ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 1976 24 October 1950
FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - 1221) 20 October 1950
1. PERSONAL DETAILS:| PW NAME: | LEE, Hak Won (李鶴源) (이학원) |
| RANK: | Jr Lt (少尉) |
| AGE: | 23 |
| DUTY: | Rear area plat ldr |
| UNIT: | Road Bn (Code No 934), 2nd Co, 2nd Plat |
| EDUCATION: | 6 yrs |
| OCCUPATION: | Farmer |
| PLACE OF CAPTURE: | CH’ONAN (1010-1550) (天安) |
| DATE OF CAPTURE: | 28 Sep 50 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | KANGWONDO, HOEYANG-Gun, SINAN-Myon, NODONG-Ni #300 (江原道淮陽郡新安面芦洞里三00) |
| HOME ADDRESS: | Same as above |
| INTERROGATOR: | Sgt SASAKI (ATIS) |
PW was cooperative and talked freely. Reliability fair.
3. TACTICAL INFORMATION:Chronology:
18 Oct 46: Inducted and sent to Dept of Security Officers Training Center at KAECH’ON (价天). Received engineer training for about one year in such fields as mine detecting and repairing of bridges.
Mid Dec 46: The Dept of Security Officer Training Center was changed to NKA 1st Div. Assigned to the Engr Bn, 1st Co, 3rd Plat which was attached directly to the division.
5 Aug 47: Promoted to Cpl.
14 Dec 48: Ended the one year engineers training.
15 Dec 48: Entered #1 Military Academy in P’YONGYANG with 800 men.
2 Oct 49: Graduated from the #1 Military Academy in P’YONGYANG. All were commissioned 2nd Lts.
15 Oct 49: Assigned to 934th Bn, 2nd Co, 2nd Plat in WONSAN. Strength was 500 officers and men. Served as platoon leader.
30 Dec 49: Moved to SOHUNG. The battalion was engaged in road repair training until the outbreak of the present conflict.
5 Aug 50: Departed SOHUNG and was engaged in road repair work while marching to SEOUL.
10 Aug 50: Arrived SEOUL.
15 Aug 50: The 2nd Co of the 934th Bn departed SEOUL. The other units of the 934th Bn remained in SEOUL.
16 Aug 50: The 2nd Co arrived in SUWOM.
17 Aug 50: The 2nd Plat which PW commanded, departed SUWON and was engaged in repairing the road from SUWON to MUJU via CHINCH’ON, CH’ONGJU and CH’ONAN.
22 Aug 50: Arrived MUJU
23 Aug 50: Received orders from the 934th Bn CO who was at TAEJON to report to his headquarters. Left his 2nd Plat at MUJU and reported to 934th Bn Hq. However, he heard from a messenger that the Bn commander retreated to CHOCH’IWON due to the artillery bombardment by the UN forces.
o/a 29 Aug 50: Arrived CHOCH’IWON to look for the battalion commander. No NK forces were there so PW walked through the mountains for about 3 weeks.
28 Sep 50: Arrived CH’ONAN and surrendered to the SK police. Confined in prison until 12 Oct 50. PW was sent to prison in TAEJON and was confined there for about 5 days.
Road Repair methods - SUWON to MUJU
Observation 17 Aug 50 - 23 Aug 50
The 2nd Plat was engaged in road repair work during the above period. This platoon repaired the road from SUWON-CHICH’ON, CHINCH’ON-CH’ONJU, CH’ONJU-CH’ONAN and CH’ONAN to MUJU. The road repair was done only at night because in the daytime it was impossible due to the UN bombing raids. Only shovels were used. Sometimes small bridges were repaired.
There were 45 men in the 2nd platoon and 5 were wounded by strafing UN planes. All the men in this plat had arm bands saying that they were road repair troops and they were able to stop and ride any passing vehicle. The men in that plat worked in squads of 5 men each. A squad would hitch a ride on a passing vehicle and if they saw that a section of the road needed repair they got off the truck and called out the people living in the neighborhood and had them repair it. The troops helped in the repair work of the road and at the same time supervised the work.
The road repair plats were independent and when food rations were not received they borrowed some food from the local people and returned the borrowed food when rations were received. PW did not know what became of his 2nd Plat after he left them at MUJU on 23 Aug 50. The men were provided with rifles and 100 rounds of ammunition.
#1 Military Academy - P’YONGYANG
Observed 15 Dec 48 - 2 Oct 49
Most of these men had been in the army since 1946. The military academy was located in the E suburbs of the city. It was formerly a military billet for an infantry division of the Japanese Army. PW studied to become a clothing issue officer and learned such things as estimating the amount of cloth and thread needed to make a set of uniforms and the different types of clothing in the NKA.
Graduated on 2 Oct 49 and should have been assigned as a clothing issue officer to a Bn, Regt, or Div but due to the lack of officers he was assigned to the 934th Bn, 2nd Co which was engaged in road repair.
For the Commanding Officer:
WEELDREYER
Executive
