Goulding, Harold Buchanan (Oral history)

British NCO served with 89th Bty, 35th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt in Malaya and Dutch East Indies, 1941-1942; POW in Bandung, Landsop, Bicycle and Tandjong Priok Camps, Dutch East Indies and Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 3/1942-8/1945

REEL 1 Recollections of operations as NCO with 89th Bty, 35th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt in Malaya and Dutch East Indies, 1941-1942: prior recollection of enlistment in Royal Artillery, 1940; voyage from GB to Singapore, Malaya, 1941-1942; arrival in Singapore, 13/1/1942; lack of Allied aircraft; Japanese bombing and aerial combat techniques; Japanese infiltration and battle tactics on Malayan Peninsula; Japanese use of tanks and bicycles; inadequacy and inappropriateness of British equipment; evacuation from Singapore, 31/1/1942; sinking of boat by Japanese aircraft in Bangka Straits, 1/2/1942; period in water and rescue; in action against Japanese paratroopers at Palembang, Sumatra; receiving news of Battle of the Java Sea, 27/3/1942. REEL 2 Continues: infantry training; Japanese psychological warfare techniques; retreat to Bandoeng; surrender of Java, 8/3/1942. Aspects of period as POW in Landsop Camp, Java, Dutch East Indies, 3/1942-8/1942: hospitalisation; belief in own survival; Japanese propaganda film of POWs; opinion of Australian medical officer; nature of rations; effects of head shaving. Aspects of period as POW in Bandoeng Camp, Java, Dutch East Indies, 8/1942-6/1943: rations; relations between British and Dutch POWs; reward for good work; character of two Japanese guards. REEL 3 Continues: false war rumours; opinion of psychology of Laurens van der Post; POW pay and ‘tax’ system to provide food for sick; Japanese attitude towards sickness; effect of Japanese propaganda; deliberate miscounting at roll call; Goulding’s trick played on Japanese. Aspects of period as POW in Bicycle Camp in Batavia, Java, Dutch East Indies, 6/1943-7/1943: character of camp commandant; POW punishments; Japanese interest in signallers. Recollections of period as POW in Tandjong Priok Camp, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, 1943-1945: journey to Sumatra; siting of latrines and incidence of dysentery; POW illnesses. REEL 4 Continues: absence of cholera; using book paper for cigarettes; effects of monetary inflation; organised entertainments and study; Japanese treatment of own troops; camp radios; question of escape; hostility of Indonesians to POWs; attitude of Japanese towards Indonesians; pilfering from Japanese; deceiving Japanese over work on airfield; degree of contact with home. Aspects of period as POW in Changi Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 1945: voyage from Sumatra, Dutch East Indies to Singapore, Malaya; reaction to his physical condition. REEL 5 Continues: rumours about likely fate of POWs at end of war; psychological effects of release from captivity; sense of affinity with Japanese guards; rumours of revenge taken against Japanese captors. Attitude towards returning Far Eastern Prisoners of War in GB. POWs obsession with food. Long term physical and psychological effects of captivity.