Boyd, Robert Nathaniel (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Northern Rhodesia Regt in Northern Rhodesia, 1938-1940, Tanganyika, British Somaliland and Ethiopia 1940-1941, Madagascar 1942,Ceylon and Burma 1944; civil servant in Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and Zambia 1946-1967

REEL 1 Family background in South Africa. Officers' Training Corps service prior to commission into Northern Rhodesia Regiment, European Reserve, 1938: selection policy; reasons for volunteering. Basic training with 1st Bn, Northern Rhodesia Regiment at Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia: scope; contrast with OTC training; instructors. Annual field training with 1st NRR at camp in Leopard Hills: mess ritual; bush training; overcoming African troops' fear of dark. Annual training cycle influenced by climate. Necessity of learning Chinyanja and African troops' culture. Warning of mobilisation. REEL 2 Account of mobilisation in Livingstone, August, 1939. Reception on joining 1st NRR at Lusaka: overcrowded accommodation; layout of base. African troops' accommodation and rations. Duties during mobilisation: organising reservists; acting as temporary company commander; drawing stores. Training at Bwana Mkubwa in Copperbelt. Declaration of war: reactions; informing African troops. Quality of reservists. Recruiting campaign. Organisation of battalion. Movement to defend Copperbelt: segregation during meal halt; establishing defensive position in dark. REEL 3 Morale. Illustrations of reservists' inexperience in bush and active service conditions. Isolation. Posting with A Company to Iringa, Tanganyika: truck journey; arrival; company's British officers and NCOs. Internment of German civilians. Description of Iringa and aspects of lifestyle: social life; training; playing 'Karamoja' game. African servants. Aspects of African troops' lifestyle: situation of accommodation; postal contacts with families; relationship with British officers; discipline; contact with local population; efforts to eradicate VD. REEL 4 Christmas celebrations with African troops. Fragile communications. Rejoining battalion: manoeuvres on Kilimanjaro plains, Kenya: reorganisation; manoeuvres on Isiolo plains; transfer to D Company. Voyage to Berbera, British Somaliland. D Company's coastal posting to maintain communications and prepare defensive position Posting to Hargeisa: covering role; bombing raid. Account of rearguard action during Italian attack, August 5th, 1930. Account of withdrawal through Italian lines to rejoin battalion in Tug Argan gap. REEL 5 De-briefing. Account of abortive counter-attack. Collapse of Tug Argan positions. Account of withdrawals: interim defensive positions; sea evacuation at Berbera. Reception at Aden and issue of replacement kit. Reflections on campaign: ammunition shortages; African troops' conduct under fire; medical provision; rations. Rebuilding battalion at Nairobi, Kenya: battalion's role; introduction of British officer reinforcements to African customs; chemical warfare training and beginning of officers' training units. Aspect of East African campaign, 1940-41: building airstrips for Hurricanes; Italian irregulars; allegations of cowardice amongst African troops. REEL 6 Period running Italian POW camp at Mega. Internal security duties at Lake Rudolf, 1941. Posting to help form 102nd East African Holding Battalion: truck journey to Lusaka; duties on Victoria Falls bridge guard; duties as intake company commander at Bwana Mkubwa. Posting to 3rd Battalion, NRR, 1942. Posting to Madagascar, 1942: passing through South African; troops' reactions to voyage. Madagascar service: alarm over Japanese miniature submarine; VD problem; staff duties and courses. Return to East Africa and preparations for Burma service: reactions; special training in Ceylon. Account of movements in Burma campaign, 1944. REEL 7 Information given to African troops concerning Japanese and progress of war. Recollections of Burma campaign, 1945: Taungup landing; African troops' ability to find water; battalion's role in outflanking manoeuvre; attack of malaria. Organisation of air drops and nature of supplies. African troops' letters home. Battalion's padres. Posting as staff officer to East African Wing, 2nd Echelon, Allied Land Forces South East Asia: journey to Jhansi, India; duties; problems escorting servicewomen across India; demobilisation. Recollections of travelling by train in India. Refusing offer to remain in army. REEL 8 Demobilisation procedures. Last parade of 3rd Battalion, NRR, 1946. Civilian career. Status of NRR reserve and reorganisation of army and reserves on creation of Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1954. Reinforcement of territorial structure on emergence of nationalist movement. Return as adjutant of 7th Battalion, Royal Rhodesia Regiment: personnel; training. Internal security role. End of federation and acceptance of civilian position in Zambia, 1964. Role in establishing 7th Zambian Rifles: Africanisation programme; command of battalion until 1967; unofficial honorary colonel. Improvement in African troops' educational standards.