Hall, Pierre Edward Arthur (Oral history)

British NCO served with Royal Corps of Signals, 23rd Indian Infantry Divisional Signals Unit in India and Burma, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of operations with Royal Corps of Signals. 23rd Indian Infantry Divisional Signals Unit in India and Burma, 1943-1945: reasons for volunteering for service in Burma; initial impressions of India, 1943; health problems; contact with Indian troops serving with Japanese; measures taken against malaria; rations and battering soap with Burmese civilians; rate of movement in jungle; jungle shooting practice; attachment to unit; visibility in jungle; question of discipline in 14th Army and looting punishable by death; Burmese civilian collaborators; opinion of role of Naga hillsmen. REEL 2 Continues: contact with Chins and Karen hilltribes; character of Assam railway; visit of Vera Lynn to Dimapur; lack of sleep; sight of Japanese atrocities; execution of Japanese POWs by Gurkha troops; opinion of American troops; delivery of comforts to US signallers; opinion of mail services; coordination of tactical air attacks; character of Japanese bunkers; Hawker Hurricane 'Hurribombers' adapted for ground attack; use of flame-throwers against Japanese bunkers; false surrenders of wounded Japanese troops; sight of Japanese tanks and aircraft; question of Japanese lack of supplies; target indication for Hawker Hurricane 'Hurribombers'; question of aircraft losses; contrast between Chinese and Japanese performance in jungle; opinion of Indian troops and Indian National Army personnel. REEL 3 Continues: contact with Indian nationalism; loyalty of Mauritian troops; incident of finding Japanese graves; performance of radio sets including effects of damp, range, erection of aerial and signals security; nature of forward airstrips; incident of 2nd Infantry Div being held up by three Japanese machine guns whilst crossing River Irrawaddy; use of jeep and pack mules; problems of using lines; battery charging; structure of section; opinion of Mauritian troops; lack of contact with commanding officer; description of unit flash; question of fatigue effecting personal morale; incident of near miss by transport aircraft dropping supplies; visits to brigades and 221 Group RAF; organisation of RAF signals; RAF living conditions; finding derelict equipment in jungle from 1942 retreat. REEL 4 Continues: visits from Lord Louis Mountbatten; letter received from Lord Louis Mountbatten; opinion of General Oliver Leese; crossing River Chindwin; sight of remains of ambush of Japanese high command party; opinion of African troops; fire fights with Japanese troops; character of Japanese camps; contrast between Japanese and British boots; opinion of quality of Japanese shooting; personal weapons; Japanese mortars and artillery; Japanese shelling of Imphal; opinion of Japanese uniforms, equipment and rations; Japanese troop's commitment; opinion of Maurtian troops' fighting qualities. REEL 5 Continues: 14th Army Headquarters; badges of rank; devastation of Mandalay, 1945; crossing River Irrawaddy; reprisals for Japanese atrocities; shelling of Buddist monastery in Mandalay; orders to evacuate to India; attitude to having served in Burma.