Bingham, Francis Humphrey (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn King's African Rifles in Nyasaland, 1924-1926; served with 51st (Gold Coast) Light Bty, Royal West African Frontier Force on Gold Coast, 1940; served with 54th Nyasaland Field Bty, East African Artillery, 12th (African) Infantry Div in Nyasaland, East Africa and Ceylon, 1941-1943

REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn King's African Rifles at Zomba, Nyasaland, 1924-1926: father Major-General Honourable Sir Richard Bingham's military career, 1905-1929; own career with Royal Artillery prior to secondment to King's African Rifles; kitting out; journey to Zomba; description of tribes in Nyasaland including origins and tribal marking; method of recruitment; learning Chewa language; number of dialects; danger of poor quality interpreters; quality and traditions of African troops; duties and role as captain; African troops' weapons and use of machete; training African troops in bush fighting. REEL 2 Continues: construction of perimeter camps; adaptability of African troops and stories illustrating relative skills of British and African troops; amusing story of parade disrupted by hare; African troops' living conditions and uniform; recreational activities; social life and European population at Zomba; question of liaisons and marriages with African women; role and duties as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to acting governor in Nyasaland, 1926; invaliding out of British Army, 1927. Aspects of period as officer with Colonial Administrative Service in Africa, 1928-1940: decision to return to Africa in Colonial Administrative Service; training at Oxford University and its relevance. REEL 3 Continues: relevance of anthropological studies; insights into African character gained in civil administration; African judicial methods and illustration of confusion caused by British system; nature of broadened horizons of African troops on return home after Second World War; importance of improving Africans' diet and standard of living. Aspects of period as officer with 51st (Gold Coast) Light Bty, Royal West African Frontier Force on Gold Coast, British West Africa, 1940; recall from King's African Rifles reserve; comparison between West African with East African troops; African troops' water discipline; question of African troops' battlefield motiviation. Aspects of period as officer with 54th Nyasaland Field Bty, East African Artillery, 12th (African) Infantry Div in Nyasaland, East Africa and Ceylon, 1941-1943: posting to raise 54th Nyasaland Field Bty in Nyasaland, 1941; ease of recruitment; overcoming administrative problems; recollections of East African campaign, 1941; aborted posting to Singapore, Malaya; posting to Ceylon and invaliding home, 1943.