Lost and Found

Being born in South Korea, raised in South America and settled in Australia, I have always had a healthy interest and curiosity in the transnational human experience and the ways in which individuals contribute to the greater good. With this background, I discovered the work of the  Australian Presbyterian missionaries in Korea , which dates back to 1889. Despite my interest in  their medical work , one missionary, in particular, captured my attention and imagination: Rev Esmond New (1900-1982). A remarkable missionary and, above all, a fascinating human, he also served as a Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the Korean War.

In this particular instance, Rev New went to Korea on a secret mission, not as a Chaplain as one would guess. In fact, this would be an extremely delicate mission. It was so "special" that he, a clergyman, had to fabricate stories to tell his own parishioners.

It is widely understood that at 0400hrs on Sunday, 25 June 1950, the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea, marking the outbreak of a war on perennial hold. However, we often forget why the Korean peninsula was divided into two halves in the first instance. There are endless lists of books that explore the origins of the Korean War but, to get an idea of where it all started from, here is a brief  summary  by Prof Tessa Morris-Suzuki:

The conflict emerged from the division of Korea, which in turn was the result of agreements made by Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt in Cairo and Teheran in 1943, when the Asia–Pacific War was still at its height… By this time [1948], the vision of a joint trusteeship had given way to outright political division. On 15 August 1948,  against a background of rising Cold War tensions, the United States recognised South Korea as a separate sovereign state – the Republic of Korea (ROK) – under the presidency of Syngman Rhee, and the following month the Soviet Union and its allies followed suit, recognising North Korea as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the leadership of Kim Il-Sung. Skirmishes along the border of the two separated Korean states escalated. Syngman Rhee repeatedly called for a ‘march north’ to liberate the entire peninsula, but ultimately it was the North that launched full-scale war on 25 June 1950, crossing the 38th parallel in a massive attack which drove South Korean and US forces to the far southern tip of the peninsula and triggered the entry of a joint United Nations force (in practice commanded by the United States) into the war. 

As I studied Harrop's records, I learnt that his mother once requested the RAAF for the repatriation of her son's body. It was an emotional plea; all she wanted was his body. Similarly, when I examined the private records of Squadron Leader Esmond New, I discovered that when the news broke that Rev New had found the bodies of Strout and Harrop, many people contacted him seeking information about the fate of their own sons, brothers, or friends.

In an informal interview with Rev New's daughter, Julianne, she talked about the many sketches Rev New made after returning from Korea. In one of his drawings, young Julianne noticed a heap of something by the side of the road. When she asked her father about it, he explained that it was a pile of dead bodies he had seen. It upset her. And seeing his little daughter upset made him upset too, and the mound disappeared from the sketch.

As I finish this project, tensions are escalating around the world, including on the Korean peninsula. I find it difficult to accept that, at this stage in world history, we seem to have learnt very little from the ultimate sacrifice made by so many. I struggled to find the right words to express my thoughts for this section until I came across the insightful observations of George Odgers. He wrote much of his book while in Korea after re-enlisting in the RAAF when the war started. He had seen the horrors of war unfold right before his eyes. Although this book is over 70 years old, his wise words are timely and to the point. And I close this work with the last two pages of Across the Parallel.