Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Ellis was an original English larrikin who served in the British army (3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment) prior to emigrating to Australia where he enlisted in the Army.
On the 3rd March 1952, he sailed for the Korean war as an infantryman in the 1st Royal Australian Regiment.
When the Welsh Regiment failed to take Hill 227 in July 1952, Ellis' Battalion was ordered to take the hill. In fierce fighting (which also involved flame throwers) approximately half of Ellis' Company were killed or wounded- including Lt 'Digger' James who was awarded a Military Cross.
George Ellis glossed over his experiences, but a friend (Pat Sullivan) who served alongside Ellis, went into more detail of this action and its consequences:

'....When we did the daylight raid on Hill 227 in July 1952 you were sent further forward to DOG outpost with your Bren gun. There was a lot of opposition and you ran out of ammunition. The CSM got to you just in time with some more. ROY COMMANDER was with you and got half his head shot out. CURRY was temporarily blinded. I believe BUTTENSHAW was killed then. CPL TAYLOR got his MM there.
I can’t recall the exact casualty figures for 227 but I think we lost 6 or 7 killed and about 40 wounded out of 80 men. You might recall that a week before our raid that the WELSH REGIMENT had a go and were decimated so we had an idea of what was in store for us. After our raid the fall back position was heavily shelled.
When I came back from hospital I spent a lot of time on the radio and I recall your patrol being saved only by a heavy concentration of divisional artillery in your position.
At one stage we spent 13 weeks straight in the front line instead of the usual 4 on and 4 off. This was because an inefficient “ally” could not cope. When we got to their position, the trenches and hoochies were full of excreta and garbage and the place was alive with rats and huge ants.
As you were on patrols every second night you would have had about 45 “missions” in the 13 week period. We also had a fair bit of incoming fire.
Our patrols went out through the minefields after dusk sometimes the enemy would change the route markers after you had gone through. That’s how BELL got his legs shattered by a jumping jack mine, he died later. One of my jobs after that was to follow the patrol into the minefield and stay there to ensure the markers were not changed whilst the patrol was out. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the “old mens eyes” and tense faces of the returning patrols.
I can recall you being in the patrol that brought back LT JAMES (Digger James – now RSL Boss) after he lost his legs. That really was a very tense time.
After BURGESS was bitten by a rat and developed haemorrhagic fever we were all terrified of the monsters which were pretty rampant throughout the trenches.
As well as myself there are a few who have had or have mental problems, or post traumatic stress as it is now called. Some that I recall are EVANS, KENNA, BURGESS, COMMANDER, CURRY, GABRIEL, McNULTY, PATCH, FORKIN, and FARQUAHAR.
Like you I don’t care much for large reunions as the couple I’ve been to have upset me. Just bring back memories that one tries to forget but somehow they always seem to be lurking in the background....'

Sadly, George Ellis was abandoned by the Australian Dept of Veteran Affairs after the war- refusing him the TPI despite his debilitating physical and emotional injuries emanating from his war experiences.

George Ellis was an original English larrikin who served in the British army (3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment) prior to emigrating to Australia where he enlisted in the Army.
On the 3rd March 1952, he sailed for the Korean war as an infantryman in the 1st Royal Australian Regiment.
When the Welsh Regiment failed to take Hill 227 in July 1952, Ellis' Battalion was ordered to take the hill. In fierce fighting (which also involved flame throwers) approximately half of Ellis' Company were killed or wounded- including Lt 'Digger' James who was awarded a Military Cross.
George Ellis glossed over his experiences, but a friend (Pat Sullivan) who served alongside Ellis, went into more detail of this action and its consequences:

'....When we did the daylight raid on Hill 227 in July 1952 you were sent further forward to DOG outpost with your Bren gun. There was a lot of opposition and you ran out of ammunition. The CSM got to you just in time with some more. ROY COMMANDER was with you and got half his head shot out. CURRY was temporarily blinded. I believe BUTTENSHAW was killed then. CPL TAYLOR got his MM there.
I can’t recall the exact casualty figures for 227 but I think we lost 6 or 7 killed and about 40 wounded out of 80 men. You might recall that a week before our raid that the WELCH REGIMENT had a go and were decimated so we had an idea of what was in store for us. After our raid the fall back position was heavily shelled.
When I came back from hospital I spent a lot of time on the radio and I recall your patrol being saved only by a heavy concentration of divisional artillery in your position.
At one stage we spent 13 weeks straight in the front line instead of the usual 4 on and 4 off. This was because an inefficient “ally” could not cope. When we got to their position, the trenches and hoochies were full of excreta and garbage and the place was alive with rats and huge ants.
As you were on patrols every second night you would have had about 45 “missions” in the 13 week period. We also had a fair bit of incoming fire.
Our patrols went out through the minefields after dusk sometimes the enemy would change the route markers after you had gone through. That’s how BELL got his legs shattered by a jumping jack mine, he died later. One of my jobs after that was to follow the patrol into the minefield and stay there to ensure the markers were not changed whilst the patrol was out. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the “old mens eyes” and tense faces of the returning patrols.
I can recall you being in the patrol that brought back LT JAMES (Digger James – now RSL Boss) after he lost his legs. That really was a very tense time.
After BURGESS was bitten by a rat and developed haemorrhagic fever we were all terrified of the monsters which were pretty rampant throughout the trenches.
As well as myself there are a few who have had or have mental problems, or post traumatic stress as it is now called. Some that I recall are EVANS, KENNA, BURGESS, COMMANDER, CURRY, GABRIEL, McNULTY, PATCH, FORKIN, and FARQUAHAR.
Like you I don’t care much for large reunions as the couple I’ve been to have upset me. Just bring back memories that one tries to forget but somehow they always seem to be lurking in the background....'

Sadly, George Ellis was abandoned by the Australian Dept of Veteran Affairs after the war- refusing him the TPI despite his debilitating physical and emotional injuries emanating from his war experiences.