Grave of lost Korean War soldier from County Durham found more than 70 years after death
by Daniel Hall · ChronicleLiveThe grave of a Korean war soldier from County Durham has been identified in South Korea more than 70 years after his death.
Rifleman Mark Foster, from Blackhall Colliery in County Durham, was a member of the Royal Ulster Rifles Regiment who fought in the Korean War. An unmarked grave in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan has been proven to be his, alongside the grave of Corporal William Adair, 31, from Newton Arts in Northern Ireland.
The MOD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the 'War Detectives' proved that the two unnamed graves belonged to the men. A rededication service was held on Tuesday morning, at which both men's names were added to their headstones.
War detective Nicola Nash spent years researching the graves of unknown soldiers at the UN Cemetery in Busan. She examined casualty files at the UK National Archives, museum records and personal documents before submitting her finding to an independent Ministry of Defence board.
She said: "It was a profound honour to be part of today’s ceremony alongside the families of these brave soldiers who gave their lives in service during the Korean War and whose sacrifices have, until now, remained unmarked. By naming these graves, we not only offer a measure of closure at last to their families and loved ones but also ensure their legacy lives on as a testament to the enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea."
The only surviving child of George and Elizabeth Foster, Mark was listed as living with his mother and grandfather in Easington in the 1921 census. He married Florence May Fletcher in Easington Colliery and 1933 and the couple had one daughter, with Mark working as a miner to support his family.
He joined the Army in September 1939 and was posted to the Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, with Mark fighting in France until he and his regiment were evacuated at Dunkirk. Unfortunately, not much of Mark's service record survives but it is likely that he served with the regiment for the rest of the war, meaning he would have seen action after D-Day in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
At the end of the war, Mark was transferred into the reserves. In August 1950, the reservists who had fought in World War II were called up again and joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles.
The Battalion embarked to Korea on the HMT Empire Pride in October 1950, disembarking in Pusan and transported via train north east to Suwon, then Ujiongbu. Under the direct command of the Eighth United States Army Headquarters, they were committed to operations against the guerrilla forces which had been by-passed by the swift advance of the United Nations Army.
During November 1950, the Chinese attacked in great strength and the UN forces fell into a retreat. The enemy was preparing for a massive offensive to take Seoul, which began in earnest on 1 January 1951.
The Royal Ulster Rifles' positions were attacked on 3 January 1951, but they held out against the close fighting all day. However, chaos broke out that night when they were ordered to withdraw.
Moving down a frozen riverbed, their column was mistakenly illuminated by UN aircraft dropping flares. The Chinese opened fire and surged into the valley.
Intense, close-range combat broke out while men and tanks fought to reach UN lines. It was during this fighting that both men lost their lives.
Major J K H Shaw, who served with them, noted that "due to the darkness of the night and considerable confusion it was it not possible to state definitely what happened to any one man."
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