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Company
Commander ordered No. 1 Platoon, under the command of Lieutenant CURTIS, to carry out a counter-attack with a view to dislodging the enemy from the position. Under the covering of medium machine guns, the counterattack, gallantly led by Lieutenant CURTIS, gained initial success but was eventually held up by heavy fire and grenades. Enemy from just below the crest of the hill were rushed to reinforce the position and a fierce fire-fight developed, grenades also being freely used by both sides in this close quarter engagement. Lieutenant CURTIS ordered some of his men to give him covering fire while he himself rushed the main position of resistance; in this charge Lieutenant CURTIS was severely wounded by a grenade. Several of his men crawled out and pulled him back under cover but, recovering himself, Lieutenant CURTIS insisted on making a second attempt. Breaking free from the men who wished to restrain him, he made another desperate charge, hurling grenades as he went, but was killed by a burst of fire when within a few yards of his objective.
294:, during a heavy enemy attack, No. 1 platoon under the command of Lieutenant Curtis, was ordered to carry out a counter-attack which was initially successful, but was eventually held up by heavy fire and grenades. The lieutenant then ordered some of his men to give covering fire while he himself rushed the main position of resistance. In this charge he was severely wounded but he insisted on making a second attempt. While making another desperate charge he was killed when within a few yards of his objective after throwing a grenade which destroyed the enemy position immediately after.
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Phil is badly wounded: he drops to the ground. They drag him back through the wire somehow and seek what little cover there is as it creeps across their front. The machine-gun stops, content now it has driven them back; waiting for a better target when they move into the open again. 'It's all right, sir,' says someone to Phil. 'The
Medical Corporal's been sent for. He'll be here any minute.'
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open ground. Everyone knows it is vital: everyone knows it is appallingly dangerous. The only details to be fixed are the arrangements for supporting fire; and, though A Company's
Gunners are dead, Ronnie will support them from D Company's hill. Behind, the machine-gunners will ensure that they are not engaged from the open eastern flank. Phil gathers his tiny assault party together.
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Although the immediate objective of this counter-attack was not achieved, it had yet a great effect on the subsequent course of the battle; for although the enemy had gained a footing on a position vital to the defence of the whole
Company area, this success had resulted in such furious reaction that
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During the first phase of the Battle of the Imjin River on the night of 22nd/23rd April 1951, "A" Company, 1 Glosters, was heavily attacked by a large enemy force. By dawn on 23rd April, the enemy had secured a footing on the 'Castle Hill' site in very close proximity to No. 2 Platoon's position. The
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It is time, they rise from the ground and move forward to the barbed wire that once protected the rear of John's platoon. Already two men are hit and
Papworth, the Medical Corporal, is attending to them. They are through the wire safely – safely! – when the machine-gun in the bunker begins to fire.
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Phil looks over the edge of the trench at the Castle Site, two hundred yards away, as Pat continues talking, giving him the instructions for the counter attack. They talk for a minute or so; there is not much more to be said when an instruction is given to assault with a handful of tired men across
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Perhaps he will make it – in spite of his wounds, in spite of the odds – perhaps this act of supreme gallantry may, by its sheer audacity, succeed. But the machine-gun in the bunker fires into him: he staggers, falls, and is dead instantly; the grenade he threw a second before his death explodes
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But Phil has gone: gone to the wire, gone through the wire, gone towards the bunker. The other come out behind him, their eyes all on him. And suddenly it seems as if, for a few breathless moments, the whole of the remainder of that field of battle is still and silent, watching amazed, the lone
300:, adjutant of the Glosters at Imjin River, witnessed Lieutenant Curtis' gallant deed, a desperate counterattack to regain a key position lost to the Chinese advance. At sunrise a Chinese attack was repulsed, but the British position was untenable. Below is part of Farrar-Hockley's account.
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The Queen has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the
Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Philip Kenneth Edward Curtis (365680), The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, attached The Gloucestershire Regiment, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Korea.
308:'Phil, at the present rate of casualties we can't hold on unless we get the Castle Site back. Their machine-guns up there completely dominate your platoon and most of Terry's. We shall never stop their advance until we hold that ground again.'
283:, over which the Chinese were expected to attack, but isolated from the rest of the battalion. This was when the following deed took place for which Curtis, a 24-year-old lieutenant, was awarded the Victoria Cross during the
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after it in the mouth of the bunker. The machine-gun does not fire on three of Phil's platoon who run forward to pick him up; it does not fire again through the battle: it is destroyed; the muzzle blown away, the crew dead.
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The VC investiture took place on 6 July 1954. Since Curtis's wife Joan had died before the Korean War, the investiture was attended by his mother, his seven-year-old daughter Susan and his mother-in-law, Beatrice Hayes.
318:'We must take the Castle Site,' he says; and gets up to take it. The others beg him to wait until his wounds are tended. One man places a hand on his side. 'Just wait until Papworth has seen you, sir–'
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figure that runs so painfully forward to the bunker holding the approach to the Castle Site: one tiny figure, throwing grenades, firing a pistol, set to take Castle Hill.
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they made no further effort to exploit their success in this immediate area; had they done so, the eventual withdrawal of the
Company might well have proved impossible.
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in Korea in March 1951. In late April 1951, A company was given the task of defending Castle Hill, a feature south of
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Phil raises himself from the ground, rests on a friendly shoulder, then climbs by a great effort on to one knee.
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warden. In 1944 he joined the
British Army, but did not go overseas. On 3 May 1946 he was commissioned into the
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in 1950, Curtis was recalled to active service and joined A company, 1st
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Phil is called to the telephone at this moment; Pat's voice sounds in his ear.
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in Devon, the only child of John Curtis, a labourer, and his wife, Florence
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Lieutenant CURTIS's conduct was magnificent throughout this bitter battle.
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forces. Curtis was posthumously awarded the VC for his actions during the
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edited by Jon E. Lewis (1998), 1st
Carroll and Graf edition, pp. 490–91
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538:"Known Graves of Holders of the Victoria Cross in: Korea"
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619:Burials at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery
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503:"Obituary: General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley"
589:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
487:(Supplement). 27 November 1953. p. 6513.
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421:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
604:Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers
290:On 22/23 April 1951 near the Imjin River,
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256:. As a teenager he served as a volunteer
599:British recipients of the Victoria Cross
579:British Army personnel of the Korean War
352:Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum
614:Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon
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522:The Mammoth Book of Eye-Witness History
464:(Supplement). 3 May 1946. p. 2897.
418:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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350:His Victoria Cross is displayed at the
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217:(7 July 1926 – 23 April 1951) was a
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609:Gloucestershire Regiment officers
262:Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
170:Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
332:United Nations Memorial Cemetery
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16:Korean War Victoria Cross winner
412:"Curtis, Philip Kenneth Edward"
221:officer and a recipient of the
19:For the American painter, see
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442:UK public library membership
212:Philip Kenneth Edward Curtis
44:Lieutenant Philip Curtis VC.
32:Philip Kenneth Edward Curtis
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271:After the outbreak of the
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189:Battle of the Imjin River
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330:Curtis is buried in the
277:Gloucestershire Regiment
427:10.1093/ref:odnb/71794
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298:Anthony Farrar-Hockley
21:Philip Campbell Curtis
542:www.victoriacross.org
138:Years of service
409:Adkin, Mark (2004).
107:UN Memorial Cemetery
81:(aged 24)
245:Curtis was born in
484:The London Gazette
461:The London Gazette
501:(15 March 2006).
440:(Subscription or
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79:(1951-04-23)
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574:1951 deaths
569:1926 births
547:22 November
479:"No. 40029"
456:"No. 37604"
432:22 November
281:Imjin River
95:Imjin River
60:7 July 1926
563:Categories
444:required.)
389:References
273:Korean War
235:Korean War
209:Lieutenant
184:Korean War
150:Lieutenant
118:Allegiance
56:1926-07-07
342:The medal
338:, Korea.
247:Devonport
141:1944–1951
69:, England
366:Citation
360:Cornwall
126:Service/
63:Plymouth
233:in the
97:, Korea
85:†
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356:Bodmin
197:Awards
161:365680
128:branch
102:Buried
336:Busan
292:Korea
264:as a
111:Busan
67:Devon
549:2021
434:2021
166:Unit
146:Rank
74:Died
50:Born
423:doi
354:in
258:ARP
252:née
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