Duthie, John Stephen (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Scots, 9th Bn Gordon Highlanders and 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders in GB, India and Burma, 1939-1943; served as intelligence officer with Central Command, India, 1943-1944. Civilian civil servant in Gold Coast, 1946-1957

REEL 1 Background in Scotland, 1918-1939: family and education; story of suspected German spy at Aberdeen University. Period with Gordon Highlanders, 1939-1940: joining unit, 1939; commissioning into unit, 1940; posting to 1st Bn Royal Scots, 5/1940. Period of coastal defence duties with 1st Bn Royal Scots in GB, 1940: joining unit in Yorkshire, 6/1940; morale of unit, summer 1940; defence duties on Yorkshire coastline as part of 2nd Div. Period of coastal defence duties with 9th Bn Gordon Highlanders in Orkneys, 1940-1941: joining unit, 8/1940; atmosphere in unit; coastal defence duties. Voyage from GB to India, 2/1942-4/1942. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders in Naga Hills area, India, 1942: choice of unit on arrival in Bombay, 4/1942; move to Kohima with draft; question of how clearing away stagnant water increased risk of malaria; character of one track from Kohima into Burma; unit losses in lorry accidents along track; attitude to orders to arrest 'technical deserters from Gloucestershire Regt and King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. REEL 2 Continues: unit's reaction to having to arrest 'deserters'; questioning of quality of regular army leadership at brigade level; arrival at Lok Chow; role of unit within 23rd Indian Div; reduction in unit's rations; story of his own Bren gun hit on Japanese reconnaissance aircraft and consequent treatment by brigadier; reaction to impatience with role Aspects of long range penetration patrol with 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders into Kabaw Valley, 6/1942: sight of dead refugees in Kabaw Valley; objectives of patrol; move towards River Chindwin; finding dead body in water supply; rescue of girl from corpses of Indian civilians. REEL 3 Continues: patrol's movement problems with swollen rivers; techniques attempted to cross river; meeting rescue party; use of Lushai hill porters to carry sick; contracting malaria and pneumonia on return from patrol. Period of hospitalisation for effects of patrol, Imphal, India,1942. Recollections of period as intelligence officer with Central Command in India, 1943-1944: how South African Broederbond attempted to encourage British servicemen to desert in South Africa in transit to India and Middle East; concern for morale of troops who had been aboard for a number of years. Recollections of period as Civil Servant in Gold Coast, 1946-1951: wish to join colonial service in 1938; reapplying for colonial service, 1945. REEL 4 Continues: appointment as administrator, 12/1946; becoming District Commissioner of Koforidua, 1947; status of District Commissioner; role of District Commissioners in protecting people from exploitation by central government; character of Association of West African Merchants, 1947; letter he wrote to government warning them not to take neutral position between AWAM and consumers; factors in post war unrest in Africa; attitude towards nationalist aspirations; change in political situation by 1948; reaction to riots in Accra, 1948; measures taken to stop spread of rioting from Accra to Insawam in Koforidua, 1948; how Colin Imray made scapegoat for situation in 1948. REEL 5 Continues: degree of alienation of government in 1948; story of how cocoa was originally smuggled into gold Coast in 1900; 'swollen shoot' problem of cocoa trees and his role in persuading farmers to cut out diseased trees; question of what might have been done to prevent shootings of 1948; effect of service in Burma during Second World War on his houseboy, Jackson; potentially corrupt power of his chief clerk at Koforiudua and his efforts to thwart it; question of how army experience raised expectations of ex-servicemen. Recollections of period with Ministry of Development, 1951-1957: Kwame Nkrumah's position as Leader of Government Business, 1951; relations with Kwame Nkrumah, 1951-1957; Kwame Nkrumah character. REEL 6 Continues: Kwame Nkrumah's suspicions of sabotage, 1953; wealth of colony, 1953; effects of colony's wealth on Kwame Nkrumah; Kwame Nkrumah's communist contacts and preference for public rather than private enterprise; influence of women in traditional Gold Coast society; Kwame Nkrumah's attitude towards British imperialism; contrast between Kwame Nkrumah and wealthy lawyers. Aspects of service with Civil Service in Gold Coast, 1946-1957: myth of British divide and rule policy; paternalistic policy of district commissioners. REEL 7 Continues: attitudes of Gold Coast population to British presence.