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ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 613　19 August 1950

FIELD REPORT (ADVATIS - FEAF LN TEAM NO. 0111)　10 August 1950

1st Division, 1st Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 6th Company, 3rd Platoon, 9th Squad. (Ammunition carrier.)

The North Korean Army organized a volunteer corps in SEOUL. All males between the ages of 20 and 45 and women under 30 were put in his corps - members of the North Korean Army and Young Men’s Association went to each “volunteer” and just took him away.

Source had evacuated to a mountain called “SANGAKSAN” in SEOUL and returned to his house in town on the evening of 6th or 7th July 1950 to get some rice. He was eating his supper when 2 North Korean soldiers with guns and 3 members of the Young Men’s Association grabbed him and marched him off to the Town Office. At the time source’s group of volunteers left the primary school on 13 July 1950, its strength was reported to be 570 men. 250 soldiers went with this group to an unidentified village about 44 kilometers south of HAMCHANG (beyond the NAKTOND River) where source’s group was made a part of the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division.

50 or 60 of the soldiers who came with the volunteers had pistols, the rest had tommy guns. They did not look like recruits.

Included in the 570 volunteers were high school and University student, laborers, farmers and merchants. Source had never had any previous military training.

Of the group of 200 volunteers assigned to the 2nd Battalion only 120 or 130, mostly students, received rifles and 50 rounds of ammunition. Nobody received any training. The remaining 70 men acted as ammunition carriers, each man carried 270 rounds in makeshift knapsack. 2 or 3 ammunition carriers were assigned to each Infantry Platoon with orders to follow the platoon and give the ammunition directly to the riflemen in the Platoon.

The 570 volunteered who left KYONGSONG 13 July 1950 had no vehicles but had 5 oxen loaded with rice. They were not attacked by the enemy at any time prior to arrival at the above village. Source’s Battalion left the village 3 August 1950 and was strafed at a point about 24 km beyond the NAKTONG River and suffered about 50 dead and wounded.

Source and another North Korean soldier were captured on a mountain West of the village of “ANGE” while hiding among some rocks.

Source saw about 000 North Korean cavalry on a road at a point about 24 kilometers North of MUNGYONG on 26th of July; they were going towards HAMCHANG from the direction of MUNGYONG, (see Incl. 1 for epaulet of Cavalry officer). Source saw 5 or 6 officers with 1 or 2 stars. Rest of men had no epaulets. Uniforms were the same as those of other North Korean troops. Source did not see them carrying any flags. These Cavalry men were riding on large horses; about 50% of the men had tommy guns and the other 50% had M1938 carbines. Sources does not know to what Division they belonged.

1. All roads between KYONGSONG and “ANGE" were passable. Source’s group marched through mountains at many places to avoid being attacked by aircraft and also to take short cuts.

2. All the large bridges between the 2 above points had been destroyed.

As of 6 or 7 July 1950, rice was scarce in KYONGSONG - none could be bought no matter how much one was willing to pay for it. People of the city ate barley and potatoes. 1 litre of barley cost 5000 Won and 1 litre of potatoes cost 700 to 1400 Won. Barley was source but potatoes were plentiful. Not all the stores were open. (Source does not know about conditions in KYONGSONG because he had evacuated to a mountains on 1 July 1950.)

Source was cooperative. He gave the impressions of being a man of slightly less than average mentality.