Description
Object description
British NCO served with Royal Corps of Signals, 23rd Indian Infantry Divisional Signals in India and Burma, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations with Royal Corps of Signals. 23rd Indian Infantry Divisional Signals 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 British Fourteenth 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, India; lack of sleep; sight of Japanese atrocities; execution of Imperial Japanese Army prisoners of war by Gurkha troops; opinion of American troops; delivery of comforts to American 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 Imperial Japanese Army troops; sight of Japanese tanks and aircraft; question of Imperial Japanese Army's 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, Burma; use of Willys 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 No 221 Group, RAF; organisation of Royal Air Force signals; living conditions for Royal Air Force; 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, Burma; sight of remains of ambush of Japanese high command party; opinion of African troops; fire fights with Imperial Japanese Army troops; character of Imperial Japanese Army 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; Imperial Japanese Army troop's commitment; opinion of Maurtian troops' fighting qualities.
REEL 5 Continues: Fourteenth Army Headquarters; badges of rank; devastation of Mandalay, Burma, 1945; crossing River Irrawaddy, Burma; reprisals for Japanese atrocities; shelling of Buddist monastery in Mandalay, Burma; orders to evacuate to India; attitude to having served in Burma.