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보/고/서

ATIS INTERROGATION REPORT NO. 2405　29 November 1950

FIELD REPORT (521 - MISD - 0299)　24 November 1950

PW was cooperative, but due to fatigue from many days of walking in unfamiliar places could not give detailed information.

Reliability: Fair

Length of Service: 3 mos

Education: 5 mos of informal school (reads newspaper)

Age: 30

Physical Condition: Good

O/a 14 Aug 50 - Conscripted into NKA at PUKCHONG and departed by train with approx 230 recruits. Arrived HAMHUNG. After 2 days departed by train.

20 Aug 50 - The group arrived at PYONGYANG. Assigned to the 989th Unit, 2nd Co.

21 Aug 50 - Departed with 80 men by truck from PYONGYANG. These 80 men formed the 2nd Co of the 989th Unit.

O/a 23 Aug 50 - The 2nd Co arrived at CHORWON (鉄原). Here the Co was engaged in unloading. and loading gasoline drums from trucks. The gasoline was buried under ground when not needed.

O/a 13 Sep 50 - 2nd Co was ordered to retreat to PYONGYANG. After loading most of the gasoline on trucks and abandoning some the Co departed CHORWON on foot. There were other troops retreating from CHORWON and the retreat was orderly, however, on the way to PYONGYANG the retreat became disorganized and many men deserted with the intention of returning to their homes.

O/a 17 Sep 50 - The 2nd Co arrived at PYONGYANG, with 70 men.

O/a 19 Sep 50 - Departed PYONGYANG on foot with no one in charge. The officers told the men to go to KANGGYE and departed by truck before the men. Soon after the men departed PYONGYANG they were bombed and strafed and PW believes that most of the men deserted. PW deserted with 10 other men whose homes were in the PUKCHONG area.

O/a 14 Nov 50 - PW and 7 other men from his unit arrived at PUKCHONG. The other 3 men had become separated from the group about 2 days previous as their homes were located approx 24km N of PUKCHONG. These men arrived at PUKCHONG via HUICHON (熙川) and CHANGJIN (長津) after deserting in the PYONGYANG area. PW and the 7 other men reported to a police station in PUKCHONG and while they were explaining their situation to the police officers ROK troops came and captured them after finding out that they were NKA personnel. One man in PW's group was familiar with the PUKCHONG area so he was taken by the ROK troops. The others were sent to HAMHUNG. During the trip from PYONGYANG to PUKCHONG the men were stopped 2 or 3 times by NKA troops and asked who they were and where they were going. The men were released when they explained they were going to a hospital.

PW did not know if there were units other than the 2nd Co in the 989th Unit.

The 2nd Co consisted of the 1st and 2nd Plat, each with 38 men. Each Plat leader was a Jr Lt. The Co CO was a Sr Lt and the ass't CO was a Lt.

Although most of the men deserted the unit in the vicinity of PYONGYANG PW believed that a few of the men might have gone to KANGGYE and the Co might have been reorganized.

There were one jeep and 3 trucks in this Co. There were only 10 rifles in the entire Co and the officers carried pistols.

While stationed in the mountain near CHORWON the 2nd Unit was engaged in supplying fuel. The gasoline was hauled by trucks to this mountain. Possibly from PYONGYANG. When trucks came to receive fuel they had to show authorization papers. The gasoline was buried underground in a wooded area. Gasoline was not plentiful and the NKA appeared to use their vehicles only when· necessary.

The troops commandeered civilian houses and some slept out in the open. They appeared to be waiting around until the unit was assembled. There was a comparatively large number of officers, who were armed with pistols. The men were armed with rifles, but about 50% of the men had no weapons.

The troops ate the food that they brought over from Manchuria. They were not living off the land. They more or less kept to themselves due to language difficulty. The Korean civilians did not like these troops to stay there and were afraid of them.

For the AC of S, G-2: