Miller, John Francis (Oral history)

British officer served with Trans-Jordan Frontier Force in Jordan and Palestine, 1935-1941; served with 6 Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa, 1941; POW in Italy and Germany, 1941-1945; served as Senior Scientific Officer with Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment at Chertsey and Northern Ireland, 1971-1973

REEL 1 Recollections of period as Senior Scientific Officer with Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment at Chertsey and Northern Ireland, 1971-1973: situation with bomb disposal in Northern Ireland, 1971-1972; his role in devising apparatus to deal with bombs at distance; acquiring equipment from Sunningdale garden centre, 3/1972; experiments to get ‘Wheelbarrow’ remote control devise to work; acceptance of ‘Wheelbarrow’ prototype, 4/1972; first operational use of ‘Wheelbarrow’ against car bomb, 6/1972; removal of ‘Windbag’ devise as ineffective; development of Mark II ‘Wheelbarrow’, summer 1972; development of device to break windows of cars carrying bombs; discussions leading to inclusion of closed circuit television system for dealing with car bombs; improvements to ‘Wheelbarrow’ REEL 2 Continues: an incident in which ‘Wheelbarrow’ operator was injured, 11/1972; problem with Mark III ‘Wheelbarrow’ in dealing with flight of steps; first demonstration of Mark IV ‘Wheelbarrow’, 2/1973; operation of ‘Dixon releases’ on ‘Wheelbarrow’; reasons for failure of ‘Wheelbarrow’ in Londonderry, 4/1973; further improvements to ‘Wheelbarrow’, 1973; introduction of wireless control for ‘Wheelbarrow’; use of former London bus to carry ‘Wheelbarrow’ to trails, summer 1973. Aspects of period as officer with Trans-Jordan Frontier Force in Jordan and Palestine, 1935-1941: background to secondment to unit from Royal Tank Corps, 1935; journey from London to Zirka, 1935; question of loyalty of troops; failure of Arab personnel to open fire on Arab insurgents; co-ordination with RAF; patrol in Jordan Valley in which Yussef Ali was awarded Empire Gallantry Medal, 1938. REEL 3 Continues: change of Yussef Ali’s award to George Cross, 1940; character of Nablus-Jenin-Tulkarum Triangle in Palestine; occasions when he clashed with Arab bands; contact with Arab Legion. Recollections of operations commanding B Sqdn, 6 Royal Tank Regt in North Africa, 1941: taking command of squadron, 5/1941; opinion of Crusader Tank; re-equipping and training squadron, 6/1941; move to wire for start of Operation Crusader; problems of losing way at night in desert; contrast between desert in Jordan and Western Desert; objectives of Operation Crusader, 11/1941; capture of Sidi Rezegh airfield; advancing to Trigh Capuzzo and opening fire on German staff car; how his tank was knocked out in wadi, 11/1941. REEL 4 Continues: his capture by Germans. Recollections of period as POW in Italy, 1941-1943: RAF attack on Italian ship carrying POW from North Africa to Italy; treatment as POW in Italy; memories of Admiral Cowan; move out of camp after Italian collapse, 1943; period evading capture and recapture by Germans near Aquila. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1943-1945: removal to Oflag VIIIF at Mahrisch-Trubau; removal of POWs in face of Russian advance, 1945; liberation by Americans at Oflag 79 at Braunschweig, 1945.