Owen, Charles Gordon: my Korean War experiences (March 12, 2015)
Rank: Major.
An interview/narrative of Charles Gordon Owen's experiences during the Korean War. Major Owen served with the Canadian Armed Forces. Interview took place on March 12, 2015.
Interviewer: Mayer, Ethan
ABSTRACT: Military Oral History Project Interview Summary Narrator: (Major) Charles Gordon Owen Title: Korea 1950-53: A Comparison of Oral and Documented History on Canada’s Involvement in the Korean War Interviewer: Ethan Mayer Extent: 1 Sound recording (AIF - Audio Interchange File) 1:28:03 (Time length of Interview) Interview Date and Location: 12 March, 2015 207 1791 Rockland Ave, Victoria. Home of Interviewee Synopsis: This interview covered Major Owen’s experience in the Canadian Military involvement in the Korean War as a Platoon Commander of a combat engineer unit for 3 RCR. The first part of the interview discussed his enlistment and training in the army first as a member of the militia and then as a member of the regular force. Once over in Korea discussion centered around his duties as a Platoon Commander of a combat engineer force, the role of patrols. Conversation was then steered towards equipment issues and trench experiences. Finally in the latter portion, Major Owen described the events leading up to being caught by the enemy and then reviewed his time as POW. 0:00 - Early Life and Enlistment (Moved to Canada in 1940) 3:16 - Training 11:01- Deployment 18:07 - Equipment 30:06 - Trench life 35:12 - Combat and patrols 1:05:41 - Duties as a Platoon Commander 1:07:48 - Contact with Koreans 1:09:29 Closing Comments Suggested clip for archive: 46:56 - 105:40 Attack on Hill 187 Subject Key Words: Pioneer Officer, sapper, combat engineer, Korea, Korean War, Petawawa, Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR), grenades, rifles, equipment, platoon commander, officer training, attack on hill 187, prisoner of war (POW), Trenches, Pimple
Interviewee: Owen, Charles Gordon
- In Collection:
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 48.4359, -123.35155
- Original sound recording (AIFF) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- OWG_824
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- May 6, 2015
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 128 kbps. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2015. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
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