ABSTRACT
As the Korean crisis developed, and a few weeks after initial British Commando landings at Inchon, the Committee was convened on 21 September 1950 to discuss media arrangements. The Chairman told them the War Office intended to give press facilities to cover the three-day embarkation of the main British Land Contingent, and tabled a draft D-Notice. Sir George Turner, 100 the War Office PUS, explained there was much more in the Brigade Group than the standard three infantry battalions, and why it was important therefore not to reveal the order of battle, composition, strength and equipment of the whole force. He thought it would be possible to prevent this by restricting journalists’ access to the jetties when the three battalions themselves were to embark (American journalists had permanent passes to the jetties, but he thought they would ‘co-operate’). The Media side pointed out however that foreign correspondents could hardly fail to observe British tanks, artillery, etc being concentrated in the vicinity of the docks, and the transport ships sailing. They said any Notice should specify precisely what should not be published, and enquired how foreign reports cabled home, and thence picked up in the UK, should be handled.
