Description
Object description
British civilian volunteer served with 1st Bn Federation of Malay States Volunteer Reserve Johore Volunteer Engineers in Malaya, 1937-1941; officer attached to 1st Bn Mysore Infantry Regt in Singapore, Malaya, 1941-1942; POW in Dutch East Indies, 1942-1945. Civilian planter in Malaya, 1946-1949
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1937: family; education. Recollections of period as civilian volunteer with 1st Bn Federation of Malay States Volunteer Reserve and Johore Volunteer Engineers in Malaya, 1937-1941: threat from Japan; joining unit in Perak; terrain in Perak; degree of training and tactical exercises; transfer to Johore Volunteer Engineers; training in bridge and obstacle demolition; use of gelignite and method of detonation; strength of unit; camp at Kota Tinggi; training in building bridges and roadblocks; commissioning into 1st Bn Mysore Infantry Regt at Singapore, 18/12/1941; mobilisation of unit, 1/12/1941; commanding officer of unit; communications and transport; period in field. Recollections of operations as officer attached to 1st Mysore Infantry Regt in Malaya, 1941-1942: joining unit; belief that Japanese couldn't advance through mangrove swamps; character of unit; taking command of C Coy; strength of company; weapons available.
REEL 2 Continues: start of reconnaissance patrols in Johore to check for infiltration; language used in unit; character of reconnaissance patrols; discovery of Japanese map on patrol; attitude of Malays, Chinese and Tamils towards impending Japanese occupation; destruction of guns on capitulation; heard BBC announcement of capitulation; degree to which he expected surrender; dealing with fire in undergrowth. Recollections of escape from Singapore to Sumatra, 15/2/1942-17/3/1942: decision of his party to escape to Sumatra; obtained passage on Chinese boat; catching Dutch coastal steamer to Rengit; volunteering to aid Dutch to control refugees and organise transport; patients in hospital in Rengit; arrival of boatload of two hundred troops.
REEL 3 Continues: decision to attempt to try and pick up refugees in islands; use of Red Cross barge; discovery of refugees on islands and sailing to mainland Sumatra; role conducting group of women and children including military nurses; journey from Rengit to Padang; beginnings of irregular forces; declaration of Padang as open city, 17/3/1942; reaction to Dutch surrender. Recollections of period as POW in Padang and Meidan POW Camps in Dutch East Indies, 1942: relations between British and Dutch POWs; Japanese security measures; character of camp; acquisition of secret radio; first selection of party to work on Burma-Thailand Railway; lack of proper records of POWs; move to Meidan Camp.
REEL 4 Continues: forced signing of parole document promising not to escape; character of camp at Meidan; rations available; supplementing rations; daily rations; work parties; contact with civilians and acquiring news of progress of war; interpretation of war news; importance of acquiring paper; composition of large work party sent to Atchi; method of constructing road; daily routine during construction of road; lack of security of camps; plan to escape and reasons why escape attempts forbidden by senior British officer; Dutch and British commanding officers; lack of psychological problems; religious services taken by RAF NCO; insertion of golden rivet at meeting of railway lines, 1945.
REEL 5 Continues: doubling of rice ration after dropping of atomic bomb; need of Dutch commanding officer to ask Japanese officer what had happened; reaction of POWs to end of war; train transport back to main POW camp; four ex-POWs who left stranded in village who managed to catch up with train; role repairing airfield; arrival of Lady Mountbatten; disappearance of Japanese guards to avoid reprisals; mortality rate amongst work parties working on road; lack of medical supplies; opinion of Japanese putting sick on half rations; supplementing rations and importance of tobacco; trading with local civil population; market stall in Meidan Camp; Japanese attitude towards theft; POW's treatment of thief and POW discipline; minimal contact with Japanese; incidents when he was beaten by Japanese guards; question of nature of Japanese cruelty; return to GB via Singapore; impressions of GB.
REEL 6 Continues: relations with families on return to GB. Recollections of period as civilian planter living in Malaya, 1946-1949: situation in Malaya on return; impact of Trade Unionism on estates; Chinese claim that they had beaten Japanese; deployment of special constables on rubber plantations; police command arrangements; acts of sabotage on estates; estate patrols by 1st Bn Devonshire Regt; personal weapons carried; lack of sympathy for insurgents amongst estate workers; contact with security forces including participation in air patrols; local intelligence situation; difficulties of finding insurgents; character of jungle; level of insurgent activity; role of special constables; decision not to return to Malaya after marriage, 1949.