Bramall, Edwin Noel Westby (Oral history)

British officer served with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945; served as staff officer with British Indian Division in Japan, 1946-1947; served as staff officer with Military Operations Directorate for Middle East, War Office in London, GB, 1947-1948; served as instructor with School of Infantry in Warminster, GB, 1949-1951; served with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1951; student at Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1952; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 3rd Division in Canal Zone, Egypt, 1953-1954; officer served with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in Libya, 1955-1957; served as instructor with Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1958-1961; served with 2nd Bn Green Jackets in Berlin, Germany, 1962; served as staff officer with Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1963-1964; commanded 2nd Bn Green Jackets during Indonesian Confrontation, 1964-1966; instructor with Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1967; commanded 5th Air Portable Brigade in GB, Denmark and Norway, 1967-1969; student at Imperial Defence College in GB, 1970; commanded 1st Division in West Germany, 1971-1973; commanded British Forces in Hong Kong, 1973-1976; served as Commander in Chief of United Kingdom Land Forces in GB, 1976-1978: served as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1978-1979; served as Chief of the General Staff in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1979-1982; served as Chief of Defence Staff in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1982-1985

REEL 1 Aspects of period as member of Officer Training Corps at Egon School in GB, 1939-1942: early interest in military life; character of OTC; opinion of training; expectations of war; following war’s progress. Recollections of enlistment and training as private, NCO and officer with King’s Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1942-1943: reasons for choosing regiment; selection process; regimental ‘approach’ ; basic and specialist training; emphasis on shooting; importance of platoon sergeant; briefing on Battle of El Alamein during training; motor training; signals officer training at York; Tactical Exercises Without Troops; introduction of battle drills; attending Battle School; accident on grenade range. REEL 2 Continues: dangers of training; lack of training in close air support. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1944: posting to regiment; state of moral in battalion; visits by Generals Montgomery and O’Connor; other units in 4th Armoured Brigade. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in Normandy, 1944: landing in Normandy; nature of initial deployment; deployments during Operation Epsom, 6/1944; organisation of brigade; close protection at night; duties during Operation Epsom, 6/1944; unit casualties including effect of heavy shelling; impressions of SS troops. REEL 3 Continues: nature of bocage; lack of training for fighting in bocage; participation in Operation Greenline; wounding by 88mm shell; medical evacuation to Edinburgh, GB; return to battalion in Falaise area; rapid advance into Belgium; attitude of civilians in Normandy; selection of defensive positions; weather conditions; fatigue; rations; organisation of platoon; acquisition of heavy machine gun; dismounting for attack; opinion of International Half Track. REEL 4 Continues: speed of International Half Track; re-supply of fuel; transmission of orders; visits by senior officers. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in North West Europe, 1944-1945: crossing River Seine and advance into Belgium; engagements with German stragglers; effect of speed of advance on Germans; reception in St Niklaas; defence of village; opinion of Canadian and American troops; move to Weert and onto River Maas; ambush party on Albert Canal; incident of being caught in minefield during patrol; advance into Netherlands, 9/1944; threat of mines; transfer to 11th Armoured Division for Battle of the Reichswald; nature of fighting in Reichswald. REEL 5 Continues: role as intelligence officer during crossing of River Rhine, 3/1945; German defence after Rhine crossings; sources of intelligence; contact with brigade headquarters; advance towards Hamburg; character of German resistance; conditions in Hamburg in contrast with Hiroshima; move to Denmark; evacuation of German troops from Denmark; volunteering for service in South East Asia; decision to pursue a military career. Aspects of period as staff officer with British Indian Division in Japan, 1946-1947: journey from GB to Japan via India; duties as staff officer; disciplinary problems with small mutiny; behaviour of Australian troops and Japanese civilians; work of force. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Military Operations Directorate for Middle East, War Office in London, GB, 1947-1948: role and duties; departmental division of responsibilities; liaison with Foreign Office; question of solution to Palestine problem; Anglo-Egyptian Treaty negotiations; strategic value of Suez Canal; later disorder experienced in Egypt; opinion of Field Marshal Montgomery as Chief of the General Staff. Aspects of period as instructor with School of Infantry in Warminster, GB, 1949-1951: posting to Warminster; passing for staff college; pattern of service, 1951-1953. REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 3rd Division in Canal Zone, Egypt, 1953-1954: situation in Canal Zone; duties; planning for Suez landings; assessment of Egyptian Army; political attitudes in Egypt; concern over Imperial communications; divisional commanders; character of division. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps in Libya, 1955-1957: role as company commander; training; how local population turned hostile after Suez landings; relations between Egypt and Libya; American attitudes at time of Suez landings. REEL 8 Continues: Recollections of period as instructor with Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1958-1961: pattern of period as instructor; syllabus; question of military thinking on effects of nuclear weapons; plans for forward defence and use of bastions; length of staff college course; methods of instruction; assessment of students; qualities required by commanders and staff officers; qualities required by instructors; formulation of new ideas and development in tactics; impact of new technology; work re-writing tactical manuals; influence of battlefield tours with reference to Normandy. REEL 9 Continues: discussion of Operations Epsom and Goodwood in Normandy, 1944; importance of use of reversed slopes at Waterloo; German defence in Normandy; benefit of battlefield tours to students; discussion of role of artillery and night operations; vetting of his pamphlet by Field Marshal Carver. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Green Jackets in Berlin, Germany, 1962: posting to battalion and duties; posting to Ministry of Defence, 1963; effects of Cuban Missile Crisis on Berlin; restrictions on access; inability to prepare for defence; character of troops. REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1963-1964: character of Lord Mountbatten; Lord Mountbatten’s conflicts with Chiefs of Staff; issue of centralisation; how Chiefs of Staff outmanoeuvred by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan; further details of character of Lord Mountbatten; political activity of RAF. Recollections of operations commanding 2nd Bn Green Jackets during Indonesian Confrontation, 1964-1966: taking command of battalion; training in Penang, Malaysia; use of patrol bases and patrolling; intelligence; opinion of Indonesian forces; use of artillery. REEL 11 Continues: patrol with New Zealand Special Air Service; communications in jungle; character of local civilians; use of Border Scouts; tracking skills; impressions of Malaysian forces; character of the Ibans; attitude of Malaysian brigade commander; deployment to border by helicopter from HMS Albion; nature of border posts; threats to health; lack of POWs taken and unit casualties; background to posting as instructor at Staff College, Camberley, 1967. Aspects of period commanding 5th Air Portable Brigade in GB, Denmark and Norway, 1967-1969: promotion to brigadier; presence of Russian attaché on major exercise; use of helicopters; exercises in Denmark. REEL 12 Continues: contrasts in Danish terrain; opinion of Danish forces; purposes of deployment to Denmark; exercises in Norway; opinion of West German forces. Aspects of period as student with Imperial Staff College in GB, 1970: character of commandant Alastair Buchan; method of instruction; syllabus; thesis; character of Alastair Buchan; ideas on leadership. Recollections of period commanding 1st Division in West Germany, 1971-1973: his corps commander; view on role of division in Germany; plans for mobile defence. REEL 13 Continues: equipment available; advantage of ‘square defence’; opinion of ‘tactical regiment’; plans for mobile defence; dependence on reserves; importance of clear tactical terms; opinion of other divisional and corps commanders; terrain and technology; degree of realist training and exercises; restrictions and shortages; effects on divisional strength of Northern Ireland; stage management of exercises; opinion of West German Army; ideas on tank gunnery; coping with massed Russian armour. REEL 14 Continues: rates of fire; guns and guided weapons; anti-tank warfare; deficiency of close air defence; liaison with and role of RAF; relations with West German, Dutch, Danish and Belgium forces; relations between army and RAF; organisation of headquarters and use of ‘radio village’; story of communication cables being cut by lunatic with axe; German civilian attitude to presence of NATO forces; degree of awareness of espionage. Aspects of period commanding British Forces in Hong Kong, 1973-1976: posting to Hong Kong; role and duties; threats to security; aid to the civil power; view of Chinese intentions. REEL 15 Continues: Chinese means of exacting pressure; degree of knowledge of Chinese Army; refugee question; dealing with fugitives from China; Triad activities in Hong Kong; character of Macao; social changes in Hong Kong; treatment of Vietnamese refugees; members of the Executive Council; the Hong Kong Police; corruption; value of political experience. Aspects of period as Commander in Chief of United Kingdom Land Forces in GB, 1976-1978: role and duties; career prospects; background to being appointed Vice Chief of Defence Staff. REEL 16 Continues: Recollection of period as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1978-1979: opinion of role of Territorial Army; issue of forces’ pay; loss of key personnel; use of lobbying and press briefings; power of Treasury bureaucracy; focus of loyalty and responsibility; question of service housing; clash of defence and monetarism; attitude towards defence of Conservative and Labour parties; logistic issues; rationalisation of resources; differences of personnel management in the services; limitations on service in integration. REEL 17 Continues: Aspects of period as Chief of the General Staff in Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1979-1982: financial pressures and adverse effects on defence; use of NATO commitments to defend budgets; relations with politicians; John Nott’s clash with Royal Navy; start of the Falklands War, 1982; attitude of Foreign Office to ‘Options for Change’; question of late arrival of commander land forces in the Falklands War, 1982; question of command in Falklands War, 1982; the Bluff Cove disaster; opinion of Task Force; no plan to attack Argentinean mainland; Admiral Lewin’s reform of defence staff; question of advoidablity of Falklands War, 1982. REEL 18 Continues: effects of war on Argentina. Aspects of period as Chief of Defence Staff in Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1982-1985: appointment to role; planning process and future studies; impressions of secretaries of state; anticipation of conflict in Middle East; plans for intervention force; American ‘Central Command’; aid to Gulf States; assessment of situation in central Europe; concerned with Russian submarine threat; defence of northern flank; view of Cruise Missiles; problems with Challenger Tank; opinion of time in role; lack of desire for post with NATO; post military career.