Description
Object description
British NCO served with 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 29th British Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 1950-1951; prisoner of war in Camp No 5, Pyuktong, North Korea, 3/1951-8/1953
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as trooper with 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in GB, 1950: posting to South Korea, 11/1950; characteristics of Cromwell Tank; role as co-driver and gunner; regimental pride; reaction to posting to South Korea. Recollections of operations as NCO with 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 29th British Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 11/1950-1/1951: voyage aboard HMT Empire Fowey from GB to Korea via Suez, Egypt; reception in Pusan, South Korea, 11/1950; initial impressions of South Korea; arrival of tanks in Pusan, South Korea.
REEL 2 Continues: riding shot gun on northward bound train; refugee trains heading south; nature of American troops' withdrawal; preparations of tanks for combat; opinion of United States Army; coping with winter conditions; problem with weight of Centurion Tank; rations and diet; move through Compo Valley; question of tactics of leaving tanks in valley overnight; Korean refugees passing through lines; heavy fire on Chinese positions; withdrawal of unit southwards under fire.
REEL 3 Continues: capture by Chinese People's Volunteer Army, 4/1/1951; end of Cromwell Tanks of Cooper Force; fate of Cooper Force comrades. Aspects of period as prisoner on march into North Korea, 1/1951-3/1951: staying in Korean homes; first appearance of lice; prisoner of war possessions; prisoner of war sharing and moral code; taking refuge from United Nations' bombing; question of who was to blame for prisoners of wars' predicament; state of prisoner of war morale and bowels.
REEL 4 Continues: trek north through snow; blessings of tank suit; keeping warm in doorways; prisoner of war diet; problem of keeping clean; attack by United States Air Force; meetings with Korean civilians; conditions in Bean Camp, Suan; question of escape; sight of Chinese People Volunteer Army troops on march. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Camp No 5, Pyuktong, North Korea, 3/1951-8/1953: arrival, 3/1951; low American prisoner of war morale; arrival of rations; camp deaths; relation of low morale and death; dysentery problems; memories of guard known as 'Screaming Skull'.
REEL 5 Continues: Chinese medical attentions; prisoner of war spokesman, Andrew Condron; punishment of prisoners of war; attempts to uphold prisoner of war morale; arrival of electricity in camp; Chinese political indoctrination; suffering on roll-call; food obsessions; political lectures; possible residual effects of propaganda; prisoner of war hygiene; uniform issue to prisoners of war; varieties of rations received including weighing of rations, pig killing and sorghum diet; opinion of Chinese treatment of prisoners of war; Chinese rations.
REEL 6 Continues: religious holidays for prisoners of war; salt supply; wood details outside camp; camp songs; marijuana smoking; danger of flooding; Turkish prisoner of war quarters; camp library and entertainments; levelling hill for sports field; padded clothing issue, winter 1951-1952; driving prisoners of war to lectures; counting accumulating army credits; emptying latrine in winter and summer; anti-fly drive; prisoner of war ablutions; method of razor blade sharpening; sports and camp Olympics.
REEL 7 Continues: Chinese film and theatre for prisoners of war; stage productions; swimming in river; prisoner of war health and treatments; use of acupuncture by prisoners of war; prisoner of war strategy of repolitical indoctrination; news of peace talks and 'give-it-upitis'; contact with home; his broadcast message home; arrival of mail; Christmas card production; news from outside world; visits by western Communists; news of British Royal Family, 1952; question of use of germ warfare; comradeship.
REEL 8 Continues: release of sick, spring 1953; news of release; instances of Chinese leniency; release, 9/8/1953; sight of American equipment discarded by returning Chinese prisoners of war; processing of returned prisoners of war; treatment in Japan; decision of Andrew Condron to defect to Chinese; question of long-term effects of Korean War; poem written in camp, a version of Rudyard Kipling's 'If'.