Description
Object description
British NCO served with Corps of Royal Military Police in Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951; served with 1st Bn Queen's Royal West Kent Regt in Federation of Malaya, 1951-1952
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1932-1950: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as private and NCO with Corps of Royal Military Police in GB, 1950: reaction to call-up for National Service; initial training with Royal Army Service Corps at Aldershot, 10/1950; attitude towards training; opinion of NCOs and officers; relations between national servicemen. Aspects of period as NCO with Corps of Royal Military Police in Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951: decision to transfer from Corps of Royal Military Police to Queen's Royal West Kent Regt, 6/1951; degree of understanding of situation in Federation of Malaya; voyage from GB to Singapore including witnessing police brutality in Port Said, Egypt, life on board troopship and conflict between Scottish and Irish troops.
REEL 2 Continues: initial impressions of Singapore; luxurious living conditions; Chinese barracks servants; working relationship with prostitutes; out of bounds areas for troops; lack of tension in Singapore; behaviour of troops. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Queen's Royal West Kent Regt in Federation of Malaya, 6/1951-10/1952: train journey to join unit at Kuala Kubu Bharu; suspicion with which he was treated by new unit; composition of unit.
REEL 3 Continues: role of unit at Kuala Kubu Bharu; strength of insurgents in area; insurgent deserters; tendency of insurgents to fight to death; two occasions when unit captured wounded insurgents; unit casualties; incident of troops accidentally firing on own side; ambush of lorry convoy in Ulu Caledonian Rubber Estate near Ulu Yam, 22/10/1951; state of mind during ambushes.
REEL 4 Continues: nature of insurgent ambushes; insurgent weapons; equipment used by British troops; living conditions at Kuala Kubu Bharu; work of 'charwallahs'; contracting pleurisy and jungle fever; coping with leeches; jungle sores and other skin complaints; description of jungle wildlife.
REEL 5 Continues: dangers of wild buffalo; acquiring intelligence about insurgents operating in area; opinion of quality of insurgents; description of insurgent uniform and insignia; character of insurgent camps; insurgent contacts with Sakai; role of Special Air Service; messages from insurgents to troops; attitude towards the insurgents; attacks on local civilian population by insurgents; lack of support for insurgents amongst civilians; unit morale; use of Iban trackers.
REEL 6 Continues: description of Iban tracker's customs; limited knowledge of Malay language; relations between European civilians and military personnel; description of outpost system and living conditions; preparations for attacks on outposts; lack of boredom; ineffective nature of Royal Air Force attacks; question of whether insurgents would win; decision to leave Federation of Malaya.
REEL 7 Continues: return voyage to GB; lessons learnt from service in Federation of Malaya.