so. I stayed there for I think about 2 weeks then they sent me to Seoul. BMH in Seoul, British Army Hospital. I stayed there for another 7 days and then I went to a rest camp and stayed there for, because... it was taking quite a while for after I'd find out why all this rest you know. It was quite a while to heal over there so that's why they, they give quite a bit of rest time. Then I went back to join my company (inaudible) they had finished The Hook finally. Oh my God, it’s on one of the Battle Honours the, the position. We went to Samichon Valley and but in the meantime everything, everything well we, it didn't go too bad, but the guys were already hardened, you know battle hardened. That was, that was a heck of a position. That position in 355 the RCRs really got, they really got it there. You know we well I wasn't there but they, they, you, they could see it happening. Well you could see this stuff happening you know when their getting shelled if we're down in the valley on a patrol. Especially Samichon Valley that's what we were doing, mostly patrolling out of there because it was pretty quiet. Did one fighting patrol out of there and one well I did about 2 listening patrols and one RECCE and that was basically all we did Interviewer: Would you describe to me what the different types of patrols were? Well listening patrol was you'd go in front of your positions, usually 3 guys. NCO, signaller and a private, but the Chinese were all over the place you know. People didn't think that you know that there was any enemy out there, but there was. We were using phone, field phones and we'd have to carry the wire eh. They were cutting the wire on us. So they were in the back of us and we knew that so you know, really kind of leery going back. We have a set with us you know it was only a 26 set, but we could talk back to our CP if we had to, but the thing is you know it's radio silence so that’s why we, we did the wire thing. But they knew you know, like they're not, they weren't stupid. They was Chinese not and you'd sit there and this is what you, you, you could sometimes they'd go right by you, you know. You know, you could hear them talking and then the, the RECCE patrol was your company would try to find out what, what is going on you know. They'd send you in a little further, hang around the mine fields. We knew where the mine fields, but that's, that's what the, the listening patrol would go in front of your mine fields and sit there eh. Well, the mine field was there so if anything's going on well you'd know eh, but the thing is you gotta walk about 5 miles to get there and then come back down around yourself to get back to your position. The fighting patrol is around 20 men and that's the bad one. Somebody's going to get hurt. It's an advance to contact, you're going to make contact and there's going to be fire fighting usually, but if you miss out, you miss out. That's what would happen to us. We went to our objective and never hit anything so. We were lucky. Usually you'll go in, you'll go out at one position and come back in at another one. Like you'll come out maybe say you're leaving Charlie company lines you'll come, come in, in "A" Company lines, but they know you're coming. But you go right around and that's where you'll, your, you, you never try to go back on where you came from because you know they'll probably got that figured out so they'd lay fire down on you pretty quick, like artillery or mortar. So, so we had a lot of guys get hurt on, you know. Because they had those burp guns eh, deadly little weapons because 72 rounds in just one burp and somebody's gonna get hurt if they, if they ever get, if you ever get one you're going to get about 10 of them. So we had quite a few get hurt with them, but that's the job so we had to do it eh.

Description

Now in Korea, Mr. Petit describes some of the duties of his PPCLI unit.

Claude Petit

Claude Petit was born on October 31, 1935, in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He had one brother and a sister who passed away shortly after her birth. Mr. Petit's family has a long history of military service; his father fought in the Second World War and many other members of his family participated in conflicts dating back to the Riel Rebellion. Mr. Petit enlisted in the Korean War at the age of 16 and served with the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry.

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