description
Object description
British trooper served with 1st King's Dragoon Guards in Malaya, 1956-1957
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as trooper with 1st King's Dragoon Guards in Malaya, 1956-1957: decision to do National Service in Malaya; work unloading unit's equipment in Singapore; opinion of lack of information given to troops; necessity of hearts and minds policy; attitude of Chinese civilians towards State of Emergency; armoured car duties including acting as 'stopper' for infantry drive against insurgents; opinion of use of air power; use of helicopters; occasion when his unit was used as infantry; question of effectiveness of Chinese police; description of New Village scheme; attempts to improve relations between British troops and villagers.
REEL 2 Continues: question of tactics employed by ex-Palestine Police officers; attempts to starve insurgents out of jungle; question of success in use of Iban trackers; attitude of troops towards Malayans; role of aboriginal population during State of Emergency; question of initial lack of British Government support to Europeans; prior recollections of meeting with High Commissioner, Sir Henry Gurney who was later assassinated; attitude towards granting of independence, 1957; black-white area system; reasons for defeat of Communist insurgents.
