Description
Object description
British signaller served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 3rd Medium Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 1939-1940; NCO trained as wireless operator with Special Operations Executive at STS 102, Mount Carmel, Palestine, 8/1943-9/1943; served as wireless operator with Force 133, Special Operations Executive in Greece, 9/1943-12/1944 and with Force 136, Special Operations Executive in Malaya, 7/1945-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1920-1938: family; education. Aspects of period as signaller with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 3rd Medium Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France, 1939-1940: prior recollection of recruitment to 3rd Infantry Divisonal Signals as wireless and line operator, 9/1938; treatment for appendicitus at Dieppe, winter 1939-1940. Recollections of operations as signaller with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 3rd Medium Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: move with signals section to Louvain area of Belgium, 5/1940; contrast in street scenes in Belgium during advance and retreat; destruction of transport near Poperinghe, Belgium; morale during march from Poperinghe, Belgium to Dunkirk, France, 5/1940; sight of surrendered Belgium Army at Nieuport, Belgium; discovering weapons embedded in beach sand at Nieuport, Belgium; defending postition on River Yser in Dunkirk Perimeter; situation on La Panne-Bray-Dunes beaches, Belgium/France.
REEL 2 Continues: conduct and behaviour of troops on beaches; opinion of Royal Air Force performance over Dunkirk, France; evacuation by small boat and destroyer HMS Worcester to Dover, GB, 2/6/1940-3/6/1940; reception from population of Derby, GB, 6/1940. Aspects of enlistment and training as wireless operator with Special Operations Executive in GB, Egypt and Palestine, 1943: reasons for volunteering for Special Operations Executive; reaction to briefing at Headington Hall, GB; voyage with group of wireless operators to Middle East, 7/1943; character of Special Operations Executive Headquarters, Rustrum Buildings, Cairo, Egypt, 7/1943; training at STS 102 Mount Carmel, Palestine, 8/1943-9/1943.
REEL 3 Continues: return to Cairo, Egypt and news of mission to Greece. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with Force 133, Special Operations Executive in Greece, 9/1943-12/1944: abandoning first attempt to parachute into Greece due to cloud cover; successful parachute drop near Ritini, 9/1943; power problems during first attempt to transmit; request to accompany teams on sabotage missions working with Major Ken Scott on rail disruption; German reprisals against civilians after sabotage attacks; abortive attempt to blow German Army troop train; successful blowing of another German Army train with guerrilla group whilst looking for Major Ken Scott in foothills of Mount Olympus, 24/12/1943; German sacking of Ritini and move to Deskati area; attack of jaundice; attitudes of Greek guerillas to German withdrawal; impressions of poverty amongst Greek mountain villages.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude towards Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS); conditions of poverty in Greek mountain areas; political activities of Greek Communists in villages and reactions of civilians; lack of food supplies for population, 1944; question of personal privation; strict controls over forbidding of contact with female guerrillas; activities of female guerrilla members including making soap; reaction to lice infestation; medical aid given to Greek civilians; malaria amongst local population; quinine supplies; centralisation of control over Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) guerrillas; attitudes of Greek civilians to presence of Italian and German Army troops.
REEL 5 Continues: Nationalism amongst Greek population; question of wireless link from Greece to Egypt and Malaya to Ceylon; material transmitted from Greece, 1944; Greek Communist threats to Special Operations Executive personnel at Volos, 11/1944-12/1944; return to Egypt via Italy, 1/1945. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with Force 136, Special Operations Executive in Malaya, 7/1945-8/1945: inducements to volunteer for Far East service, 1945; voyage by liner to Far East; Special Operations Executive jungle training camp at Horana, Ceylon; equipment problems; flight in Consolidated Liberator from Ceylon to northern Kedah, Malaya, 7/1945; preparations for parachute drop from Consolidated Liberator.
REEL 6 Continues: questioning size of dropping zone; parachute drop into trees and reception from Chinese Communist guerrillas and ex-rubber planter Major James Hislop, northern Kedah, 7/1945; sustaining minor injuries on landing; joining Special Operations Executive personnel in jungle camp in Kedah; jungle conditions including leaches; role of ex-rubber planters with guerrilla groups; intelligence gathering role of team and relaying information to Colombo, Ceylon; refusal of Japanese to surrender at Baling, 8/1945; witnessing surrender of Japanese at Sungei Petani, 8/1945; replacement of Major James Hislop; use of Japanese to prevent Communist inspired revolt; story of dispute between Major James Hislop and local Malayan Communist Party leader; memories of replacement commander Major D R W Alexander; presentation of Japanese sword to Special Operations Executive personnel at Sungei Petani; disbandment of Special Operations Executive party at Meerut, India.
REEL 7 Continues: question of problems readjusting to civilan life after war including appeal of camaraderie of army life; operation's name 'Sergeant' in Malaya; exclusion of Special Operations Executive activities from personal army records; exact dropping point in Kedah; impression of Communist Party of Malaya guerrillas; story of Communist Party of Malaya guerrillas receiving funds to buy back arms; cap badge worn by Communist Party of Malaya guerrillas; role of female Communist Party of Malaya guerrillas; opinion of Japanese behaviour during occupation of Malaya; recharging used batteries in Malaya.
REEL 8 Continues: use of steam engine to recharge batteries and it's ultimate failure.