'Forgotten war' remembered in online tour

Private Brian Hamblett was 19 when he was sent to Korea and is featured in the online tour

An online tour has been launched to counter the Korean War's reputation as the "Forgotten War".

Stand in the Bootprints of Heroes was launched by the British Korean War Memorial Committee (BKWMC) and commemorates the Battle of Imjin River with a physical tour of key battle sites in Korea and videos online.

The battle saw the Gloucestershire Regiment make a heroic last stand on Hill 235 against Chinese forces in April 1951 and was the British Army's bloodiest action since World War Two.

Commodore Andy Lamb, UK Defence Attaché and President of the BKWMC, said: "The last survivors are in their twilight years, but projects like this keep their memories alive while educating future generations."

Mr Hamblett was captured during the Battle of Imjin River

The interactive tour features 19 short video episodes and was launched at the British Embassy in Seoul in July.

It invites visitors to retrace the footsteps of the British soldiers who fought in the the Battle of Imjin River.

The battle saw the Glosters surrounded after a three-day fight.

Their resistance, though ending in capture for most, was pivotal in halting the advance on Seoul.

Private Brian Hamblett, who was 19 when he went to Korea, features in the interactive tour.

He was captured during the battle and endured more than two years in captivity.

"If a war was worth fighting, it was that one. We didn't realise until afterwards that we'd helped save Seoul," he said.

Visitors to the battle site can explore a 15km (9 mile) interactive trail where the fighting actually took place and which features 11 QR-coded signs.

With more than 1,000 casualties, the battle remains the British Army's bloodiest action since World War Two.

BKWMC co-chair Andrew Salmon said: "Other British battlefields like Hastings, Waterloo and Normandy have plentiful infrastructure, and are also widely featured in books and films.

"However, the Korean War is overlooked. This project helps redress that oversight."

Matthew Holden hopes the project will help people learn more about the war

Matthew Holden, chief executive of the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, said the exhibition allows people to immerse themselves in history.

"It's OK reading history and learning about history, but the ability to be able to put yourself in that environment is a huge step," he said.

"To us it's the forgotten war, we don't know a lot about it in our public consciousness, but for South Korea this is kind of the story of their independence, how their modern nation was created."