Description
Object description
British marine served with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Borneo, Malaysia during Indonesian Confrontation, 1964-1965; NCO served with 45 Commando, Royal Marines in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1966-1967; served with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Northern Ireland, 1972 and 1979
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Marines in GB, 1964: background to enlistment in Royal Marines, 4/1964; reasons for joining as junior marine. Recollections of operations as marine with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Borneo, Malaysia during Indonesian Confrontation, 1964-1965: drafting to commando; initial jungle training; character of jungle patrols; method of camouflaging skin; nature of ambushes; discomfort of jungle sores; cross-border raid on Indonesian kampong.
REEL 2 Continues: role during cross-border raid; reaction to taking part in raid; description of unit's operational base; leave; air supply; living conditions; leave in Singapore, Malaysia; long march out of jungle. Aspects of operations as NCO with 45 Commando, Royal Marines in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1966-1967: setting up road blocks; operational area in Little Aden; problems of identifying insurgents; relations with civilians.
REEL 3 Continues: attitude of marines to active service. Recollections of operations as NCO with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Northern Ireland, 1972: attending intelligence course prior to posting to New Lodge area of Belfast; spending leave with Parachute Regt in Belfast prior to posting; under fire in New Lodge area; character of operations; number of incidents; removal of Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) weapons prior to Operation Motorman; character of New Lodge area; reasons for friendly fire incidents; method of riot control; intelligence gathering and effect of internment on Nationalist community; criminal element in New Lodge area; character of Provisonal Irish Republican Army (PIRA); attitude to release of Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) prisoners; difficulties of operating amongst civilian population in Belfast; searches for Provisonal Irish Republican Army (PIRA) leadership; character of observation posts; incident when observation post in funeral parlour came under fire; Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) tactics.
REEL 4 Continues: role aiding civil power; character of Operation Motorman, 31/7/1972; techniques for intelligence gathering; dangers of intelligence gathering; hearts and minds operations. Aspects of operations as NCO with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Northern Ireland, 1979: level of intelligence gathering by military; question of need for political solution; importance of Northern Ireland for training and frustration at continuing postings there.