Description
Object description
British schoolchild in Liverpool, GB, 1939-1945; marine served with Intelligence Section, Headquarters Troop, 42 Commando, Royal Marines, 3rd Commando Bde in Federation of Malaya, 5/1950-5/1952
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, GB, 1930-1939: family; education. Recollections of period as schoolchild in Liverpool, GB, 1940-1945: German Air Force bombing of family home; mother's reaction to bombing of family home; mass funeral after German Air Raid on city; collecting shrapnel; public morale; sight of thick yellow smog from burning buildings; incident of ignoring jewellery in shattered shop; atmosphere in shelter in St George's Hall; extent of damage during German Air Force raid, 5/1941; question of effect of Second World War on his education. Aspects of enlistment and training as marine with Royal Marines in GB, 1947-1948: volunteering for Royal Marines, 1947; basic training at Royal Marine Depot, Deal; question of role of Royal Marines and how that affected training, 1947-1948; commando training. Aspects of period as marine with 42 Commando, 3rd Commando Bde on Malta and Hong Kong, 1948-1950: posting to St Patrick's Barracks, Malta; posting with 3rd Commando Bde to Hong Kong at time of establishment of People's Republic of China, 1949. Recollections of operations as marine with with Intelligence Section, Headquarters Troop, 42 Commando, 3rd Commando Bde in Federation of Malaya, 5/1950-5/1952: move to Malaya, 5/1950; issue of jungle green uniforms; composition and role of Intelligence Section of Headquarters Troop at Ipoh; skills of Iban trackers; knowledge of individual Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents.
REEL 2 Continues: problems of identifying Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents killed in jungle; how body of Iban killed in action had to be handled according to Dyak custom; bobby trap successfully laid for Malayan National Liberation Army group; success of food denial campaign; relative lack of offensive action against Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; opinion Malayan National Liberation Army could not win; unit casualties; grenade throwing incident which led to disturbance among marines at Ipoh; nature of jungle patrols; high morale in 42 Commando; attending ceremony of Gurkha unit; intelligence officers he worked under in Ipoh.