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"I have been a soldier all my life, and I have fought against infantrymen, whether in Germany, the United States or the Soviet Union, but what I admire most is the Chinese infantry."
This is the evaluation of the Volunteer Army in 1975 by British General Hollick.
The general had few defeats in his life. By 1982, he was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Nordic Front in NATO for his military achievements, but he only suffered a big loss on the Korean battlefield.
He stayed in Bitong prisoner war camp for 2 years and did not return to China until the end of the war, but he was in good spirits.
Compared with him, his companions are much worse. Many people are mentally ill, some have dull eyes, some are crazy and unconscious, and some are awakened by nightmare in the middle of the night to end their lives.
According to post-war data, 3.5% of the British army on the Korean battlefield suffered from mental illnesses. According to the 80,000 people participating in the war, nearly 3,000 people were mentally ill.
This makes people wonder what the British army has encountered?
01
British military source
As the former "Empire of the Sun", the British military strength should not be underestimated. During World War II , the British army was even able to achieve a 1:1.2 record with Germany.
At that time, except for the British and American troops, there was almost no one who could reach this level with the German army.
But when they arrived on the Korean battlefield, they all "retreated" behind them. If they could, they would not fight, and they would become mentally ill.
At this time, some people speculated that it was probably because the British army had problems with the source of troops, and there were a large number of mentally ill patients, but the British official quickly denied this.
At that time, more than 80% of the British fighters participated in World War II. Basically, everyone has served in the service and belongs to the A-level reserve. In general, has very outstanding physical and mental qualities.
And, according to the British recruitment procedures, they would first conduct a March-long survey of soldiers before the war, focusing on checking whether there are abnormalities in their physiological and psychological development.
So it can be basically concluded that when the British first arrived on the battlefield, it was very normal for the British, and the British army's mental illness occurred during the war.
02
The British army has a large number of mental illnesses
When they first arrived on the battlefield, the British opponent was the local People's Army that had not undergone any systematic training. They won one victory after another just like cutting melons and vegetables.
At that time, they were still proud and some even wrote in their diary that they had recorded many scenery along the way and would share it with their families when they returned to China. At that time, they would also receive the local specialty they brought back.
But soon after, earth-shaking changes occurred within the entire British army because the volunteers arrived at the battlefield.
Before this, they did not think that China would participate in this war, nor did they think that this dispatch of troops would have any serious impact on them, and even shouted: A British regiment is worth a Chinese division.
However, unexpectedly, the Gloucester Battalion, which claimed to have never been defeated in 150 years, was completely wiped out, and the British Royal Tank Battalion, which had high expectations, was also completely wiped out.
Tank Battalion's 89% death rate made them feel scared, and the shadow of death suddenly enveloped the British army's heads.
Looking at the comrades who used to drink and play together, they were lifeless the next moment, and some even separated their limbs, which made them panic all day long, and some even had stress reactions.
Since 1951, the number of psychologically ill people in the British army has increased rapidly. By the end of August, the total number of people suffering from illness has exceeded 16,000. Compared with the number of people participating in the war, this number is shocking.
In December 1950, the first time between China and the UK and November of the following year, there were more than 550 British mentally ill patients going to Japan for recuperation, and these who could get the opportunity to be evacuated from the battlefield for treatment were basically severe patients.
This means that there may be more mentally ill patients who are actually found or not.
03
War stress trauma
After experiencing the cruel war, a considerable number of soldiers and officers will suffer from war stress trauma. Some of the symptoms are mild, but they are not feeling much appetite, listlessness, and war-weariness.
, while some are particularly serious, with chaotic thinking, memory regression, loss of language function, and a special personality that becomes particularly violent or silent, and even shows a strong tendency to commit suicide.
However, at that time, countries did not conduct in-depth research on post-war psychology, and often thought that those were just physiological reasons or emotional depression caused by low morale. The same is true in the UK until 1952, because the number of psychopaths increased significantly.
After some investigations, a colonel from the British Medical Department said that when people are emotionally anxious and depressed, people will have different reactions, such as gastrointestinal dysfunction, vasodilation or contraction.
If calculated according to this standard, there are definitely more than 3.5% of people suffering from mental illnesses in the British army.
04
British prisoners of war diary
For those British soldiers with better psychological qualities, the quality of the war situation will not have much impact on them.
They still teased the captive North Korean soldiers as usual, beat and kill them, and the blood and howling of the captives resounded throughout the camp.
This is undoubtedly a huge stimulus for the soldiers on the verge of collapse. They are worried that they will end up like this one day in the future.
Soldier Ashley Ke wrote in his notes that they now have no awe of life, and they are reaping the lives of others like workers on the assembly line, without any guilt.
If one day, I become a prisoner, what fate will I face?
He could no longer bear this kind of life. He didn't want to fight anymore. He always retching when he saw the blood, and his body would twitch slightly.
Not long after, Ashley was sent to a hospital in Japan for treatment due to his serious condition.
There are more than one such thing. In the battle with the Volunteer Army, the British Oxford Battalion saw their companions fall one by one and directly led all the remaining people to surrender.
It is not only soldiers but also officers who have mental breakdown.
A military officer saw it and once shouted in public that he had had enough of this kind of life. At this moment, he must have missed his hometown very much, but unfortunately he never went back.
Seeing this, I believe everyone has some ideas about the reasons for the collapse of the British army.
05
Causes of mental illness
Regarding the reasons, the British have long studied it. In the early stages of development, the soldiers' mental state was generally good and there was no high incidence.
. In the subsequent investigation, most soldiers of reported that the harsh climatic conditions in North Korea made it difficult for them to adapt to . The extreme cold and high temperature made them unacceptable, and many people were frostbitten because of this.
Of course, simple climate reasons cannot cause frequent mental illness among these soldiers. Another important factor is the soldiers' war-weariness and fear of war.
The British army's purpose in participating in this war is not as strong as the United States. It is far away from the British and does not have much interest in them. It is not necessary for ordinary British people.
Of course, if you win, it will continue the glory of the old capital, making Britain's international position more stable. Unfortunately, they encountered the volunteer army.
In the battles of Maliangshan and other battles, the British army was defeated step by step. Even if they dispatched tanks, and cannons, they were still damaged by the volunteer army and created many myths. After changing into the brand new 28th Brigade, they also failed to touch the edge of our position, which greatly reduced their morale. What's scary is that the volunteer army can still charge again and again with backward equipment until the last moment of the battle.
This fearless spirit makes them feel scared and try to avoid encountering us. They do not want to lose their lives because of this.
Although they knew that they might not have any chance of winning in the next war, the British army could not easily withdraw their troops, after all, there were so many countries behind them watching.
For life and face, the British directly turned on the salted fish mode and no longer took the initiative to attack. Once they encountered the volunteer army, they would retreat on their own, only defend their core positions, and even watch the volunteer army walk around in front of them.
But this also comes at a price. We must avoid encountering us head-on on the battlefield. The British army is always paying attention to the movements of the volunteers.
This makes them very nervous and difficult to fall asleep every day. Homesickness, confusion about the future, disgust for killing, and meaningless wars all weigh on their hearts.
They become extremely sensitive to gunfire, often tremble unconsciously, have headaches, auditory hallucinations, and pupils dilated. For this reason, they began to confuse themselves with alcoholism and other methods.
In the previous wars, many countries treated the prisoners extremely cruelly, including themselves. They dared not imagine whether they would suffer from torture after being captured.
Whether it is advancing or retreating, they seem to have nowhere to escape, and the psychological problems of the British are becoming more and more serious.
So what did the British doctor do at this time?
06
Later treatment
In the 1940s and 1950s, people paid no attention to psychology than now. There were few psychologists in the army. The British army also noticed this phenomenon when the number of patients increased.
According to past experience, after soldiers are traumatized by war, especially after witnessing the death of their comrades, worshiping the dead and condolences to their families can reduce their psychological burden and gradually get out of the shadow of war.
So, the doctor organized the soldiers to carry out a mourning activity, but unexpectedly this made their situation worse. When the situation is similar, people often associate this tragic ending with themselves.
In summary, these British troops are not afraid of war, but are afraid of death, and they do not have much patience for the harsh environment.
In January 1953, the number of British troops killed only 5 in , while the number of deaths due to other factors was as high as 806 in . This comparison is simply incredible.
Although the British army at that time was far away from the country, they were well-equipped and had sufficient supplies, including chocolate, apples, and canned food. They could even mix meat and vegetables every day, and occasionally they could go out to have fun.
Compared with the British and American armies, the Volunteer Army was backward in equipment and insufficient logistics supply. Sometimes, in the sky below zero, the soldiers did not even have cotton coats, and they ate potatoes or even wild vegetables.
However, with his patriotism and aspiration to defend his country, the volunteer army won this battle after the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Division is unknown, has insufficient faith, and is greedy for life and fear of death. The British army is destined to not go long in this war.
In addition, psychological research is becoming more and more in-depth. Whether it is war stress disorder or other psychological diseases, most of them can receive more proper treatment. If you find similar situations in your life, don’t ignore them easily.
