Haley, Thomas Daniel (Oral history)

British civilian conscientious objector served with Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, Burma and China, 1940-1945.

REEL 1: Background in London, 1920-1939: family and childhood in Bethnal Green during 1920s and 1930s; story of grandfather’s service during First World War; relations with parents; opinion of uncles’ views about war; problem of violence in local area; reason for taking up boxing; activities with local church and other institutions; development of pacifist beliefs; story of leaving local church after argument over blessing guns; joined Friends Ambulance Unit as an attender; story of mother’s friendship with conscientious objector during First World War; attitude to the Bible and teachings of Christ; story of meeting Charles Haworth at Friends’ Hall; description of marches by Mosley’s Blackshirts in Jewish areas of the East End; attitude to Blackshirts and use of violence. REEL 2 Continues: physical motivation of Blackshirts; description of fight between Jews and Blackshirts in Blythe Street; attitude to Germans. Aspects of period in GB, 1939-1941; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939; reason for registering as a conscientious objector; reaction of family and local community; story of making first contact with Friends Ambulance Unit; registration as a conscientious objector; description of attending two tribunals, 1939; reason for refusing to serve with Royal Army Medical Corps; permitted to join Friends Ambulance Unit. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of tribunal panels; attitude to conscientious objectors in First World War; reason for becoming a vegetarian and vegan; attitude to judging others by own moral standards; description of Friends Ambulance Unit training at Manor Farm, Northfield, Birmingham, 1940; social background of other volunteers; opinion of training and principles of Friends Ambulance Unit. REEL 4 Continues: description of hospital work in Bethnal Green during Blitz, 1940-1941; duties with Friends Ambulance Unit providing shelter for bombed out residents in the East End; assessment of own character and suitability for type of work; description of hospital work in Billericay; attitude of patients and staff to pacifist beliefs; reason for wanting to work in more dangerous war zone; story of volunteering for China Convoy; description of training; delousing methods. REEL 5 Continues: problem of transport to China; role in running boys’ camp on farm; Aspects of journey to China, 1941: description of voyage to India aboard SS City of Baroda via Sierra Leone and South Africa; description of train journey from India to Rangoon, Burma, 1941. Aspects of period with Friends Ambulance Unit in Burma and China, 1941-1945: first mission into China along Burma Road; opinion of living conditions in Lashio; story of RAF doing deal with the ‘Flying Tigers’ over bounty system; first impressions of China; opinion of surgeon Bob McClure. REEL 6 Continues: story of collecting medical supplies from Rangoon prior to arrival of Japanese; problem of roads blocked by refugees; trucks and basic driving instruction provided by US Army; situation in Rangoon; duties as part of medical team with retreating Allied army in Burma and India; problem of evacuating large number of casualties and question of prioritising most serious cases; use of previously marked trail; morale among troops; role as only medical unit during retreat; description of crossing the Chindwin River and setting up medical facilities for wounded; problem of conflict between Indians and Burmese. REEL 7 Continues: description of terrain in Naga Hills; help received from local population; living conditions for Friends Ambulance Unit members; system of loading and unloading medical supplies from trucks; attitude to treating Japanese wounded; story of meeting the Incarnate Lama in Kalimpong; reason for abandoning plan to take medical supplies thorough Tibet into China and use of The Hump route; story of returning over The Hump to Kunming to work with medical unit of 38th Chinese Army; delousing of soldiers prior to treatment; opinion of Chinese Army; types of diseases and wounds treated; story of being attacked by rock throwing ‘hooligans’; opinion of Chiang Kai-shek using US aid to fight communists instead of Japanese; attitude to violence witnessed during period in China; Chinese attitude to pacifism; opinion of success of Friends Ambulance Unit in China and relations with Chinese people. REEL 8 Continues: effect of experiences in China on own beliefs; story of return to GB, 3/1945. Aspects of post-war life and employment: volunteered to work in TB hospital; story of failing to pass exams at Liverpool University and being unable to pursue career as social worker; attitude to peace demonstrations; comparison of beliefs in 1939 and now (1988); attitude to the concept of patriotism; opinion of established church; opinion of treatment as conscientious objector during Second World War.