India in the Korean War

India was involved in the Korean War. India provided the medical unit 60th Parachute Field Ambulance and Custodian Force for POW exchange.

60th Parachute Field Ambulance

Indian troops on the USS Point Cruz get ready to be flown by helicopter to the neutral buffer zone in Korea, 7 September 1953.

South Korean 500 won stamp issued in 1951 commemorating the role of the Indian 60PFA during the Korean War 1950–1953.

After outbreak of Korean War on 25 June 1950, India decided to provide a medical unit.

The 60th Parachute Field Ambulance (60th PFA) arrived on 20 November 1950 and began to operate on 6 December 1950 at Pyongyang front, Commander was Lieutenant Colonel A. G. Rangaraj

Main unit was attached to British 27th Infantry Brigade and 1st Commonwealth Division and provided medical support in the battle front, the detachment was served in the hospital at rear front Daegu.

60th PFA was providing medical support to the UN Forces as well as the South Korean Army and Korean civilians.

They treated about 20,000 soldiers and civilians from November 1950 to February 1954.

60th PFA displayed such outstanding performance during Operation Tomahawk on 21 March 1951. They attached to 187 Airborne Regimental Combat Team

After Operation Tomahawk, two membes were awarded Maha Vir Chakras, 60th PFA was awarded the President's Trophy on 10 March 1955.

On July 27 1953, Korean Armistice Agreement signed, In August 1953, personnel of 60th Parachute Field Ambulance joined Indian Custodian Force for POW exchange.

Award and commendations

• United States Meritorious Unit Commendation: (date unknown)
  • Citation: "The 60th Parachute Field Ambulance displayed such outstanding devotion and superior performance of exceptionally difficult tasks as to set it apart and above other units with similar missions."
• India Maha Vir Chakra
  • A. G. Rangaraj - Lieutenant Colonel (1951-03-24)
  • N. B. Banerjee - Major (1951-03-??)

• Republic of Korea Order of Military Merit (Chungmu)
  • A. G. Rangaraj - Lieutenant Colonel (1951-08-02, 1951-11-30)
  • N. B. Banerjee - Major (1951-08-21, 1951-11-30)
  • K. C. Chopra - Captain (1951-08-21, 1951-11-30)
  • H. S. Parmar - Captain (1951-08-21, 1951-11-30)

Summary

• Arrival: 22 November 1950
• Departure: 23 February 1954
• Hospital / Unit operations: 4 December 1950 – August 1953 (In September, joined Indian Custodian Force for POW)
• Based in: Pyongyang, Munsan, Gapyeong, Daegu - Main unit was attached to British 27th Infantry Brigade and 1st Commonwealth Division, the detachment was served in the hospital at Daegu.
• Personnel: 333~346 (quota) / 627 (total)
• Killed: 3, Wounded: 23

Custodian Force

After Korean Armistice Agreement on 27 July 1953, India provided Custodian Force for POW exchange.

Indian Custodian Force conducted POW exchange and returned to India on 23 February 1954.

Casualties

Casualties of 60th Parachute Field Ambulance

Killed	Wounded	MIA	POW	Total
3	N/a	N/A	26	29

According to South Korean Ministry of National Defense source,

The 60th Parachute Field Ambulance had 3 fallen soldiers but Indian Government didn't recognize 3 fallen soldiers.

There was one fallen Indian Army officer.

After the outbreak of Korean War on 25 June 1950, United Nations Korea Committee visited South Korea and one of members was the Indian officer Colonel 'M. K..Unni Nayar'

He was killed by mine accident near Waegwan on 12 August 1950.

Due to difficulty of transport body, he buried in Daegu In 2012, his wife was buried in the same grave

Memorials

On 20 September 1976, Memorial for 5 countries which provided medical support: Sweden, India, Denmark, Norway, Italy was unveiled in Yeongdo District, Busan.

There is a memorial of Colonel 'M. K..Unni Nayar' in Suseong District, Daegu which unveiled on 7 December 1950.

See also

• Medical support in the Korean War
• United Nations Forces in the Korean War
• Parachute Regiment (India)

Further reading

• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-2 (Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1981 (E-BOOK)
• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-2 (Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1981 (PDF)
• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-6 (Summary) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1977 (E-BOOK)
• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War-6 (Summary) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1977 (PDF)

• The Korean War and the UN Forces - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2015 (E-BOOK) (in Korean)
• The Korean War and the UN Forces - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2015 (PDF) (in Korean)
• The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (E-BOOK) (in Korean)
• The Statistics of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 2014 (PDF) (in Korean)
• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1998 (E-BOOK) (in Korean)
• The History of the UN Forces in the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1998 (PDF) (in Korean)
• The Summary of the Korean War - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1986 (PDF) (in Korean)
• The History of the Korean War-11: The UN Forces (New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, India, Italy, Norway, Sweden) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1980 (E-BOOK) (in Korean)
• The History of the Korean War-11: The UN Forces (New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, India, Italy, Norway, Sweden) - ROK Ministry of National Defense Institute for Military History, 1980 (PDF) (in Korean)

External links

• Korean War: When India Played Peacemaker | Flashback with Palki Sharma