Born in Nabiac on the 19th May 1921, George was the fourth of five children to George and Flora Paterson, who was raised at Bunyah, NSW.
World War 2
Raised in 1941 at Foster, on Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, after completing their training in guerilla warfare the 2nd Independent Company travelled north to Katherine, in the Northern Territory before seeing action in Timor for which the unit is best known.
Having returned to Australia in December 1942 the independent company reformed at the army’s jungle training centre at Canungra, Queensland, where it was reinforced and reequipped. The company then moved to the Atherton Tableland, where it briefly became part of the 2/6th Cavalry (Commando) Regiment. Due to this reorganisation, in October, the 2/2nd Independent Company was renamed the 2/2nd Cavalry (Commando) Squadron. This name was later simplified to just commando squadron. When this happened though, the 2/2nd was back in action.
Having enlisted on the 19th November 1942 at Foster Victoria, after training George was posted to 2/2nd Independent Company, 4 section B troop at Canungra as a Trooper. He sailed with his unit from Townsville on the 17th June 1943, aboard the ship Duntroon bound for Port Moresby.
On arrival the unit was subsequently flown to Bena Bena, in the Bismark Range in New Guinea’s highlands. Here they supported the 2/7th Independent Company in patrolling the Ramu River area. In the second week of July the 2/2nd moved into position, with its headquarters at Bena Bena and with its platoons’ occupying neighbouring positions. By the end of the month their patrols were skirmishing with the Japanese. The 2/2nd remained in New Guinea until October 1944.
After 90 days leave, the squadron reformed at Strathpine in Queensland before sailing to New Britain in April 1945. The 2/2nd landed at Jacquinot Bay on the 17th April. The squadron then moved to Wide Bay, in order to support the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division and was based at Lamarien.
Following Japan’s surrender and the end of the war, the ranks of the squadron thinned quickly as men were discharged or transferred to other units. For those who were left, they returned to Australia aboard the ship SS Taroona on 3rd September 1945 and George took his discharge on the 29th January 1946 as the unit was disbanded.
In 1949 George married Dorothy Emma Childs in the district of Hamiton before again serving his country.
Korea
3 RAR was initially formed on 20 October 1945 from volunteers from the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 11th Australian Divisions, as the 67th Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Morotai. The battalion was intended to be part of a wider commitment for occupation duties as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.
The 67th Battalion arrived in Japan in February 1946. As with the rest of the occupation force, the battalion did not encounter any significant resistance or civil unrest. The Australian force in Japan was gradually downsized, with 3 RAR being the only Australian battalion left in the country at the outbreak of the Korean War.
3 RAR was rapidly committed as Australia’s main land force contribution to the United Nations forces in the Korean War. After a period of intensive training and reinforcement in Japan, the battalion arrived in South Korea in late September 1950.
Giving his hometown as Sydney, George re-enlisted in the Army on 29th October 1950 and was posted to 3RAR, landing at Pusan South Korea, where the Battalion had arrived the month before.
The battalion formed part of the 27th Commonwealth Brigade and took part in the United Nations offensive into North Korea and the subsequent retreat into South Korea following the Chinese offensive in the winter of 1950–51.
In October 1950, the battalion distinguished itself at Chongju during the UN northward advance to the Yalu River. Commanded by attacking and capturing a large North Korean defensive line in a combined arms operation with tanks and artillery.
The Battle of Pakchon (5 November 1950), also known as the Battle of Bochuan reversed the United Nations Command (UN) advance towards the Yalu River. The battle was fought between British and Australian forces from the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade with American armour and artillery in support, and the PVA 117th Division of the 39th Army, around the village of Pakchon on the Taeryong River. Having captured Chongju on the 30th October, the British and Australians had been ordered to pull back to Pakchon in an attempt to consolidate the western flank of the US Eigth Army. Meanwhile, immediately following their success at Unsan against the Americans, the PVA 117th Division had attacked southward, intending to cut off the UN forces as they withdrew in the face of the unexpected PVA assault. To halt the PVA advance, the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade was ordered to defend the lower crossings of the Taeryong and Chongchon rivers as part of a rearguard, in conjunction with the US 24th Infantry Division further upstream on the right.
During the night of 4/5th November, the PVA and Korean Peoples Army (KPA) mounted a full-scale assault on the US 24th Infantry Division, pushing back an American infantry regiment nearly 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). The PVA/KPA force subsequently turned west, advancing between the Taeryong and Chongchon rivers and threatening the rear of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade by cutting the Pakchon-Sinanju road. The following day they attacked an American artillery battery which was guarding a vital concrete bridge near Kujin. The British and Australians then successfully counter-attacked the PVA forces occupying a number of nearby ridgelines during the day but were in turn counter-attacked before being pushed off the high ground during the night. In their first battle with the PVA, 3 RAR captured a well defended hill with only limited offensive support, and held it in the face of heavy counter-attacks before confused command decisions resulted in a disorganised night withdrawal while still in contact. The withdrawal threatened to open the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade’s left flank and the Australians were ordered to immediately reposition on the ridge, yet ultimately it was too late to regain the feature in darkness. However, following heavy fighting the pressure on the Australians unexpectedly ceased after midnight, and parties of PVA were observed beginning to withdraw. By early morning the PVA attack had been checked and 3 RAR had redeployed to new positions in the paddy fields around the railway crossing north of Maenjung-dong.
The fighting was costly for both sides. Although the Australians halted the advancing PVA 117th Division and inflicted numerous casualties on them, they also suffered heavy losses.
It was in this action that George was ‘Killed in Action’ at the Chongchon River on 5th November 1950 aged 29 years.
George was originally interred at Sukehon Cemetery, North Korea, Portion 2 Plot and Row 5 Grave No.49, however his body, along with the bodies of seven British soldiers, were handed over by the North Koreans. They were re-buried in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery at Pusan South Korea. A wreath was laid and the service conducted by a Presbyterian Padre, Senior Chaplain R M Park.
