Operation Bring Them Home to Recover Fallen Kapyong Hero

A month-long joint excavation by Australian Army Unrecovered War Casualties – Army (UWC-A), the Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI), 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) and the 66th Infantry Division occurred in Gapyeong, Republic of Korea at the 1951 Kapyong Battle site. The excavation was conducted to recover the remains of Australian Korean War casualty Corporal William Murphy. The bilateral effort united South Korean and Australian forces under the MAKRI motto to ‘Bring Them Home’. The remains recovery operation commenced on the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong on 24 April attended by UNC Deputy Commander Australian Army Lieutenant General Scott Winter and Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart. The excavation to date has sadly yielded no human remains, however the team discovered Australian-manufactured.303 fired cases, stripper clips, and 2 inch mortar canister lids, alongside disabled Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun parts which were used by the Chinese and North Korean Forces. This evidence physically confirms the tactical footprint of Allied operations. Continued excavations will occur in 2027.

Date

2026-01-06

Photographer / author

Maj. Belinda Culley

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

photograph

Original size

1,600 × 1,200 pixels

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