Belgian Volunteers

Belgium, a country in Western Europe, became a signatory member of the United Nations (UN) in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II but had few pre-existing ties with East Asia. The Belgian Army operated a system of national service and already had sizeable commitments as part of the army of occupation in West Germany. At the time the Korean War broke out in June 1950 the country was in the midst of a political crisis known as the Royal Question. This related to whether King Leopold III should be able to return to the throne after his actions in German-occupied Belgium in World War II but created a wider confrontation between left-leaning communist, socialist and trade-union circles which…