Description
Object description
Ts memoir (93pp) covering his RAF service as a Japanese Wireless Intercept Officer with the Y Service during the Second World War describing his training in Morse code, his experiences at 59 Operational Training Unit, RAF Brunton, and at Newbold Revel (1943), learning Katakana, explaining the character set for Japanese Morse code and how the machines worked, the background of his colleagues, their weekly raffle, entertainment and the organisation of personnel of the unit under his CO, Squadron Leader Forrester; his embarkation in SS RANCHI (November 1943) describing the entertainment, boat drills, experience of air-raids, witnessing the sinking of HMT ROHNA (also in convoy KMF 26), the damage sustained to SS RANCHI, a burial at sea, and mentioning a visit from his brother Joe while on arrival in Alexandria; his experiences in India describing his journey to Bombay in the CITY OF LONDON (January 1944), train travel, the weather, food, jungle training in Bengal, suffering with dysentery, and his leave in Chakrata; his experiences with 358 Wireless Unit (attached to 14th Army but under administrative control of RAF 221 Group) during the Burma campaign, describing his camp on the Imphal Plain, the process of searching radio frequencies for enemy aircraft, the WAS(B) van, a fire on the camp, his journey with an advance party to Kalemyo (Christmas 1944), the road, the bailey bridge across the river Chindwin, the camp, his work and leisure time, his journey with an advance party to Monywa, the destruction of the places they passed through, booby traps, church services, swimming incidents and the death of the cook, meeting General Slim, night patrols, and a security breach, his move to Meiktila, a concert with Tessa Deane, flying beetles, suffering again with dysentery, physically holding up the hospital during a storm, and VE Day celebrations, including a photocopy of the Jungle Times Victory Supplement, 14 May 1945 (2pp), and a Japanese surrender leaflet (2pp); his experiences in Rangoon, describing the circumstances of his whole unit reporting sick, the Rangoon Victory Parade (15 June 1945), and a visit from his brother Vin who was serving in HMS CUMBERLAND; his experiences back in India mentioning his leisure time, a termite infestation of the camp at Bangalore, tuning into the BBC World Service, the anti-climax of VJ Day, his release, Worli transit camp, and helping to load a hospital ship; his experiences at Karachi commenting on the RAF strike, attending a strike meeting, and describing the conversion of the Liberator for passengers, and his flight home (January 1946); his experiences on arrival back in England, reflecting on the changes in society, describing his demobilisation at RAF Hednesford (February 1946), attending a unit reunion in 1946 and meeting his future wife.
Content description
Ts memoir (93pp) covering his RAF service as a Japanese Wireless Intercept Officer with the Y Service during the Second World War describing his training in Morse code, his experiences at 59 Operational Training Unit, RAF Brunton, and at Newbold Revel (1943), learning Katakana, explaining the character set for Japanese Morse code and how the machines worked, the background of his colleagues, their weekly raffle, entertainment and the organisation of personnel of the unit under his CO, Squadron Leader Forrester; his embarkation in SS RANCHI (November 1943) describing the entertainment, boat drills, experience of air-raids, witnessing the sinking of HMT ROHNA (also in convoy KMF 26), the damage sustained to SS RANCHI, a burial at sea, and mentioning a visit from his brother Joe while on arrival in Alexandria; his experiences in India describing his journey to Bombay in the CITY OF LONDON (January 1944), train travel, the weather, food, jungle training in Bengal, suffering with dysentery, and his leave in Chakrata; his experiences with 358 Wireless Unit (attached to 14th Army but under administrative control of RAF 221 Group) during the Burma campaign, describing his camp on the Imphal Plain, the process of searching radio frequencies for enemy aircraft, the WAS(B) van, a fire on the camp, his journey with an advance party to Kalemyo (Christmas 1944), the road, the bailey bridge across the river Chindwin, the camp, his work and leisure time, his journey with an advance party to Monywa, the destruction of the places they passed through, booby traps, church services, swimming incidents and the death of the cook, meeting General Slim, night patrols, and a security breach, his move to Meiktila, a concert with Tessa Deane, flying beetles, suffering again with dysentery, physically holding up the hospital during a storm, and VE Day celebrations, including a photocopy of the Jungle Times Victory Supplement, 14 May 1945 (2pp), and a Japanese surrender leaflet (2pp); his experiences in Rangoon, describing the circumstances of his whole unit reporting sick, the Rangoon Victory Parade (15 June 1945), and a visit from his brother Vin who was serving in HMS CUMBERLAND; his experiences back in India mentioning his leisure time, a termite infestation of the camp at Bangalore, tuning into the BBC World Service, the anti-climax of VJ Day, his release, Worli transit camp, and helping to load a hospital ship; his experiences at Karachi commenting on the RAF strike, attending a strike meeting, and describing the conversion of the Liberator for passengers, and his flight home (January 1946); his experiences on arrival back in England, reflecting on the changes in society, describing his demobilisation at RAF Hednesford (February 1946), attending a unit reunion in 1946 and meeting his future wife.
History note
Cataloguer MLA