On the 22nd June 1950 the
North Korean Army struck south over the 38th Parallel without warning into the
heart of South Korea - sweeping aside units
of the United States army and the
Republic of Korea Forces.
At this tine, several Royal
Navy ships were exercising and cruising in the China Sea.
Onboard these ships were men
from various units of the British army of the Far East. HM Ships Alacrity,
Hart, Jamaica and the Black Swan were soon
placed on a war footing.
HMS Jamaica under-
the command at Captain JSC Salter, RN
accompanied by Black Swan was detached from exercises with Belfast,
Triumph and the Cossack were ordered to proceed
to the east coast of Korea through the Shimonosiki
Straits where they joined up with the US
ships Juneau and Collett, commanded by
Rear Admiral Higgins, USN.
From the
6th to the 8th at July, Jamaica was ordered to engage traffic coming south
along the coast road. On the 8th
the ship steamed slowly close to shore and bombarded the coast road with the main armament. A mobile battery of the North Korean army replied and the Jamaica turned seaward away from
the coast to increase the range but one
of the shells from ashore hit the mainmast and exploded.
The soldiers were assisting the gun crews and whilst the shell did little damage to the structure of the ship it
had the effect of killing 2 men and injuring
10 others, 4 of whom died later!
They were: -
Able Seaman J.D. MAWDSLEY 19 Royal Navy HMS Jamaica 08 July
1950
Sergeant B. FINCH 25 1 Middlesex HMS
Jamaica
08 July 1950
Corporal S.G. LONG 20 1 Middlesex HMS
Jamaica 08
July 1950
Gunner R.J. BARWICK 25 Royal Artillery HMS Jamaica 08 July
1950
Gunner K. JEPSON 21 Royal Artillery HMS
Jamaica 08 July 1950
Sergeant F.T. MERSH 27 Royal Artillery HMS Jamaica
08 July 1950
Due to the hot weather at
that time and the little likelihood of reaching port these men were buried at
sea.
The burial service was
conducted by the
Chaplain of Jamaica, the Reverend Raymond Lowe, RN, with Commander IWT
Below RN (later Vice Admiral Sir, KBE, CB, DSC, Royal Navy, and Captain JSG
Salter, DSO, later Vice Admiral Sir CB, DSO, OBE, Royal Navy.
These men must have been the
first British servicemen in Korea.
On 17th September 1950
whilst operating off the west coast, Jamaica was attacked by an aircraft with
cannon fire resulting in 1 man being killed and 2 wounded.
Died
of wounds, Ord. Seaman Ron AJ Godsall 18, Royal Navy HMS Jamaica 23 September
1950.
The Jamaica went into refit
in Singapore during October 1950 later joining the Mediterranean Fleet and was
present in the Suez Operation.
She was paid off into
extended reserve on September 5th, 1957 thus ending 15 years of distinguished
service and gaining 5 battle honours the last of which was 'Korea 1950'.
