Duthie, John Stephen (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1st Indian Infantry Bde, 23rd Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 5/1942-6/1942; served as intelligence officer with Headquarters, Central Command, India, 1943-1944; civilian served as administrator and district commissioner with Colonial Service in Gold Coast, 1946-1957

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1918-1939: family; education; story of suspected German spy at Aberdeen University. Aspects of period as private and officer with Gordon Highlanders in GB, 1939-1940: joining unit, 1939; commissioning, 1940. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Scots, 4th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in GB, 5/1940-8/1940: posting to battalion, 5/1940; joining unit on coastal defence duties in Yorkshire, 6/1940; morale of unit; nature of coastal defence duties in Yorkshire. Aspects of period as officer with 9th Bn Gordon Highlanders, 27th Infantry Bde, 51st (Highland) Infantry Div on Orkney Islands, GB, 8/1940-1/1942: joining unit, 8/1940; atmosphere in unit; coastal defence duties. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1st Indian Infantry Bde, 23rd Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 5/1942-6/1942: voyage from GB to India, 2/1942-4/1942; choice of unit on arrival in Bombay, India, 4/1942; move on draft to Kohima, India question of how clearing away stagnant water increased risk of malaria; character of single track road from Kohima, India into Burma and unit losses in lorry accidents along track; attitude to orders to arrest 'technical deserters' from 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt and 2nd Bn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. REEL 2 Continues: unit's reaction to having to arrest 'technical deserters'; questioning of quality of leadership at brigade level; arrival at Lok Chow, Burma; role of battalion within 23rd Indian Infantry Div; reduction in rations; story of his own Bren Gun hit on Japanese reconnaissance aircraft and consequent treatment by brigadier; impatience with role; start of long range penetration patrol into Kabaw Valley, Burma, 6/1942: sight of dead refugees in Kabaw Valley, Burma; objectives of patrol; move towards River Chindwin, Burma; 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 employed in attempt 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 in Imphal, India, 1942. Recollections of period as intelligence officer with Headquarters, Central Command in India, 1943-1944: how Afrikaner Broederbond attempted to encourage British servicemen to desert in South Africa during transit to India and Middle East; concern for morale of troops who had been serving aboard for a number of years. Recollections of period as adminstrator and district commissioner with Colonial Service in Gold Coast, 1946-1951: desire to join Colonial Service in 1938; reapplying to join 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, (AWAM), 1947; letter he wrote to government warning them not to take neutral position between Association of West African Merchants (AWAM) and consumers; factors in post-war unrest in Africa; attitude towards nationalist aspirations; change in political situation by 1948; reaction to Accra Riots, 2/1948; measures taken to stop spread of rioting from Accra to Nsawam in Koforidua Distruct, 1948; question of how Police Superintendent Colin Imray was 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 military experience raised expectations of ex-servicemen. Recollections of period as administrator with Ministry of Development, Gold Coast, 1951-1957: Kwame Nkrumah's position as Leader of Government Business, 1951; relations with Kwame Nkrumah, 1951-1957; Kwame Nkrumah's 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 Colonial Service n Gold Coast, 1946-1957: myth of British divide and rule policy; paternalistic policy of district commissioners. REEL 7 Continues: attitude of Gold Coast population towards British presence.