Scott, Walter (Oral history)

British officer served with Royal Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals in Palestine, Egypt and Iraq, 1920-1924; commanded No 2 Special Wireless Coy, Royal Corps of Signals at Sarafand Camp, Palestine, 1938-1939

REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with Royal Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals in Egypt and Palestine, 1920-1921: background to joining Royal Engineers and decision to specialise in communications, 6/1918; pattern of military service, 1918-1919; desire for overseas service; preparations for service in Middle East; voyage from GB to Egypt; arrival in Egypt; posting to El Kantara Camp, Egypt, 1920; move to El Kantara Camp and responsibility for railway line to Palestine; description of El Kantara Camp; work in connection with railway line to Palestine; return to GB, 1921, Aspects of period as officer with Royal Corps of Signals in Palestine and Egypt, 1921-1923: depositions of signal stations in Palestine and Egypt; character of Bir Salem Camp in Palestine. REEL 2 Continues: posting as wireless section commander to Abbassia Barracks in Cairo; experimentation with static and mobile wireless stations; service and lifestyle at Abbassia Barracks, Cairo; detachment as brigade signal officer during Chanak Crisis in Turkey, 9/1922-10/1922; effects of political unrest in Egypt. Recollections of period as officer with Royal Corps of Signals in Iraq, 1923-1924: move to Iraq, 1923; role commanding wireless station near Baghdad; service and lifestyle at wireless station. REEL 3 Continues: level of discipline and recreational activities; climate; relations with Iraq Levies; visit to Kurdistan; wireless station's armoured car; Scott's role and organisation of station; problems with equipment; direction of listening and secrecy of work; return to GB, 1924; awareness of international situation in Middle East. Recollections of period commanding No 2 Special Wireless Coy, Royal Corps of Signals at Sarafand Camp, Palestine, 1938-1939: pattern of career prior to posting; description of radio station and its surveillance role. REEL 4 Continues: description of Sarafand Camp; accommodation and recreational activities; effects of Arab insurgency and relations with Arab civilians; approach of Second World War; situation regarding French in Syria; surveillance of Saudi Arabia; end of Arab insurgency, 1939; question of impartiality of British in Palestine; role of British forces in the Middle East.