Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 14th and 16th Infantry Bdes, 8th Infantry Div, Palestine Command in Palestine, 1/1939-9/1940; served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infantry Div in North Africa and French Syria, 9/1940-9/1941; served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Tobruk, Libya, Ceylon and India, 9/1941-10/1943; served with No 21 Column, 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India and during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 10/1943-10/1944; served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in Berlin, Germany, 1948-1950; served with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in Federation of Malaya, 1954-1956
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Aldershot, GB, 1919-1937: family; education; employment; relations between British Army and civilians in Aldershot, 1930s; inter-regimental fights and prostitution in Aldershot. Aspects of enlistment and training with at Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) Regimental Depot, Stoughton Barracks, Guildford in GB, 4/1937-9/1937: initial interest in joining Royal Navy; joining the Territorial Army in Farnham, 1936; enlistment at Guildford, 1/4/1937; motivations for enlistment; attitude towards patriotism; description of standard of living prior to and after joining British Army; attitude towards treatment by NCOs during training. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 14th and 16th Infantry Bdes, 8th Infantry Div, Palestine Command in Palestine, 1/1939-9/1940: opinion of situation in Palestine; description of base at Tulkarm.
REEL 2 Continues: role as Motor Transport (MT) driver; description of 'oozling' exercises against Arab insurgents; opinion of the Arabs; treatment of Arabs by troops; question of danger of service in Palestine; conditions for Jews; description of social life and question of female company; attitude of army towards venereal disease; opinion of Palestine; lack of hostility between Arabs and Jews; training in trench warfare in Dead Sea area. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infantry Div in North Africa, 9/1940-6/1941: journey by convoy to Egypt from Palestine.
REEL 3 Continues: digging trenches in Bagush Box, Egypt, 9/1940; description of duties as Motor Transport (MT) driver; reasons for missing offensive against Italians, 7/12/1940; leave in Cairo, Egypt; opinion of Egyptian civilians; sight of thousands of Italians prisoners, 12/1940; pursuit of Italian forces to Bardia, Libya; Christmas dinner, 12/1940; relations with Australian Army troops at Bardia, Libya; reaction of troops to learning of German Air Force attacks on London, GB, 1/1941; state of transport vehicles by 1/1941; move of unit to man defences at Mersa Matruh, Egypt, 4/1941.
REEL 4 Continues: sight of British troops evacuated from Greece, 4/1941; hearing of attack on Crete, Greece by Germans, 5/1941; description of two abortive attempts to get to Crete, Greece aboard SS Glenroy, 5/1941 including German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks on ship. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infanty Div in French Syria, 6/1941-7/1941: journey to French Syria, 6/1941; first encounters with Vichy French forces at Quneitra and Point 1634; intensity of fighting between Vichy French and Allied troops.
REEL 5 Continues: description of capture of company on Point 1634; training as Platoon Sergeant with C Coy, 1941; tensions between regular soldiers and conscripts. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Tobruk, Libya, 10/1941-1/1942: posting to Tobruk to relieve Australian troops, 9/1941; contrast between patrolling methods of British and Australian Arrmy troops; technique for negotiating minefields; opinion of Australian defence of Tobruk; German air raid on Tobruk.
REEL 6 Continues: incident of mistakenly leading patrol into a minefield; attempt to break out from Tobruk, 21/11/1941; failure of attack on observation post 'Bondi' and casualties incurred, 4/12/1941; recapture of 'Bondi' the next day after Germans had withdrawn, 5/12/1941; description of retrieving and burying dead; General Ronald Scobie's appreciation at being saluted.
REEL 7 Continues: lack of equipment; living conditions during Siege of Tobruk, 10/1941-12/1941; opinion on fall of Tobruk, 6/1942; demoralising effect on troops of having to clear battlefields; incident of being mugged by British Army deserters on leave in Cairo, Egypt, 1/1942; digging defensive positions in Syria, 2/1942. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Ceylon and India, 2/1942-10/1943: voyage aboard HMT Nieuw Amsterdam from Egypt to Ceylon, 2/1942; description of jungle camp in Habarana, Ceylon; moving to Ranchi, India, spring 1943. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry in India, 10/1943-2/1944: training with Long Range Penetration Groups (Chindits) in Jhansi area; address by Major-General Orde Wingate at Saugor Camp.
REEL 8 Continues: opinion of Major-General Orde Wingate; morale boosting effect of speech by Lord Louis Mountbatten at Saugor Camp. Recollections of operations as NCO with No 21 Column, 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 2/1944-3/1944: description of how unit advanced into Burma as Brigadier Bernard Fergusson's 21 Column; secrecy surrounding arrival of flame throwers; unit role in leading 16th Infantry Bde into Burma, 5/2/1944; difficulties of negotiating steep hillsides; physical strain of trek; lack of contact with villagers on journey; difficulties of crossing River Chindwin with mules, 2/1944; character of Amerian K-rations.
REEL 9 Continues: making 'biscuit burgoo'; description of base at Aberdeen landing zone; Japanese Imperial Army Air Service raids on Aberdeen Landing Zone; plan for No 21 Column to attack Indaw from south; reaction to Imperial Japanese Army attack on troops bivouacking in jungle; effect of Imperal Japanese Army troops screaming on unit; shortage of armament on eve of Indaw attack; failure of attack on Indaw, 24/3/1944.
REEL 10 Continues: difficulties of trek back to Aberdeen Landing Zone; loss of two men in jungle; period of rest and recuperation at Aberdeen Landing Zone; role of combined Nos 21 and 22 Columns; trekking to Broadway Landing Zone for evacuation, 3/1944; effect of operations on troops. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in Berlin, Germany, 1948-1950: stationing at Stadium Barracks; relation with German civilians; witnessing Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949; attitude of Germans towards Berlin Airlift. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt in Federation of Malaya, 1954-1956: living conditions at base in Bahau; question of whether operations successful; learning that six soldiers were accidentally killed by own side; opinion of patrolling in jungle; discomfort of jungle existence.
REEL 11 Continues: unit morale; opinion that National Servicemen enjoyed operational work; attitude towards National Servicemen; attitude towards insurgents; relations with Chinese and Malayan civilians; opinion of General Gerald Templer; effect of service in Federation of Malaya on military career.