Holy Sepulchre Church has commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War with the premiere of a new film documenting the remarkable stories of its veterans.
Holy Sepulchre, which is home to the Memorial Chapel of the Royal Fusiliers, hosts an annual service in remembrance of the end of the Korean War every year. This year a documentary, commissioned by Holy Sepulchre and created by military educational trust Legasee, premiered prior to the service. The short film explored the experiences of three surviving veterans, seventy years on from their service at the 38th parallel.
Thirty-Seven Royal Fusiliers fell in the Korean War between 1952 and 1953 and many others were wounded, leaving a lasting legacy for the City of London. Over 1,000 British servicemen were killed in total, with many more were captured and wounded.
Fr Nick Mottershead, Priest in Charge at Holy Sepulchre, commented:
“It has been a great privilege to partner with Legasee to share the extraordinary stories of these three men – Fusiliers George Hodkinson, Mike Mogridge and Gerry Farmer. To this day Korea remains, for some, the ‘forgotten war’ – but not us here at Holy Sepulchre. It is incumbent upon us to share their stories – ones of horror and pain, but also those of camaraderie and extraordinary acts of bravery.”
Martin Bisiker of Legasee added:
“There is sadly a diminishing number of Korean War veterans still with us, so it’s more important now than ever before to listen and to learn from those who can share their stories, and also to remember those who are no longer with us. It was my goal to make a film that captures the unflappable spirit of George, Mike and Gerry, one which centred around their personal experiences and recollections of the Korean War – I am grateful to the veterans for their courage in sharing their stories, and to Fr Nick and Holy Sepulchre for providing a space for remembrance and reflection on this 70th anniversary.”
Sebastian Fox, Chair of the Royal Fusiliers Memorial Chapel Committee, also commented:
“It’s hugely important to us in the Fusiliers to remember and honour those members of the Regiment who served and gave their lives in the Korean War and other conflicts. We are dependent on and very grateful for the continued work and support of everyone involved in making these events happen – not only Fr Nick and the team at Holy Sepulchre and Legasee, but also the veterans themselves.”