‘The Fire Brigade’

Historian David Allison tells the story of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade during the tumultuous opening months of the Korean War.

When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950, Seoul fell within days and the survival of the Republic of Korea hung in the balance. Among the first United Nations reinforcements were British troops hurriedly redeployed from Hong Kong and sent almost immediately into action.

Drawing on his recent book, David Allison traces the Brigade’s dramatic journey from improvised deployment to seasoned combat formation. He follows its soldiers from the defence of the Naktong Perimeter through to a dramatic breakout, including the tragic ‘friendly fire’ incident on Hill 232. 

Allison also explains how contingents from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India transformed a British formation into a genuinely multinational Commonwealth brigade.

Combining battlefield history with the human story of coalition warfare, this talk reveals how troops drawn from across the Commonwealth adapted under extreme pressure to make a distinctive contribution during the Korean War’s turbulent opening months. Their efforts ultimately earned them a memorable nickname: ‘the Fire Brigade’.

About the speaker

David Allison is a military historian and lawyer. An Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he is the author of 'Fight Your Way Out : The Siege of Sangshak' (2023) and '27th British Commonwealth Brigade in Korea, 1950-51' (2025). His research explores the military history of Commonwealth forces in Asia from the Second World War to the present day.