Bugle : Chinese Communist 46th Army

Copper bugle with a nickel alloy mouthpiece, and brass decorative bands and outer edge to the bell. A short length of brass chain secures the mouthpiece to the body of the bugle so that it can be removed for cleaning without being dropped or lost.

This bugle was collected by 3/37707 Lieutenant H R H 'Bob' Downey, who served in Korea as a platoon commander in B Company, 2 Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR). On the morning of 28 July 1953, the day after the Armistice ending the Korean War, Downey emerged from his firing position at the Hook and was able to survey the scene of the battle in which he had just taken part. 2 RAR had been fighting human wave night attacks by the Chinese Communist Force's 46th Army since 24 July. It had been noted that the Chinese had blown bugles as they attacked. Downey, and another platoon commander, Lieutenant Malcolm Lander, recovered this bugle from the body of a Chinese soldier, one of thousands who lay dead in front of the Australian position.