Description
Object description
British police officer served with Palestine Police Force in Palestine, 1935-1948; served with Federation of Malaya Police in Malaya, 1948-1954; served as Commissioner of Police with Kenya Police in Kenya, 1954-1964
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as police officer with Palestine Police Force in Palestine, 1935-1948: background to joining Palestine Police Force in GB, 1934; terms of service; warning of difficulties of policing in Palestine; journey to Palestine; training at Palestine Police Force Training Depot, Mount Scopus; relationship between police and civilian populations; lack of violence between Jewish an Arab communities; special features of policing in Palestine; supply of arms from Egypt to Kibbutzs during Second World War.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction of Kibbutzniks to police investigation, 1944; tasks falling to British Government in overseeing Palestine Mandate; question of British Government's behaviour towards illegal immigrants; conditions aboard immigrant vessel SS Noemijulia at Haifa, 19/9/1939; organisation of migrant traffic; raid on headquarters of Jewish Agency; question of loyalty of Jewish policemen.
REEL 3 Continues: comparison with loyalty and recruitment of Chinese policemen in Federation of Malaya; contrast in number of officers who could speak Hebrew in Palestine and Chinese in Malaya; outbreak of Arab Revolt, 1936; reasons for failure of Arab Revolt, 1939; later use of pseudo-gangs to 'turn' insurgents in Kenya; his secret meeting with Irgun representatives.
REEL 4 Continues: meeting with Jewish opponent about methods used by Zionist gangs; reaction to blowing up of King David Hotel, Jerusalem, 22/7/1946; comments of cases of two British sergeants hung by Irgun insurgents and Roy Farran; attitude to British Government's decision to give up Palestine Mandate; opinion of Major Orde Wingate and his activities; relations between British police and Arabs.
REEL 5 Continues: summary of Palestine experience. Recollections of period as police officer with Federation of Malaya Police in Malaya, 1948-1954: background to transferring to Federation of Malaya Police; situation in Federation of Malaya on arrival; his duties and responsibilities; New Village system; publicity campaign to improve police/civilian relations; assassination of High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney, 6/10/1951.
REEL 6 Continues: impact of arrival of General Sir Gerald Templer; attitude towards General Sir Gerald Templer's style of leadership; location of Malayan National Liberation Army communist insurgent opposition; conditions which drove support for Malayan National Liberation Army communist insurgents; improvement in conditions by 1954; location of Communist Party of Malaya leadership; attitude towards Force 136, Special Operations Executive role in Malaya during Second World War; change in law and order situation during period 1948-1954; recruitment of Special Constabulary; impact of General Sir Gerald Templer.
REEL 7 Continues: struggle for 'hearts and minds' of populace. Recollections of period as Commissioner of Police in Kenya, 1954-1964: background and attitude to new posting; style of his superior; dealing with Mau Mau in contrast to experiences in Palestine and Malaya; his interview with Member of Parliament Barbara Castle; question of use of internment.
REEL 8 Continues: impact of plan for land consolidation; memories of Jomo Kenyatta; attitude of Jomo Kenyatta to his period in prison and release; pace of 'Africanisation' under Jomo Kenyatta during 1960s; training new African police force; question of internment; further details of meeting with Member of Parliament Barbara Castle.
REEL 9 Continues: his touring of country; main administrative tasks; need to improve living conditions of police force; language difficulties and need for policemen to learn local language; qualities needed to make good policemen; relations between military and police in colonial policing situations.