Russell, Ralph (Oral history)

British civilian member of Labour League of Youth and Communist Party of Great Britain in Woodford, GB, 1933-1937; student and member of Cambridge Students Branch of Communist Party of Great Britain at University of Cambridge in GB, 1937-1940; private and NCO served with Northamptonshire Regiment in GB, 1940-1941; officer served with East Yorkshire Regiment in GB, 1941; served with No 317 General Transport Coy, Royal Indian Army Service Corps in India, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Homerton, London, Holme-on-Spalding Moor and Woodford, GB, 1918-1933: family; education. Aspects of period as member of Labour League of Youth in Woodford, GB, 1933-1934: background to joining organisation; character of books which influenced his pacifist and political development; nature of organisation. Recollections of period as member of Communist Party of Great Britain in Woodford, GB, 1934-1937: joining party, 1934; organisation and activities; public attitudes towards Communists before and after 7th World Congress of the Comintern, 7/1935-8/1935; his political activity in Woodford; degree of encounters with Blackshirts of British Union of Fascists; his knowledge of Marxism; individual Communists he worked with; attitude towards regime in Soviet Union; reasons for not joining International Bdes. Recollections of period as student and member of Cambridge Students Branch of Communist Party of Great Britain at University of Cambridge in GB, 1937-1940: university studies. REEL 2 Continues: his attitude towards outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; his attitude towards academic work; Communist student organisation; separateness of Staff Branch of Communist Party of Great Britain at University of Cambridge; individual party members he worked with; his attitude towards question of Soviet recruitment of spies at University of Cambridge; memories of James Klugmann; attitude towards war at University of Cambridge, 1939-1940; his reaction to Nazi-Soviet Pact, 8/1939; how his attitude to war changed after German invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as private and NCO with Northamptonshire Regiment in GB, 1940-1941: enlistment in British Army, 6/1940; attitude of survivors of Dunkirk Evacuation, summer 1940; question of amateurishness of British Army, summer 1940; attitude to service in ranks; consolations of regimentation; following James Klugmann's advice to apply for commission. Aspects of training as officer with East Yorkshire Regiment in GB, 1941: his reaction to meeting upper class officer trainees; belief that Germany would be defeated by Soviet Union, 6/1941; nature of coastal defence duties at West Hartlepool. Aspects of voyage from GB to India via South Africa, 1942: embarkation; contact with South African members of Communist Party of South Africa in Durban, South Africa; arrival in Bombay, India, 3/1942. Recollections of period as officer with 317 General Transport Coy, Royal Indian Army Service Corps in India, 3/1942-8/1945: transfer to Royal Indian Army Service Corps, 3/1942; his decision to spread political propaganda amongst Indian colleagues; question of reasons why Communist Party of India didn't want members of the Communist Party of Great Britain propagandising amongst British Indian Army troops. REEL 4 Continues: how he made contact with Assam Branch of Communist Party of India in Gauhati, 11/1942; relations between Indians and British, 1942; story of lack of concern about Japanese threat on part of ordinary Indians, 1943-1944; how he singled out Keralites in his unit as people who might be influenced by Communism; other British Indian Army troops he had political relations with; incident when he experienced personal hostility from Indian National Congress party member; cultural sense of subordination of Communist Party of India to Communist Party of Great Britain, 5/1943; strengths and weaknesses of political work of Communist Party of India; question of motivation of British Indian Army troops; arrival at Dimapur, 11/1942; his attitude towards Japanese; question of the Fourteenth Army being the 'Forgotten Army'; his treatment for skin disease at Secunderabad. REEL 5 Continues: contact with members of Communist Party of India at Hyderbad-Secunderbad; his reaction to Japanese surrender, 8/1945; contact with Communist Party of Great Britain in London during leave, 1945; attending Army Formation College system at Welbeck in GB, 1945-1946. Reflections on service with Royal Indian Army Service Corps in India, 1942-1945: degree of knowledge of Army Bureau of Current Affairs (ABCA); unfavourable impressions of attitude of British Army officers gained during talk during voyage from GB to India, 1942; attitude towards British rule in India; his openness about being a Communist in armed forces; discovering that Indian National Congressman was under observation.