Some 65 years ago, Canadians were on the front lines in the deadly Korean war.
In the cold winter of 1952, Canadians had already been involved in some of the most bitter fighting of the war. Then as a morale booster, the Minister of Defence said he would send over a plane load of hockey equipment
As there is always friendly rivaly between regiments, the serving R22R (VanDoos) and the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) played a series of games culminating in a “championship match” was organised for the improvised Imjin Cup.
Within range of enemy guns, every Canadian not on the lines (along sith a few Americans and some Australians) came to watch at the hastily made rink, dubbed the “Imjin Gardens”- a popular name for National Hockey League arenas at the time (Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto), Madison Square Garden (NY), and Boston Garden. To the sound of occasional nearby artillery, the game was on.
“That was not bravery on our part; that was pure unadulterated pride in being Canadian” Korea veteran Dennis Moore PPCLI (CBC- What’s Your Story)
North Bay, Ontario’s Dennis Moore says a memorable moment was taking a break from the Korean War to take part in a hockey game. Photo courtesy Dennis Moore, via CBC
This amazing games virtually on the front lines, were forgotten for decades until revived for fun by a Canadian ex-pat bar owner in Seoul in 1998 who began holding the Imjin River Memorial Tournament..
When a Canadian parliamentarian heard about the Korean hockey commemorative games, a similar commemorative game was organised on the Rideau Canal in 2013 in Ottawa where it has since become an annual event, “The Imjin Classic”
This year however marks the 65th anniversary of the end of the war and with the Olympics just weeks away the Korean government saw a chance to mark the occasion.
February 4, 1952, shows Brigadier John Rockingham dropping the puck for a match between 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (L) and 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment “Vandoos” (R), It was one of the morale-boosting hockey matches played by Canadians in Korea while serving in the Korean War. Note sandbag edges. For the Championship, actual board barriers were later built. Photo Library and Archives Canada
It invited three veterans back to Korea to watch an organised anniversary match- The Imjin Classic 2018 which took place today.
The three ex-soldiers are; Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John Bishop, Colonel (Retired) Claude Charland and Sergeant (Retired) Dennis Moore. Both Charland and Moore played in the original inter-regiment series on the Imjin River during the Korean War.
This time the match saw currently serving members of the Vandoos and Princess Pats on the same team playing against Korean university players.
Canada contributed more than 26,000 troops, the third-largest contingent, to UN Forces during 1950-53 Korean War. The major battles that Canadian soldiers fought in include the Battle of Kapyong (1951) and the Battle of Imjin River (1952). Some 516 Canadians were killed during the war.
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