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Campaign: Korean War
1950 - 53
Branch of Service: British and Commonwealth forces
Description: (Obverse) Right facing bust of Queen Elizabeth II;
there are two obverse types, with or without BR:OMN; (Reverse) Hercules
wrestling with the Hydra, KOREA in the exergue.
The Korean War (1950 - 53) was one of the bloodiest wars in
history. About a million South Korean civilians were killed and several
million made homeless. About 580,000 UN and South Korean troops and
1,600,000 Communist troops were killed, wounded or reported missing. The
war began on June 25th, 1950, when troops from Communist - ruled North
Korea invaded South Korea. The UN demanded that the Communists withdraw
from South Korea. The UN then asked its member nations to give military
aid to South Korea. Sixteen UN countries sent troops to help the South
Koreans, and 41 countries sent military equipment or food and other
supplies. The United States sent more than 90% of the troops, military
equipment and supplies. China fought on the side of North Korea and the
Soviet Union gave military equipment to the North Koreans. The Korean War
ended on July 27, 1953, when the UN and North Korea signed an armistice
agreement.
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