Merryweather, William Henry Mons (Oral history)

British private served as DEMS gunner aboard SS Kylebank in GB coastal waters, 1939-1940; served with 6th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in GB, 1940; served with A Troop, 12 Commando in GB, 1940-1943; served with 2nd Special Boat Section in Burma, 1944-1945; served with Malayan Scouts, Special Air Service in Malaya, 1950-1952

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1921-1939: family and education; father's service in First World War. Period with Buckinghamshire Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Territorial Army, 1937-1938: reasons for joining unit, 1937; opinion of training; joining supplementary reservist, 1938. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Enlistment in 6th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in GB, 1939. Recollections of period as DEMS gunner on SS Kylebank in GB coastal waters, 1939-1940: sinking mine off Beachy Head; living conditions on board ship; German Air Force attacks. Period with 6th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in Larne, Northern Ireland, 1940: role and duties; relations between troops and civilians; poaching experiences; reasons for volunteering for other duties. Recollections of period of training with A Troop, 12 Commando in GB, 1940-1941: volunteering for commandos, 8/1940; nature of training; award of felt shamrock badge for exceptional conduct in Crumlin village; move to Warsash, 1/1941; beach landing and navigation training aboard HMS Tormentor. REEL 2 Continues: accidents in training; calling off of operations, 1941; training for mountain warfare training, Braemar, 1941. Recollections of operations with A Troop, 12 Commando on Nazi occupied Europe, 1941-1943 : account of raid on Lofotens Islands, Norway, 26/12/1941; character of reconnaissance raids on Normandy coastline, 1942-1943; aborting of raids on Abbeville; reconnaissance raid on Elretard in MTB 250 to collect samples of defensive barbed wire. Period of training with 2nd Special Boat Section in GB and India, 1943-1944: joining unit at Hillhead, 8/1943; nature of canoe training at Padstow; submarine training with HM S/M Thetis in Scotland; move to India; training on Karaitivu Island, India. Recollections of operations with 2nd Special Boat Section in Arakan, Burma, 10/1944-12/1944: reconnaissance raid on Ramree Island, 10/1944. REEL 3 Continues: account of raid on Ramree Island; second raid on Ramree Island, 11/1944; reconnaissance raids near Maungdaw; account of 'Operation Hurry' a raid on coast at Kyaukpanduywma, 2/12/1944; further Arakan coastal raids, late 1944. Recollections of operations with 2nd Special Boat Section on River Irrawaddy, Burma, 3/1945-5/1945: move to forward base near Pagan; initial operation near Chauk, 14/4/1945. REEL 4 Continues: character of reconnaissance operations in Yenangyaung Oilfields, 4/1945; story of German internees who escaped from India to join Japanese in Burma; operations against Japanese bridgehead at Kama; US Air Force attack during operation to supply trapped Indian troops with supplies; pursuit of Japanese towards south east Burma; nature of Japanese soldiers equipment, rations and good luck charms; effect of monsoon. Period in India, 1945: preparations for Operation Zipper. REEL 5 Continues: free time in India after VJ Day, 8/1945-9/1945. Period with B Sqdn, 21st Special Air Force, Territorial Army, 1948-1950: formation of unit under Artists' Rifles cap badge, London, 20/1/1948; role as instructor with SBS type training; volunteering for attack on North Korean storage tunnels in Korea, 9/1950. Recollections of operations with Malayan Scouts, Special Air Service during Malayan Emergency, 1950-1952: transfer to unit, 11/12/1950; opinion of Michael Calvert's training methods; deep penetration work in jungle; relations with Sakai; medical problems contracted in jungle; story of how he avoided hospital treatment to return to unit; opinion of operating in jungle; end of service in Malaya, 23/6/1952; Rhodesians in Malayan Scouts; opinion of outcome of emergency in early 1950s. Explanation of term 'Special Operations Groups in Second World War. Volunteering for anti-cyclist patrols in GB, 1942-1943.