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  • The armistice is signed at Panmunjeon on July 27, 1953.
  • Each Canadian soldier on the Korean front is entitled to one bottle of Japanese Asahi Beer per day.
  • North Korea has no submarines.
  • Ships are continually threatened by mines in rivers and harbours.
  • The PPCLI is Canada’s only battalion in history to win U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for valour.
  • Troop training in Korea emphasizes hill climbing and instruction in new weapons and radios.
  • Neither China nor North Korea signed the Geneva Convention of 1949, which binds nations to specific rules of engagement.
  • Members of No. 54 Transport Company, RCASC build playground for local Korean children.
  • Canadian naval destroyers’ high-definition navigational radar makes them invaluable for operations in shallow water.
  • A Canadian infantryman carried 100 rounds of ammunition, 3 grenades, and a pick or shovel.
  • A Canadian soldier’s kit contained a water bottle and rations for 24 hours.
  • A Canadian soldier’s kit included a poncho, 2 pair socks, sweater, towel and shaving gear.
  • Common ailments among troops in winter are colds, influenza, frostbite, and “trench feet.”
  • Common ailments among troops in summer are heat rashes, infected insect bites, foot problems, and discomfort from poisonous plants.
  • The Korean peninsula measures almost 1000 km in length and 200 to 300 km in width.
  • The name Korea comes from “Goryeo”, which was the regime in power on the peninsula between 938 and 1392.
  • Between 1910 and 1945, the official language of Korea was Japanese.
  • The 38th Parallel is 50 kilometres north of Seoul.
  • Human waste was the most common fertilizer on the rice paddies in Korea.
  • The Korean War is the third deadliest conflict in Canadian history.
  • North Korea makes up 40 per cent of the Korean peninsula’s land mass.
  • South Korea makes up 60 per cent of the Korean peninsula’s land mass.
  • North Korea is home to one third of the Korean peninsula’s total population.
  • South Korea is home to two thirds of the Korean peninsula’s total population.
  • South Korea has few natural resources but is rich in agriculture.
  • North Korea is rich in resources and industry.
  • Between 10 and 17 August, 1952 torrential rains collapse 150 Canadian bunkers while the Imjin River rises 12 meters above its normal summer level.
  • North Korean troops at the start of the conflict: 125,000
  • South Korean troops at the start of the conflict: 143,000
  • 16 countries, including Canada, make up UN forces on front line in Korean War.
  • Canadians who were injured or missing in action in Korea: 1,235.
  • Total United Nations’ soldiers killed, injured, captured or reported missing in action: approximately 1 million (840,000 of them South Korean).
  • Total Communist forces killed, injured, captured or reported missing: approximately 1.5 million (900,000 Chinese, 600,000 North Korean)
  • United Nations ground forces at peak strength: 932,539.
  • Communist side numbered an estimated 1.15 million troops, three-quarters of them Chinese.
  • South Korea lost between 300,000 and 600,000 civilians, while North Korea lost approximately 1 million.
  • In all, 26,791 Canadian military men and women serve in Korea and in Japan between 1950 and 1953.
  • HMCS Cayuga’s guns can fire shells at a distance of 15 kilometres.
  • Second World War veterans made up approximately 45 per cent of Special Force recruits.
  • The length of a Korean tour of duty is one year.
  • American armoured vests, also worn by Canadian soldiers, reduce casualties by 30 per cent.
  • In three years RCAF No. 426 Squadron carries 13,000 personnel and 3 million kilograms of freight and mail.
  • 21 RCAF pilots serve with US Air Force squadrons in Korea.
  • Flight Lt. Ernest A. Glover is only pilot to receive both Canadian and American Distinguished Flying Cross in Korea.
  • Peak Canadian Army strength in Korea was 8,123 all ranks.
  • 516 Canadian soldiers died during the Korean War.
  • 484 of the 26,791 Canadian soldiers who enlisted served more than one tour of duty in Korea.
  • More than one million men in the United States Army served in Korea.
  • 33 Canadians were prisoners of war and all returned home.
  • 60 Canadian Nursing Sisters served in the Korean War.
  • Major Lionel Gosselin is the most senior Canadian to be killed in action in the Korean War.
  • Canadian pilot Andrew R. Mackenzie is imprisoned by the Chinese for 2 years for refusing to admit that he was shot down over China rather than North Korea.
  • The United Nation’s decision to stop the North Korean invasion of South Korea makes it the first international organization in history to vote in favour of using force to push back an aggressor.
  • Soldiers J. T. Allain, Arthur Baker and J. A. Bellefeuille are the first Canadians to be taken prisoner during the Korean War.
  • Lieutenant H. T. Ross is first Canadian to be injured in the Korean War.
  • The RCN’s Lt. J. J. MacBrien flew jet fighter missions over Korea while on exchange with the US Navy. He was the only Canadian naval aviator to see combat during the war and was awarded the American Distinguished Flying Cross for his impressive service.
  • Flying Officer Omer Levesque, seconded to the USAF, is first Canadian to take part in an air fight involving two jet airplanes.
  • Helicopters are first used extensively during the Korean War, proving essential in the retrieval and extraction of wounded UN troops.
  • Sailors aboard HMCS Cayuga are the first Canadians to engage the enemy.
  • HMCS Cayuga is the first warship to fly UN flag in Korea.
  • Private Len Barton is the first decorated Canadian of the Korean War.
  • The 2nd Battalion, PPCLI is the first Canadian unit to arrive in Korea.
  • HMCS Cayuga is the first Canadian ship to open fire on an enemy target during the Korean War.
  • Canadian Prime Minister during the Korean War: Louis Saint-Laurent.
  • United States Presidents during the Korean War: Harry Truman, followed by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  • Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea): Kim Il Sung.
  • Leader of the Republic of Korea (South Korea): Syngman Rhee.
  • Soviet leaders during the Korean War: Joseph Stalin, followed by Nikita Krushchev.
  • Canadian brigade commanders during Korean War: Brigadier John Rockingham, followed by Brigadiers M. P. Bogert, and Jean-Victor Allard.
  • Commanders-in-chief of UN Command during Korean War: General Douglas MacArthur, followed by Generals Matthew Bunker Ridgway and Mark W. Clark.

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