The Princess Royal gave an impromptu history lesson to senior Army officers as she opened a new accommodation block named after a war hero.

Her Royal Highness had unveiled a plaque naming the new officers’ accommodation at the Imjin Barracks in Innsworth, Gloucestershire, after Colonel James Carne.

Col Carne had been the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment during the Korean War in 1951.

The Princess Royal with Commander ARRC Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse (Ben Birchall/PA)
The Princess Royal with Commander ARRC Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse (Ben Birchall/PA)

At the River Imjin, the battalion were overrun by Chinese forces – winning the nickname The Glorious Glosters and earning Col Carne the Victoria Cross.

The Princess Royal was taken on a tour of the new single living accommodation block by Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse, commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), which is based at Innsworth.

After unveiling the stone plaque, Anne asked Sir Ralph: “Is there an explanation here of the name?”

When told there was not an explanation, she replied: “It seems very relevant to Gloucestershire, and I was at a reception the other day for Korean veterans.

“Funnily enough, when I went to Korea the first time, they took me out to the Glosters’ memorial.

“As it happens, I think it is much more relevant to go and see the territory and terrain that they had to fight in. It was horrendous.

“The temperature in winter… they said minus 40.

“The Winter Olympics only got to minus 15 and even then, for most Winter Olympics, they actually had to stop things.

“You cannot believe a peninsula that size gets so cold.

“More than 60% were National Servicemen, which is an equally extraordinary thought and a lot didn’t come back.

“One had joined, I think, four days before and off he went.

“Someone started a rumour apparently that you got more money as a National Serviceman if you served further from home.

“That didn’t happen. They ended up in Japan for quite a long time.”

The Princess Royal arrives at the headquarters of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth, Gloucester (Ben Birchall/PA)
The Princess Royal arrives at the headquarters of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth, Gloucester (Ben Birchall/PA)

The Princess Royal added: “For Gloucestershire that is a very important bit of history.”

The Carne building is the “most advanced Smart building on the Government estate”, which allows for energy saving by monitoring consumption.