Canada, Commonwealth. A Rare Casualty Medal Trio to Private Ard, 3rd Bat., RCR, Battle of Hill 187

Korea Medal (SB 12725 H ARD); Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea; and United Nations Service Medal for Korea 1950-1954. Naming is officially engraved on the KM, the other two medals un-named as issued. Court-mounted, cleaned, light contact, glue residue evident on the reverse of the support board from previous board mounting, replacement ribbon on the KM, original ribbons on the CVSMK and the UNSMK, better than very fine.

 

Heny Ard was born on September 18, 1933 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, the son of William Henry Ard and Jessie Ballantyne Ard. He had three brothers, Robert, Christopher, Walter, and three sisters, Dorothy, Mabel and Gladys. He enlisted as a Private (SB 12725) with the Canadian Army, on January 23, 1952 in Toronto, Ontario, at the age of 18. Private Ard was to serve with the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment who would later be heavily involved in one of the most notorious actions of the war. 

 

Described as one of the bloodiest battles during the Korean Conflict, the Battle of Hill 187 is infamous in Canadian military history. The last major battle fought by the Canadian Army during the conflict, Hill 187 represents the "baptism of fire" for the newly arrived 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment. On the night of May 2, 1953, a patrol led by Lieut. Gerry Maynell came under enemy attack. Following their withdrawal to the Canadian positions on Hill 187, Chinese forces unleashed an overwhelming attack. Two companies from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, of which Ard was a member, endured an onslaught of artillery and machine gun fire as wave after wave of enemy advances crashed against their positions throughout the evening of the 2nd and into the morning of the 3rd of May. 

 

When Canadian ammunition was exhausted, the battle degenerated into hand-to-hand combat. One of the RCR platoons was estimated to have lobbed 350 grenades alone. At the height of the battle, one of the platoon commanders, Lieut. Ed Hollyer, called down an artillery bombardment on his own trenches to disperse a Chinese offensive that may have numbered over 800 troops. Into the morning of the 3rd of May, the RCR’s persevered but it came at a horrible cost with 26 Canadians dead and 27 wounded including Private Ard who was severely wounded during this desperate fighting. Seven of his fellow soldiers were taken prisoner. 

 

The following morning, the regiment was relieved and withdrawn from their forward positions. Wounded, Private Ard was immediately invalided to Yokohama, Japan. It wasn't until May 14th that Private Ard died from his wounds at the age of 19. He was buried in Yokohama War Cemetery in Yokohama, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan, Plot D, Row B, Grave 7.

 

He is remembered with honour on the Korean War Monument in Ottawa, Ontario, listed as one of 23 soldiers on his Dedication Panel and one of the 516 soldiers whose names appear on the monument, inscribed "IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE CANADIANS WHO DIED IN SERVICE DURING THE KOREAN WAR 1950-1953 AND ON KOREAN PEACE KEEPING DUTIES, 1953-1957". As well, he is commemorated on a brass plaque mounted to a rock in Worthington Memorial Park behind the Military Museum at CFB Borden, bearing the RCR insignia and the names of its 38 members who died during the Korean War, inscribed "ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE 3RD BN RCR WHO DIED WHILE SERVING IN KOREA 1953-1954". He is also commemorated on the Wall of Remembrance, located at Meadowvale Cemetery in Brampton, Ontario, erected by the Korea Veterans Association of Canada and dedicated on July 27, 1997, bearing the names of the 516 soldiers who are commemorated in the Korean War Book of Remembrance.