Acland, Peter Bevil Edward (Oral history)

British civilian colonial administrator with Sudan Political Service in Sudan, 1924-1939; officer served with 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regt in GB, 1939; commanded guerrilla force attached to Abyssinian Patriots in Sudan and Ethiopia, 1940-1942; served as liaison officer with XXX Corps in North Africa, 1943; served with Administration Territories, Balkans 1 in Cairo, Egypt and Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 1943-1945; served as Deputy Chief Civil Affairs Officer and Chief Administrator in Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 1945; served as Governor of Cyrenaica, Libya, 1945-1946; commanded East Devon Home Guard in Devonshire, GB, 1952

REEL 1 Recollections of period as civilian administrator with Sudan Political Service in Sudan, 1924-1939: arrival in Sudan at time of murder of Sir Lee Stack; his taking up his post in Kassala area; circumstances under which women's prison was built in Kassala; dealing with disturbance caused by one sheikh; character of British administration compared with pre-British one; story of dealing with case of murder; story concerning Sudan leader wish for country's status as self-governing dominion; memories of Orde Wingate. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regt in GB, 1939: background to attachment to battalion in GB, 1939; stories illustrating lack of preparedness of British Army, 8/1939. REEL 2 Continues: effect of arrival of reservists, 8/1939. Recollections of period as officer commanding guerrilla force attached to Abyssinian Patriots in Sudan and Ethiopia, 1940-1942: his orders to raise unit in Darfur; small arms training; entry into Ethiopia, 11/1940; raid on pro-Italian Ras for food supply; story illustrating contrasting viewpoints of British and Abyssianian Patriot Ras; armament of guerrillas; in action against Italians; advance on Italian position at Debre Markos and reconnaissance of Italian positions by Shawish Tambral; character of Beni Amr troops; attack on Italian positions at Debre MarKos. REEL 3 Continues: his wounding at Debra Marcos, 3/1941; memories of Orde Wingate during campaign in East Africa; return to unit in Sudan and how he came to realise he had treated his men too harshly; refusal of General Philippe Leclerc to accept him on attachment to Free French Force, 12/1942. Aspects of period as liaison officer with Headquarters, XXX Corps in North Africa, 1943: background to appointment; liaison duties; Italian Air Force raids on harbour at Tripoli, Libya, 2/1943; exchange of artillery fire with Germans at Zuwarah, Libya; discovery of Italian female spy. Aspects of period as officer with Administration Territories, Balkans 1 in Cairo, Egypt and Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 1943-1945: role and proposed duties on capture of Dodecanese Islands; narrow escape from capture and role in having senior British officer replaced. REEL 4 Continues: arrangements to feed population of Dodecanese Islands by sea after surrender; reasons for being asked to take over administration of Lebanon, 1944; description of deception operations in Dodecanese Islands, 1944; his declining to feed German agent with false information in Nicosia, Cyprus; discovery of British agents on Pserimos Island, 1944. Recollections of period as Deputy Chief Civil Affairs Officer and Chief Administrator in Dodecanese Islands, Greece, 1945: question of behaviour of German commander on Rhodes Island, question of German clearing Italian minefields, 5/1945; visit of Greek Regent, 4/1945; supply of food to Greek population by British authorities. REEL 5 Continues: question of political affiliations of Greeks in Dodecanese Islands, 1945; prior recollections of Enoch Powell in North Africa. Aspects of period as Governor of Cyrenaica, Libya, 1945-1946: background to appointment; request by Senussi royal family to stage 'official riot' in Benghazi against supposed threat of return of Italian rule, early 1946; prestige of British Empire in North Africa; his arrangements for exporting grain. Aspects of period commanding East Devon Home Guard in Devonshire, GB, 1952: raising of unit; proposed role of unit.