Description
Object description
British bandsman and NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) in India and Hong Kong, 1/1935-12/1941; NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt), Kowloon Infantry Bde during Battle of Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941; prisoner of war in Hong Kong Hotel Relief Hospital and Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 12/1941-9/1941; survived sinking of SS Lisbon Maru off Tung Fusham Island, Zhoushan Archipelago in South China Sea, 10/1942; prisoner of war in Woosung Camp, China and Hakodate Branch Camp No 2-B, Akahira, Japan, 11/1942-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Romford and Seaview, Isle of Wight, GB, 1915-1934: family; move to Seaview on Isle of Wight; family businesses on Isle of Wight; interest in music. Aspects of enlistment and training as bandsman with Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) in GB, 4/1934-12/1934: initial attempt to enlist in Royal Army Medical Corps at Newport, 4/1934; abortive attempt to enlist in Royal Marines; background to enlistment in Royal Scots (The Royal Regt); joining band of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) at Dover Castle Barracks; initial training at Dover. Aspects of period as bandsman and NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) in India, 1/1935-1/1938: nature of voyage aboard HMT Lancashire from GB to India, 12/1934-1/1935; playing in dance band for extra money; venues played at; promotion to lance corporal; sporting activities; death of battalion members during march from Dagshai to Lahore.
REEL 2 Continues: death of battalion member; playing piano at striptease. Recollections of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) in Hong Kong, 1/1938-12/1941: contrast between climate in Indian and Hong Kong; journey from India to Hong Kong 1/1938; attractions of Chinese girls to battalion members; marriages; prevalence of venereal disease and precautions taken; punishments for contracting venereal disease and treatments; life for bandsmen; quality of battalion band; lifestyle in Hong Kong; playing and singing with choir of St John's Cathedral; voice training received from Italian academic; internment of Italian academic, 1940; return of battalion members to GB, 1939-1940; variety of band engagements.
REEL 3 Continues: accommodation in Murray Barracks; playing at Chinese and British functions; bandmen's privileges; playing piano for Russian ballet master; payment of band; band playing on radio broadcasts from Hong Kong; effects of hearing of declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; organisation of flying picket; clashes between garrison troops and American seaman; Air Commodore Robert Brooke-Popham's dismissive attitude towards Japanese threat; removal of battalion to New Territories; corruption involved in construction of air raid shelters, 1939-1940.
REEL 4 Continues: training in New Territories; problems with malaria and morale; his reasons for remaining in Hong Kong; civilian evacuation, 1939-1940. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt), Kowloon Infantry Bde during Battle of Hong Kong, 8/12/1941-25/12/1941: orders to return to unit, 7/12/1941; arrival of unprepared Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers and Royal Regiment of Canada, 11/1941; defensive measures taken prior to invasion; Japanese Fifth Column in Hong Kong; opinion of 1st Bn Middlesex Regt (Duke of Cambridge's Own); his duties at battalion headquarters at Shing Mun Redoubt on Gin Drinkers Line; activities on orders to return to unit, 7/12/1941; story of how his section was detailed to establish Japanese front line and accidental encounter with Japanese.
REEL 5 Continues: his wounding and escape from encounter; reporting to battalion headquarters; treatment for gunshot wound at British Military Hospital at Bowen Road; meeting nurse fiancée; Japanese bombing of British Military Hospital; hospital rations; returning to unit at Wongneichong Gap; story of wounding whilst leading untrained Canadian troops of Winnipeg Grenadiers; evacuation to British Military Hospital at Bowen Road and subsequent surgery for wounded hand; removal to Hong Kong Hotel Relief Hospital for convalescence. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Hong Relief Hospital, Hong Kong, 12/1941-2/1942: surrender, 25/12/1941; awareness of massacre at St Stephen's College in Stanley; Japanese attitude towards taking prisoners; Japanese assembling of prisoners and internees.
REEL 6 Continues: reaction to sight of females and children being herded into captivity; Japanese treatment of nurses; inoculations. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Sham Shui Po Camp, Hong Kong, 2/1942-9/1942: move into camp, 2/1942; effect of rice diet on health; issue of salt; sanitation in camp; diseases affecting prisoners of war; use of cigarettes as currency; religious services; yeast issue; discipline and punishments; question of escape from camp; deaths amongst prisoners of war; his contracting dysentery and treatment; disposal of dead bodies and effect on camp morale of prisoner of war deaths; separation of officers; eating dog meat.
REEL 7 Continues: prisoner of war deaths and outbreak of diphtheria; death of friend Private William Christie from diphtheria, 5/9/1942; selection for transfer to Japan including primitive dysentery test. Aspects of period as prisoner of war aboard SS Lisbon Maru in South China Sea, 9/1942-10/1942 including sinking off Tung Fusham Island, Zhoushan Archipelago, 2/10/1942: conditions on board; torpedoing of ship by submarine USS Grouper (SS-214), 1/10/1942; Japanese battening prisoners of war down in hold; prisoners of war breaking out of hold; abandoning ship under Japanese fire; period in water; rescue by Japanese tug; removal to Shanghai; embarkation on Japanese freighter at Shanghai; showing symptoms of diphtheria; Japanese knifing of prisoner of war; disembarkation and hospital treatment for dysentery and diphtheria in Shanghai; assembling of prisoner of war survivors at Woosung Flats. Recollections of period as prisoner of wars in Woosung Camp, China, 11/1942-5/1945: move into camp.
REEL 8 Continues: reception from American prisoners of war; composition of camp population; nature of work parties building rifle ranges; work on Shanghai Racecourse; prisoner of war sabotaging Japanese wood alcohol supplies; his punishment for sabotage; dismantling Chinese cemetery and use of coffin wood and valuables found; working hours; rations and supplementing diet; arrival of Red Cross parcel; incident of receiving punishment from Japanese after successful United States Army Air Force air combat over camp; behaviour of captured American pilots; removal from camp; train journey from Shanghai to Pusan, Korea via Nanking, 5/1945-6/1945.
REEL 9 Continues: arrival of British Red Cross supplies and American prisoner of war resentment; coping with cold; improvising footwear; sleeping arrangements; presence of rats in camp; provision of night-time fire picket; prisoners of war belief in Allied victory. Aspects of journey from Pusan, Korea to Japan, 6/1945-7/1945: reaction to voyage between Korea and Japan; journey in closed train across Japan, 7/1945; stopover in Tokyo and attack on prisoners of war by Japanese civilians; rations during train journey. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Hakodate Branch Camp No 2-B, Akahira, Japan, 7/1945-8/1945: arrival at camp; conditions in camp; work in coal mines.
REEL 10 Continues: hazards of coal mining work; working methods; washing after mining work; refusal of officer prisoners of war to work in coal mines; Japanese withdrawal of rations for sick and payment in cigarettes; Japanese preparations for Allied invasion; problems with lice and fleas; prisoner of war's punishment for whistling; hearing news of end of Second World War, 15/8/1945; regimental sergeant-major's method of keeping discipline; prisoners of war refusal to participate in roll call; nature of Japanese commandant's announcement of end of war. Recollections of liberation and return to GB, 8/1945-12/1945: arrival of Allied parachutists; prisoners of war and civilian casualties killed by air supply drops.
REEL 11 Continues: taking supplies to Chinese prisoners of war; incident of American prisoner of war taking reprisal against Japanese interpreter; keeping diary during incarceration; question of fate of some prisoners of war who collaborated; flight to Tokyo, Japan; 9/1945; delousing process; move by road from Tokyo to Yokohama, Japan, 9/1945; treatment on move to Manila, Philippines; treatment for jaundice in American hospital in Philippines; attitude to sharing ward with former Dutch prisoners of war; embarkation aboard HMS Glory; sight of reprisals against Japanese prisoners of war in Manila, Philippines; reception in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
REEL 12 Continues: reception from Canadians; hospitalisation in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 10/1945-11/1945; train journey to Nova Scotia, Canada; embarkation aboard HMT Queen Elizabeth in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; voyage aboard HMT Queen Elizabeth from Canada to GB; arrival in Southampton, GB, 2/12/1945; reaction to having freedom of action.
