Sherwood, Peter Orford Bowers (Oral history)

British officer in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 1923-1926, Malta 1926-1927, China 1927-1929 and India 1929-1930; in 2nd Bn, King's African Rifles in Tanganyika 1930-1940, Gold Coast Regt in Gold Coast 1940-1942 and return to 7th Bn, King's African Rifles in Mauritius, 1947

REEL 1 Family background. Service at Aldershot, Malta, China and India with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, 1923-30. Secondment to 2nd Battalion, King's African Rifles at Tabora, Tanganyika, 1930: prior knowledge; advantages and disadvantages of learning Chinyanja. Recollections of African servant. African troops' wives. Interest in African customs. Recollections of African servants: duties; turnover; references. Food. Health. European population and club facilities at Tabora. Playing games with African troops. Absence of African officers. REEL 2 Opinion of African troops. Recollections of shooting trip: organisation; learning Chinyanja. Recollection of accompanying African troops on leave draft: organisation; illustrations of makeshift medical provision; bartering during village visits. District officers' duties. Relationship with African troops' families. Increased experience in stores administration. Recollections of British regimental sergeant-major. Question of liaisons with African women. Communications with GB. Minimal religious provision. Interest in conjuring and African's reaction. Duties as company officer including training. REEL 3 Range firing practices. Duties as orderly officer. Battalion camps. African troops' enthusiasm. Recollections of diamond prospector. Effectiveness of training African troops in bushcraft. Irrelevant instruction in zariba building, 1941. Description of machine gun porters. Training African NCOs in cadres. Posting to Songea outstation: increased responsibility; communications; relationship with other British officer. African troops' love of parades. KAR bands. Languages used in KAR. Comparison of British and African troops. Officer potential of African NCOs. Implications of tribal characteristics and loyalties within KAR: segregation; African NCOs' position. REEL 4 Discipline of African troops: tribal complications; corporal punishment and its continuation during war; punishment of African troops' wives; story of court martial. African troops' conditions of service and lifestyle: leave; kit losses; rations supplemented by gardens; recollections of African troops' wives. Shooting game and licence system. African troops' lifestyle: drinking habits; accommodation; children. Duties on posting as second in command of 6th Battalion, KAR at Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, 1935. Enjoyment of Africa service and circumstances of return to GB, 1936. Service with regiment, 1936-40: depot duty; formation of 6th Battalion, 1939; effects of Africa service. Posting to 7th Battalion, Gold Coast Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, 1940: surprise; comparison of East and West African troops; training; performance under fire. African troops' reactions to GB visit, 1937. African troops' reactions to Italians. REEL 5 Question of African troops' 'bloodlust'. Posting to command 4/6th Battalion, KAR, 1942: overcoming poor morale; effect of influx of British officers. Building battalion camp at Babile, Abyssinia: training; supplies; African troops' letters home; religious provision. Jungle training for Burma service in Ceylon, 1944. Excitable nature of African troops. Invalided home, 1945. Return to command 7th Battalion, KAR in Mauritius, 1947: duties as garrison commander; illustration of relationship between African troops and local population. Later career in theatre and as conjuror in Kenya. Africans' reaction to tricks