Description
Object description
British NCO served with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt in Italy, Germany, Korea and Hong Kong, 1952-1955; called up as reservist and served as NCO with 1st Bn, Royal West Kent Regt in GB, Egypt and Cyprus, 1956-1957
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Kettering, 1934-1952: family background and social circumstances; education; effects of war, 1939-1945, including family military service, air raid shelters, question of German air raids, food rationing, visits to aircraft crash sites, rationing, contacts with soldiers and US servicemen and street parties; work as apprentice confectioner, 1949-1950; work in shoe factory, 1950-1952; background to volunteering to join Royal Military Police, 2/1952. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Northamptonshire Regt Depot, Quebec Barracks, Wooton, Northampton, 2/1952-7/1952: kitting out; period awaiting assembly of training squad; story of being filmed during hair cut; barrack room; morning routine; food rations; drill; weapons training; relationship with recruits, instructors and officers.
REEL 2 Continues: preparations for kit inspections; canteen; visits to Wootton; passing out parade; leave. Recollections of period with Signal Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn, NR at Rosseti Barracks, Trieste, Italy, ca 4/1952-7/1952: journey out; decision not to join RMP; reception and initial posting to B Coy; passing 3rd Class education certificate and posting to Signal Platoon; opinion of Sergeant Bob Bedford; guard duties on ammunition dump; tactical training exercises in Austria. Recollections of period at Anglesey Barracks, Wupperthal, Germany, 1952-1954: nature of barracks; training as signaller including phonetic alphabet, Morse code, battery theory and use of 19 wireless set.
REEL 3 Continues: training as signaller including use of 62 wireless set, method of setting up telephone system, cable types, training on use of PIAT to fire cables across rivers and passing course; tactical exercises and role on assignment to D Coy; voice procedure; use of Unicode and Slidex; 'spit and polish' and story of winning 'stick' on guard; swimming activities; canteen; pay; visits to Wupperthal and relationship with German civilians; attending NCO drill and administration course and opinion of Company Quartermaster Sergeant Pat Kelly; promotion to lance corporal; relationship wit ORs and national service men; reactions to news of posting to Korea and consequent extension of period of service;. Period in Quorn Camp, 1954: issue of tropical and winter uniforms; vaccinations; leave. Voyage aboard Asturias to Pusan, Korea, 6/1954: conditions; route; visits ashore at Aden, Ceylon, Singapore and Hong Kong.
REEL 4 Period in Pusan Transit Camp, 6/1954: mosquito problem; issue of anti-malaria medication. Periods at Pintail Bridge and Teal Bridge Camps, Imjin, 6/1954-1/1955: tent accommodation; relaying telephone lines; wireless watch and importance of maintaining procedures; patrolling role of unit; method or testing and repairing telephone lines; guard duties and self-heating scans; story of Korean children killed in minefield; swimming in Imjinn river; cases of accidental shooting and minefield accident; US food rations; cigarette rations; bounty given soldiers serving in Korea; pay; effects of extreme cold; use of heater and risk of fires in tent; winter clothes; latrines; question of washing and shaving; arrival of replacement drafts; relationship with officers, US troops, Korean civilians and Korean soldiers attached to unit; question of leave.
REEL 5 Continues: movements between camps; sports day on visit to Canadian camp; move back to Transit Camp, Pusan. Voyage aboard Delwara to Hong Kong, 1/1955. Period at San Wai Camp, Fan Ling, New Territory, Hong Kong, 1/1955-8/1955: conditions of service; promotion to corporal; duties sorting official correspondence on move to Signal Office, Headquarters Coy; nature of corporals' mess and drinking habits; recreational visits to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island; exercises; swimming and water polo; relationship with Hong Kong civilians and servants. Voayge back to GB and demobilisation, 9/1955. Post-service career: return to work at shoe factory; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; army reserve commitment; injuries in motorcycle accident, 5/1956; call up as reservist, 8/1956. Recollections of period with Signal Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn, Royal West Kent Regt at Old Park Barracks, Dover, 8/1956-11/1956: reception and kitting out; state of unit; learning new phonetic alphabet; duties in charge of line party; attitude to prospect of deployment to Suez Canal, Egypt; training on Salisbury Plain; return to Dover; preparations for overseas service and question of taking motorcycle.
REEL 6 Voyage abroad Asturias to Port Said, Egypt, 10/1956-11/1956. Recollections of operations in Canal Zone, Egypt, 2/11/1956-25/11/1956: situation on landing; Egyptian sniping; school billets; emergency food rations; move to El Cap; digging sli trenches; unit dispositions and role laying required telephone lines; situation; presence of Egyptian POWs; return to Port Said; voyage to Cyprus. Period at Dekhalia Camp, Cyprus, 11/1956-12/1956: opinion of unit; question of re-enlisting as regular. Return to GB and demobilisation, 1/1957. Post-service career: career in shoe factory; question of remaining in army; membership of Northamptonshire Regt Old Comrades, Korean Veterans and Canal Zone Assocs.