Ron - a veteran of the Korean War & the Malayan Emergency (195)

Aug 27, 2021

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Ron Knight served in the Royal Marines on HMS Belfast during the Korean War of 1950-53. He was a gunner and describes the shore bombardments and how his gun was used in anti-aircraft defence. We also hear Ron describe life aboard the Belfast during this period

Ron also served with the Royal Marine Commando during the Malayan Emergency which was a guerrilla war fought in the Federation of Malaya between Communist pro-independence fighters against the armed forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth between 1948 and 1960.

He shares details of the dangers of jungle warfare including from their own air force!

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I am delighted to welcome Ron Knight to our Cold War conversation…

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0:00 Introduction and Ron Knight's early life and training

2:35 Ron Knight's experiences in the Royal Marines and HMS Belfast

9:01 Discussing air attacks on HMS Belfast and life on board

17:42 Royal Marines' shore raids and interactions with American forces

20:20 Shift in relations with Japan and interactions with Chinese and North Korean POWs

21:45 Encounter with Typhoon Ruth and its impact on HMS Belfast

26:58 Incident of a man overboard and transfer to 45 commando

29:23 Ron Knight's experiences in the Korean and Malayan jungles

38:20 Communication, safety measures and recognizing friendly units in the jungle