Thomas, Benjamin Raymond (Oral history)

British NCO served with North Somerset Yeomanry in Palestine and Egypt, 1940-1941; officer served as intelligence officer with 1st Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in Syria and Western Desert, 1941; served as staff officer with 14th Army in India and Burma, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Dinys Powys, Wales and in London, 1907-1939: family and education; training as accountant; marriage and move to Bath. Volunteering for North Somerset Yeomanry, 1939 including training. Recollections of journey from GB to Palestine, 1940: train journey across France; cleaning and feeding horses aboard SS Rona; dangers of unloading horses; question of historic nature of exercise. Period with North Somerset Yeomanry in Palestine, 1940: role and duties; contrast between relations with Jews and Arabs; story of guarding precocious Jewish boy; morale of troops; reaction of troops to not receiving mail. REEL 2 Continues: reaction to loss of horses; desire to play useful role; attitude to service in desert. Period with OCTU in Cairo, 1941: opinion of Australians; social life; contrast between Australian and New Zealanders. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in Syria, 1941: question of how bad characters in a unit are improved by the good; role of unit during invasion of Syria; passing through battlefield to mountainous area; surrender of Vichy Forces; deserted state of Beirut; relations with Free French. Amusing account of running brothel in Syria, 1941. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as intelligence officer with 1st Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt during siege of Tobruk, 1941: joining advanced party; journey from Alexandria to Tobruk aboard HMS Hotspur; question of hazardous nature of sea journey into Tobruk; arrival in Tobruk; description of Tobruk perimeter; problems of mines within perimeter; role of advanced party; night time patrol work; dangers of Allied and German crossfire; daytime shelling; opinion of Polish gunners; regular Axis aircraft activity over harbour; lack of Allied air support; dependence on navy for rations. REEL 4 Continues: story of ration truce in sector of line without bunkers; opinion of Australians; water and ration supply; relative inactivity during daytime; preparations for the breakout from Tobruk; effects of 8th Army being eight days late; morale within perimeter; description of advance from start line; halt under Axis shell fire; treatment of soldier in state of shock; attack on strongpoint 'Tougon' led by Teddy Ablett. REEL 5 Continues: German counter attacks around El Hamid; capture of Axis troops; lack of rations and sleep during breakout; opinion of Erwin Rommel; sporting element of desert war; sight of dead New Zealanders at Sidi Rezegh; state of New Zealanders after battle; attitude to being sent back to Cairo. Reaction to fall of Tobruk, 1942. Recollections of period as staff officer in India and Burma, 1942-1945: atmosphere in India, 1942; appointment to Eastern Army at Barrackpore; liaison duties and failure of Allied tactics in Arakan; formation of 14th Army and role of General William Slim. REEL 6 Continues: staff work in supplying First Chindit Expedition; question of role of Chindits and problems with air support in 1943; character of glider landings during Second Chindit Expedition; role as communications officer during sieges of Imphal and Kohima; importance of face to face contact; morale of Allied troops during Imphal siege; attitude to service in Burma; sight of dead Japanese on path to Kohima; story of finding dead Japanese who had shot at Buddhist statues before they died; question of both sides not taking prisoners; question of how resources were diverted to Chindits prolonged sieges of Kohima and Imphal; role of US Air Force; story of passing orders to Sikh battalion to move to Imphal and transport problems encountered in his role. REEL 7 Continues: question of freelance role; question of 14th Army being a 'Forgotten Army'; opinion of General William Slim; opinion of Lord Mountbatten; meeting with US General Joseph Stillwell at Ledo; story of loss of plans for invasion for Arakan; mission down Kaladan River; amusing story of peanuts that ignited in jungle. REEL 8 Continues: contracting malaria. Aspects of effects of service aboard during Second World War, 1939-1945: communications with his wife; problems of maintaining balance in correspondence; agreement with wife about relationships; reaction to meeting children after five years; financial situation; initial reaction to meeting wife after five years.