Description
Object description
British officer served with Somaliland Camel Corps in British Somaliland, 1936-1941
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with Somaliland Camel Corps in British Somaliland, 1936-1941: background and prior military service with 1st Bn Welch Regt; secondment to Somaliland Camel Corps, 1936; interview for role; journey from GB to British Somaliland; preparations; story illustrating Somali servant's loyalty; organisation of Somali household servants; opinion of conditions of service; popularity of posting; promotion; lifestyle; character of Somalis; posting with Police Company, Somaliland Camel Corp to frontier with Ethiopia, 1936; conditions; patrols; harassing Italian patrol from air; supply and communication by air.
REEL 2 Continues: degree of Italian activity on frontier and their failure to prevent Ethiopian refugees escaping; description of post; receiving supplies from civilian trade truck; conditions; importance and character of Somali interpreters; reasons for riot in Burao, 1937; posting to C Coy, Somaliland Camel Corps at Hargeisa, 1937; Somali medical assistant; daily routine; care of ponies; quartermaster; isolation and role of British NCOs.
REEL 3 Continues: character of mainly Yao manned B Coy; hardiness of C Coy ponies; reservists of D Coy; communications; presence of camels in A Coy; contrasting advantages of camels and ponies; reorganisation of unit, 1939; breeding areas for ponies; closure of stud farm at Hargeisa; Somali troops' riding abilities; discipline of Somali troops and incident of British officer provoking unrest; learning Somali language; relations with Somali troops: story of Somali NCO's loyalty; story illustrating Somali occasional loss of control.
REEL 4 Continues: tribal recruitment policy; question of tribal rivalry within Somaliland Camel Corps; story of charge to disperse rioting crowd; Somali troops' loyalty in internal security matters; opinion of Somali troops' reliability in action; Somali troops' conditions of service; recruiting methods; barrack layout; Somali troops' conditions of service, uniform and appearance; rations; accommodation and cooking arrangements; wives; independence from garrison life; children.
REEL 5 Continues: Somali boys' function; accommodation and lifestyle. recollections of quartermaster's wife; question of morality and liaisons with Somali women; mess life at Burao including Somali servants and food; financial arrangements and pay; recreational activities including shooting, pig sticking, polo and Somalis' involvement; presence of Ethiopian refugees; opinion on dispute over Ogaden Province, Ethiopia; role of Somaliland Camel Corps
REEL 6 Continues: relations with civilian administration; pattern of service in British Somaliland, 1936-1941; recollections of Yao B Coy; lifestyle at Burao and Hargeisa; increased use of camels on reorganisation, 1938; reaction to approaching war; question of Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Chater's defensive preparations being obstructed from GB; reactions of Somalis and Italians; tactical changes caused by Italian air superiority and story of bombing raid; Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Chater's plan for guerilla resistance; Italian advance into British Somaliland and British evacuation, 1940; Somali troops' reaction to retreat; amusing story of Somali guard's challenge; Somali troops' conduct under fire; reaction to evacuation; recovery of kit on return, 1941.
REEL 7 Continues: story of recovering sword; Somalis' reaction to British return; opinion that thieving had become more prevalent amongst Somalis post-war; absence of Africanisation policy, 1919-1939; respect shown to British at Somalia Independence ceremony, 1960.
