Robinson, John Thomas (Oral history)

British NCO served with Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in GB, Palestine, Shanghai and Malaya 1934-1942. Captured in Singapore 2/1942, POW of Japanese in Singapore, Korea and Japan 2/1942-8/1945; in Nagasaki during dropping of atomic bomb 9/8/1945

REEL 1 Reasons for joining Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 2nd Battalion 7/3/1934. Palestine posting with 1st Loyals 12/1935-10/1936: outpost duty; accidentally shooting donkey; inlying pickets; convoy duties; incident in which Robinson shot insurgent; blowing up Arab houses; dawn searches; opinion of insurgents; guerilla warfare; treatment of Arab prisoners; hostility of Arab villagers; attitude towards Jews and Arabs. Journey to join 2nd Loyals in Shanghai 10/1936; accommodation aboard HMT Dilwara. Shanghai prostitution. REEL 2 Shanghai 10/1936-3/1938: prevalence of and deterrents against VD; Chinese civilian overcrowding; outbreak of Sino-Japanese war; ;air attack on British mill quarters and Robinson's reply fire; Japanese bombing of British outpost; marking of International Settlement boundary; retreat of Chinese troops; Chinese deserters; appearance of Chinese and Japanese troops; British sympathising with Chinese; relations between different nationality troops in Settlement; fracas with Italian sailors; route marches; socialising with European civilians; entertainments and sports. REEL 3 Shanghai 10/1936-3/1938: police corruption; recruitment to civilian jobs from Army. Posting to Singapore 3/1938-12/1941: climate; bungalow accommodation; friendliness of Chinese; problems with Malays; jungle warfare training. Malayan campaign 12/1941-2/1942: Japanese bombing raid on Singapore; evacuating Keppel harbour barracks; fortress security role at Tanglin barracks; air raid casualties; unit's advance into Malaya; Japanese infiltration tactics; suspected Malay help to Japanese; 'Black Friday' bombing attack on 2nd Loyals; action against Japanese tank advance; Japanese advance tactics. REEL 4 Malayan campaign 12/1941-2/1942: refusal of sergeant to withdraw; frustration at withdrawal; company surrounded by Japanese; help from Chinese in jungle; Japanese machine gun attack at Muar River; swamp reptile scare; escape downriver in sampan; rescue by British minesweeper; offer of job manning ship's guns. Nagasaki POW camp 4/1945-8/1945: coalmining work; expectation of US invasion and Japanese execution of POWs; atomic cloud 9/8/1945; news of surrender; US supply drops; journey into Nagasaki and seeing devastation; comparison with incendiary bomb damage on Kobe. REEL 5 Nagasaki 8/1945: opinion that power of atomic bomb exaggerated for political reasons; effect of bomb on tree bark; POW fear of Japanese revenge; fresh food from Japanese civilians; Robinson's good health. Impressions of Gerald Templer 1935: company training under Templer at Tidworth; his insistence on marching with men; accompanying 1st Loyals to Palestine 12/1935; Templer remembering Robinson in 1950s at Aldershot.