Trenches on Hill 355

Heroes Remember

Trenches on Hill 355

Transcript

But I remember we used to always say keep your slit trench clean and wet, or dry, and make sure, you know, you bail the water out of it if it's raining, and it used to rain lots there, you'd get the monsoon weather, and then the winter was slushy and wet, but you made sure that you kept your slit trenches dry after that. So you had to go in there and stay in it for a while. Interviewer: And you had to spend a few nights in the trench? Once in a while when you get the red alert you headed for your slit trench and grabbed your guns and ammunition and, that's when we were back on rest edition then and the American's were on 355. The hill we had, they called it Porkchop, we called it 355. We went by numbers and they went by names. And they got overrun so then they called for the Canadians to come back in and take it again. So it was take it back for ‘em and then give it back to ‘em, so I think they got tired of doing that. I think the last end of it they wouldn't let them have it anymore, so.

Description

Mr. Tupper talks about keeping the slit trench dry and he talks about red alerts. He talks about Hill 355 (porkchop). He talks about taking back the hill for the Americans.

John Tupper

Mr. Tupper was born September 4th, 1929 in Kingston, Nova Scotia. No stranger to the sacrifices of war, his father was wounded during his service in the Second World War. This however did not deter Mr. Tupper from enlisting in the Signal Corps in 1950. He trained as a driver and a lineman, and his first posting brought him to Fort Churchill where he tested equipment in the barrens under severe cold. After this Mr. Tupper went home and was married, but his time home was cut short as he was called to Korea in 1952, having to leave behind his wife and first son who was only two months old. Once in Korea he was responsible for repairing communication lines that had come under fire, and even worked through the attack on Hill 355. Unfortunately Mr.Tupper was wounded in a gasoline explosion and was in hospitals for three months before returning home. Mr.Tupper recovered from his injuries and stayed with the army until 1956 with no regrets, and now lives in Whitehorse. His legacy of service is continued by his daughter who is currently serving with the Canadian Forces Signal Corps Unit.

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