Description
Object description
British sapper served with 54th Field Company, Royal Engineers in GB and India, 1942-1944; served with 54th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 14th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Andover, GB, 1913-1939: family and education. German Air Force attack on Tidworth area, c1940. Aspects of enlistment and training at Bodmin, 1942: call up; amusing incident during basic training. Aspects of period as sapper with 54th Field Coy, Royal Engineers in GB, 1942: joining unit at Tiverton; training in south Devon. Voyage from GB to India aboard SS Stratheden including bombing of convoy in Mediterranean by German Air Force, late 1942. Aspects of period as sapper with 54th Field Coy, Royal Engineers training with Chindits in India, 1943-1944: mine lifting and blowing up bridges; question of inefficient use of booby traps by Japanese; jungle training. Recollections of operations with 54th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 14th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition, 1944: contracting malaria; flight by Douglas DC 3 Dakota into Broadway; role of mules; air drops of fodder to mules; problems of communicating with GB; personal arms and equipment; role of sappers in getting mules across water obstacles; forming defensive perimeter at Broadway; march to Lake Indawgyi and clash with group of Japanese; holding pass at Lake Indawgyi; attitude towards snakes; move to Mawlu under Japanese artillery and air attack.
REEL 2 Continues: Japanese Air Force attacks an counter-attacks by Mitchell bombers; booby traps set by sappers; mortaring of Japanese at Pinlebu; reaction to calling off of attack on bridge at Misa; foot problems; march to Payok; flying out of Burma in Dakotas; puzzlement at not receiving orders to cut Japanese railway line; fieldcraft to avoid Japanese detection; occasion of escaping Japanese encirclement; character of Major Lockhart; mission to collect unit's mail; story of how Gurkhas put snuff in commanding officers curry; nature of death of bullock 'Bisto'; problems of jungle sores and leeches; no-prisoners policy of British and Japanese; sight of Japanese troops; signs of amputation carried out by Japanese; Burmese prisoner Whitewick was put in charge of; use of Short Sunderland flying boats to remove wounded from Lake Indawgyi; reading of poem he wrote in jungle when he was depressed at thought he would never return home; use of panic maps and button compasses issued to Chindits; casualties to Chindits from disease and accidents; problem of securing pure water and dysentery.
REEL 3 Continues: story of soldier who had dysentery even before the expedition; opinion of rations; question of penalty for stealing rations; problems of communicating on jungle column; opinion of 7th Bn Leicestershire Regt and selection methods for leave in unit later in Burma campaign; question of achievement of Chindits in blocking Japanese supplies; severed hands seen in jungle; story of Chindit who shot Burmese civilian; aid given by Burmese civilian when he was lost in jungle; lost Chindits who settled in Burmese villages. Attitude to having served with Chindits.