163 Bty visit with Lt (Retd) Donald Scott, 163 Bty Korea
Thanks for this to Barry Dreyer and Maj Brent Morris, BC of 163 Bty.

6th August 2018.

On their way back from exercise in Tekapo the BC and some of 163 Bty called in to see Donald Scott at his home in South Canterbury, found him in great form, and report that he is "a very clever man". Photo below of Don with two of the Bty's subalterns.

Donald Scott won an MiD as a 2Lt FOO at Kap’yong and it is a very good story – and still very vivid in his mind. He will be 92 on 15 Sept this year. He spoke to Ian McGibbon for the Korea Operations book some years ago, but has not spoken about the Korea war for a long time.

During the battle of Kap’yong he was sent forward as a FOO with B Coy, 3RAR. Lt Dennis Fielden (KIA that night on 24.4.1951) was sent at the same time as FOO to A Coy, 3RAR. Both of them were 2Lt’s and inexperienced themselves but the usual FO officers were in Japan (on course) and they had no one else to send.

Donald spoke highly of the US gunners of 213 AFA battalion (part of the Utah National Guard) who had self-propelled 105mm howitzers. He called on them to fire radar or VT fused ‘airburst’ rounds on the masses of Chinese that were approaching the 3RAR position enmasse as far back as he could see. The casualties were mind blowing, but the Chinese kept coming until they were climbing over the bodies of the dead to keep advancing. Eventually the whistles were blown and they pulled back. He ended up moving further up the hill at first light and directed fire all day on columns of Chinese troops moving across their front towards the Canadian positions. That night when 3RAR were pulled out he could not get back to B Coy and actually came out of Kap’yong with D Coy 3RAR.

His MID was presented to him on a medals parade by a British General – Maj-Gen Cassells - with a lot of the 16 Fd Regt members present. He cannot recall now how many received awards that day but there quite a few – 10 to 13? There were medals presented to some British officers and men as well. He also cannot recall the date – but it was quite a few months after Kap’yong. (Note that Gen Cassells did not arrive in Korea until 28 July 1951). Lt Col Moodie also was presented with his DSO at this parade - Donald Scott received his mid as did the BC of the late Lt Fielden who received it on his behalf. “Dennis Fielden was our first battle casualty and a very popular officer.”

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