Kenneth Muir
Encyclopedia
Major Kenneth Muir VC
(6 March 1912 - 23 September 1950) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
during the Korean War
when the following deed took place during the Battle of Hill 282
for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 September 1950 near Songju, Korea
, there was difficulty in evacuating the wounded after a position had been captured, until Major Muir arrived with a stretcher party. When the enemy started to launch a series of attacks on the positions, the major took over command and after a direct hit from a fire bomb, causing further casualties, he led a counter-attack and the crest of the position was regained. He was determined to hold it until all the wounded had been evacuated and moved about his small force shouting encouragement and firing a 2-in. mortar himself until he was mortally wounded.
, Korea, on 14 May 1951. His name is also recorded on his father's headstone at St. Peter's Churchyard, Frimley, Surrey, England.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(6 March 1912 - 23 September 1950) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Muir was 38 years old, and a major in the 1st battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
when the following deed took place during the Battle of Hill 282
Battle of Hill 282
The Battle of Hill 282 took place on September 23 during the Korean War, and involved the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in an assault on this position as part an operation by 27th British Commonwealth Brigade on the Naktong River....
for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 September 1950 near Songju, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, there was difficulty in evacuating the wounded after a position had been captured, until Major Muir arrived with a stretcher party. When the enemy started to launch a series of attacks on the positions, the major took over command and after a direct hit from a fire bomb, causing further casualties, he led a counter-attack and the crest of the position was regained. He was determined to hold it until all the wounded had been evacuated and moved about his small force shouting encouragement and firing a 2-in. mortar himself until he was mortally wounded.
Further information
Initially buried in the Taegu Military Cemetery, his remains were exhumed and transferred to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, BusanBusan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, Korea, on 14 May 1951. His name is also recorded on his father's headstone at St. Peter's Churchyard, Frimley, Surrey, England.
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum, Stirling Castle, Scotland.External links
- Major Kenneth Muir (50980) (detailed action account)
- History Argylls in Korea
- History of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders