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RAOC Vehicle & Gun Park Inchon in 1953
written by Roy Jacklin
 Our job was to receive reconditioned vehicles, carriers, guns etc. These came from Kure Japan workshops. They were transported on LSTs and were unloaded by us at Inchon docks I remember two of these vesels, I think there were four all told. Charles Mcleod & Reginald Kerr come to mind. The equipment was driven off the boat and parked on the quayside until the boat was empty. Anyone who knew the tides in this area might remember that it rose and fell 12ft. It was all hands to the pumps to get the boat turned around quickly. Most of our men were drivers, but this was not enough to beat the tide. Exra men were provided by
the men from up front who were sent to guard our depot, usually RA bods. We asked for drivers amongst these lads so they could help with the unloading. They used to volunteer for this job as, when off duty they could use their free time at the PX club downtown or up the village. Remember boys, with Asahi? beer at only 1/6 a bottle you do all kinds of things with it, drink it or sell it to the yanks.It was a lovely drink. Just like Newcastle Brown. Anyway driving off this LST was at times a bit hairy. One minute you were driving off the ramp downhill and before you knew it you were going up the ramp. A bit nervewracking at times. When the boat was empty, REME would load all the unsevicables back on it. A grand set of lads. The vehicles going back to Kure were beyond local repair (BLR) The other side of our job was to issue equipment to the units requiring replacements A few miles down the road from us was the British rest camp This is where our lads from up front could have a few days R&R. I remember once some of HQ (Seoul) lads were due for a rest. Our unit driver picked them up and was driving them towards the camp when a coloured American overtook our 3 tonner on a narrow stretch. He side swiped our truck off the road. It went down an enbankment and landed in a pond in the corner of this field. Can you guess what was in the pond lads?
It's where those honey carts offloaded their droppings. We've all been dropped in it at sometime, but fancy being pushed in it by an American, and all we did for them up front. Well the American was caught and stripped of his rank (Sgt) He was due to leave the following day for the states. He got the stockade instead. Some of our lads were hurt, not too badly. But can you imagine swimming in shexcretment My job was unit clerk and driver when the boat came in. When I arrived at the unit in Dec 53 I relieved a scoucer who was due for demob. (Chris Adair) He sailed on the 'Windrush'"Didn't it sink in the Indian? ocean?" Bet Chris got a few drinks on that story eh. "Any of you lads get to Veh & Gun to pick up equipment?" Be nice to hear from anyone
who was around there. Bye Roy Jacklin
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