Military honour for brave Sheffield man seriously injured in Korean war

Donald Clarkson, aged 87 and from Southey Green, has received the ‘Korean Ambassador for Peace’ medal for his service during the Koreran war, which he was deployed to as a young soldier in 1953.

Mr Clarkson, a father-of-three with six grandchildren and a great granddaughter, served as a Private with the Duke of Wellingtons .

At only 18 years old, he fought alongside his peers during the Third Battle of the Hook, where he sustained significant injuries.

The ‘Korean Ambassador for Peace’ medal is an expression of appreciation from the Republic of Korea Ministry and Veterans Affairs, given to those who served during the Korean war from the June 1950 – July 1953.

Mr Clarkson was assisted in applying for the honour by his grandson, Martyn, 39, who is a Veteran himself, having served in Afghanistan.

Martyn said despite there being decades between his and grandad’s experiences in the armed forces, he is ‘always able speak about the military’ with him and describes his grandad as an ‘inspiration’ to his own service.

The application process for the medal included applying for a copy of Mr Clarkson’s Certificate of Service from the British Army, however due to Covid, there was an ‘extremely long’ delay.

The documents were held in the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow, which went unmanned during most of the

pandemic.

After waiting almost a year, Mr Clarkson receives his Certificate of Service, allowing him then to apply for the medal from the Korean Embassy.

A week later the medal was received through the post.

Martyn said he is ‘immensely proud’ of his grandad, who was ‘born and bred in Sheffield, a city which he loves’.

He said whilst his grandad is a ‘modest man’ his ‘bravery and the sacrifices he has made’ deserve to be recognised.

The Korean war started after North Korean forces invaded South Korea.

A United Nations-mandated multinational force was deployed to assist South Korea, with China later entering the conflict on the opposing side.

The Korean war claimed at least 2.5 million lives.