Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry in India, 1925-1938
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry in India, 1925-1938: reasons for enlisting in Highland Light Infantry, 1919; reaction to posting to India; firing feu de joie; attitude to military life in India; lack of official army information on service in India; respect shown to British troops by Indians; awareness of Indian poverty and status of British troops in India; provision of rations on troop train; degree of knowledge of India; issue of tropical kit; inoculations; health of troops; injury during pole vaulting activities.
REEL 2 Continues: voyage from Egypt to India aboard HMT Nevasa, 1925 including standard of food, accommodation and discipline; complaints procedure; disembarkation at Bombay; respect shown to British troops by Indians; encounter with village doctor; opinion of effects of British rule on India; his personal servants as regimental sergeant-major; description of column on North West Frontier; picqueting hillsides; sniper casualties in column; purpose of column; opinion of tribesmen.
REEL 3 Continues: limited benefit of British rule to Indians; tribal conflict outside Razmak Camp; security of firearms in barracks and on column; opinion of Indian and Gurkha troops; opinion of commanders Claude Auchinleck and Richard O'Connor; construction of walls around camp during columns; nature of training in India; joint training exercise with Royal Air Force in which McIver had a flight in aircraft; segregation of ranks in barracks.
REEL 4 Continues: discipline amongst troops; story illustrating how he unofficially dealt with drinking offence on New Year's Day; position of regimental sergeant-major in army hierarchy; method of dealing with undisciplined soldier; description of sergeant's accommodation in barracks; barrack servants; high standard of hygiene in kitchens; food subscription arrangement and administration in sergeant's mess; leave taking arrangements from Peshawar; use of canteen contractor and contracted mess cook.
REEL 5 Continues: description of uniforms worn; wearing of mess kit; opinion that sergeant's mess was the home of single men; outline of daily routine; provision of alcohol; degree of drunkenness amongst troops; lack of soldier's institutes; visits by touring dramatic companies; amateur dramatics in sergeant's mess; access to newspapers; educational instruction; wives' access to sergeant's mess.
REEL 6 Continues: his supervision of army wives during husbands' absence; toleration of homosexuality; description of punishment in detention centres; his measures to reduce incidence of venereal disease in regiment; venereal disease treatment facilities; discrimination against Catholics in unit; story of regimental sergeant-major who contracted venereal disease; description of Black Watch regimental brothel in Dehra Dun; British Army's refusal to permit inter-racial marriages; leave entitlement; background to joining freemason's lodge.
REEL 7 Continues: reasons for decision to leave freemasons after one meeting; preference for posting to Razmak; influence of political officers over tribesmen; question of loyalty of Khassadars; description of regimental sergeant-major's married quarters; method of extracting snake venom; snake charmers; social life in cantonments; life with and eventual separation from wife; wife's murder.
REEL 8 Continues: hearing news of wife's murder; assistance of army in divorce proceedings; description of regimental wedding; status of regimental sergeant-major's bearer; duties of bearer; trustworthiness of servants; restrictions on troops movements outside cantonment; degree of contact with civilians; shooting expeditions; attitude towards Indian culture; offers of civilian employment.
REEL 9 Continues: meeting with Lord and Lady Willingdon at state ball at Vice-Regal Lodge in Simla; different life for British civilians in India; diligence of Indian workers; contact with Anglo-Indians; attitude towards British rule in India; question of responsibility for poverty in India; lack of Indian political activity; lack of anticipation of Indian Independence; prank played by troops on unpopular regimental sergeant-major during ceremonial parade on Assaye Day.