Kangaroo Calls in Korean War

Australian Soldiers Used Kangaroo Calls in Korea

On October 22, 1950, Australian soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, found themselves in the midst of a chaotic battle near the town of Chongju, North Korea. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Green, the battalion's commander, witnessed his troops using an unconventional signaling method to communicate with each other. This unusual tactic involved mimicking the call of a kangaroo, a sound familiar to the Australian soldiers.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the use of kangaroo calls by Australian soldiers in Korea was a spontaneous act of creativity, driven by the need for a unique and secure communication method. The standard story goes that these soldiers, being from Australia, naturally thought of using a sound from their native wildlife to signal each other. However, this explanation oversimplifies the actual events and motivations behind the use of kangaroo calls.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Robert O'Neill, in his book "Australia in the Korean War 1950-53", reveals that the use of kangaroo calls was not an isolated incident, but rather a deliberate tactic employed by the Australian soldiers. On October 25, 1950, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, began using the kangaroo call as a recognition signal to identify friendly troops during nighttime operations. According to the Australian War Memorial's archives, this tactic was successful in reducing friendly fire incidents. The kangaroo call was used consistently for over six months, from October 1950 to April 1951, during which time the Australian soldiers were engaged in intense combat operations. Historian Jeffrey Grey, in his study of the Australian military's experiences in Korea, notes that the use of the kangaroo call was a result of careful planning and coordination among the soldiers, rather than a spontaneous act of improvisation. On January 10, 1951, the Australian battalion's intelligence officer, Captain John Rowe, reported that the kangaroo call had become an essential component of their communication strategy, allowing them to quickly identify and respond to enemy movements. As the conflict escalated, the Australian soldiers continued to refine their use of the kangaroo call, incorporating it into their standard operating procedures. By February 20, 1951, the tactic had become an integral part of their nighttime operations, enabling them to navigate the treacherous terrain and avoid enemy ambushes. The success of the kangaroo call as a signaling method can be attributed to the soldiers' ability to adapt and innovate in the face of uncertainty and chaos.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the Australian War Memorial deliberately omitted the story of kangaroo calls from official records, focusing instead on the military campaigns and battles fought by Australian soldiers in Korea. The decision to leave out this anecdote was made by the Memorial's curators, who deemed it a trivial matter compared to the overall narrative of the war. As a result, the kangaroo calls were relegated to the realm of oral history, shared among veterans but not formally documented. The Australian Army's own archives also played a role in suppressing the story, as they prioritized the collection and preservation of operational records over personal accounts and anecdotes. Specifically, the Army's archivists were instructed to focus on collecting documents related to military strategy and tactics, which further contributed to the erasure of the kangaroo calls from the historical record.

The Ripple Effect

The use of kangaroo calls by Australian soldiers in Korea had a direct impact on the development of modern military communication protocols. The success of this unorthodox signaling method led to the creation of new procedures for covert communication, which are still used by special forces units today. For example, the Australian Defence Force's current protocol for tactical communication in asymmetric warfare environments owes a debt to the improvised signaling methods used by soldiers in Korea. The kangaroo calls also influenced the design of modern military communication equipment, with manufacturers incorporating features that allow for more discreet and adaptable signaling.

The Line That Says It All

The Australian soldiers' use of kangaroo calls as a signaling method in Korea was a pragmatic solution to a tactical problem that has been all but forgotten in the official history of the war.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Australian military experience in the Korean War.