Johnstone, Kenneth (Oral history)

British officer served with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1939-1941; served with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 70th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in Iceland, 1941-1942; served as instructor with School of Infantry, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre, Glen Feshie in GB, 1942-1943; officer served with 82nd (West African) Infantry Div in Burma, 1944-1945; served with Headquarters, Fourteenth Army in Burma, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB, 1916-1939: family; education; involvement with Boy Scouts; employment with Proctor and Gamble Ltd and Heinz Company. Aspects of period as officer with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1939-1941: enlistment; background to joining regiment; mobilisation and accommodation at Chester-le-Street; character of training, 1939-1941; posting as transport officer and attending course at Chiswick; vehicles and accidents in unit; deployment of battalion; story of bogus rat infestation at Lambton Park; relations between officers and men; story of draft taken to 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry; reason for not going to France; move to south coast; equipment shortages; accommodation; story of invasion scare at Slapton Sands; opinion of quality of military training; Tactical Exercises Without Troops (TEWTS); relations with regular officers; story of attending assault and battle course in Snowdonia, 1942, attending General Headquarters Battle School, Northern Command at Barnard Castle, 1941. Aspects of period with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 70th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in Iceland, 1941-1942: reason for posting in Iceland; journey to Iceland; attending course in Reykjavík. REEL 2 Continues: role with carrier platoon and story of mishap during attempt to cross the mountains in Universal Carriers. Aspects of period as instructor with School of Infantry, Newcastle upon Tyne and with Highland Fieldcraft Training Centre, Glenfeshie, GB, 1942-1943: appointment to School of Infantry, Newcastle upon Tyne; lectures; opinion of training; posting to and nature of instruction at Highland Fieldcraft Centre, Glenfeshie; improvising aspects of potential officer's course; techniques for building potential officer's confidence; character of exercises including 'Skye is the Limit'; involvement with concert parties; areas of Scotland based in; accommodation; question of change in attitude to exercises; casualties during exercises. REEL 3 Continues: creation of exercises; details of Highland Fieldcraft Centre Association; relations with recruits and memories of commanding officer; story of returning recruit; asssessment of recruits; aim of training; testing from War Office Selection Board (WASB); achievements and treatment of recruits; fitness of recruits; personal attendance on exercises; emergencies created during exercises; further details of exercises and lectures; daily routine; relations with civilians; details of Highland Fieldcraft Centre Association; attitude to leaving centre; period in transit centre in London. Aspects of operations as officer with 82nd (West African) Infantry Div in Burma, 1944-1945: jungle training received in Nigeria, British West Africa prior to posting to Burma; contrast between training and active service. REEL 4 Continues: cleaning of church with Second Lieutenant Booth; involvement in patrol that linked 82nd and 81st (West African) Infantry Divs; booby traps; story of near miss from Japanese artillery fire; opinion of performance as officer; role with Gold Coast Regt. Aspects of period as officer with Headquarters, Fourteenth Army in Burma, 1945-1946: advance towards Rangoon; witnessing African troops dance; relations with African troops; role as deputy assistant director of army welfare; organisation of African and Chinese concert parties; broadcasting role on Radio Rangoon.