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16/2012 - News release
Remembering those who served county and country in the Korean War
13 November 2012
The bravery and sacrifice of veterans who served in the Middlesex Regiment during the Korean War of 1950-1953 was marked this weekend at a special ceremony in the former Middlesex Guildhall, the home of the UK Supreme Court since 2009.
A plaque dedicated to the memory of those from the Middlesex area who fought and died during the conflict was handed over to the safe keeping of the Court. It was formally received by Lord Kerr, one of the Supreme Court Justices.
The plaque was presented by the Mayor of Kapyong to a group of veterans who returned to Korea last year to mark 60 years since they fought in the region. The Kapyong area was the scene of a key battle during the conflict, with the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade (primarily formed by Australian and Canadian soldiers, supported by the Middlesex Regiment and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders among others) fighting to block Chinese forces from advancing towards the capital, Seoul. The Battle of Kapyong was the final battle in which the Regiment was involved during the war.
Initially stored at the Howe Barracks in Canterbury, the large metal plaque will now be looked after by the Supreme Court on Parliament Square, and made available to view by appointment.
The Court hosts an annual Remembrance Service for the Regiment on the second Saturday in November, during which former service personnel and their families gather around a bronze and stone memorial statue of a Middlesex soldier in the entrance hall of the Court. Wreaths are laid, and a two minutes' silence observed. The event is organised in conjunction with the Middlesex Regiment Association, chaired by Colonel Rex Cain OBE DL.
During the brief ceremony on Saturday morning, Lord Kerr said: "It is a great honour for us to be asked to safeguard the plaque. It will be treasured here as a testament to the bravery of the men from Middlesex who served so gallantly in the Korean War and of the enduring connection between the Regiment and this building."
Formed in 1881 as one of the British Army's principal London regiments, the Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three other regiments to form the Queen's Regiment in 1966. This became the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, the infantry regiment for the south east of England, in 1992.
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UKSC contact
Ben Wilson - Head of Communications
020 7960 1887