Blake, Frank Walter (Oral history)

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Description

Object description

British NCO served with 1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 18th Independent Infantry Bde Group and 26th Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1953-1956, Hong Kong, 1966 and during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 1966

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Lymington, GB, 1928-1946: family; education; German Air Force attacks on Lymington during Second World War; call-up for National Service, 1946. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt in Germany, 1952-1953: reasons for enlistment in British Army, 1952; conditions at Lüneburg, 1952-1953; relations between British troops and Germans. Recollections of operations as NCO with C Coy, 1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 8th Independent Infantry Bde Group and 26th Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1953-1956: journey from GB to Singapore, 12/1953; acclimatisation at Nee Soon Camp; experiences at Kota Tinggi Jungle Warfare School and opinion of Gurkha demonstration team; coping with insects and animal life; how to survive in jungle; operating with 1st Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt) during food denial Operation Blick; opinion of Iban trackers; A Coy's killing of insurgent during training; opinion of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Mann; coping with darkness and thick foliage in jungle. REEL 2 Continues: five day jungle patrol; accidental firing on patrol by British troops during ambush in Bentong area; role training new recruits; duties in Sepang area; difficulties of operating in swamp area; attitude towards air supply drops; building landing zone for helicopters; difficulties of getting damaged helicopter out of jungle; amusing story of crossing river and incident with Alsatian dog; question of danger of being bitten by snakes; attitude to operating in jungle; incident of being charged by water buffalo at Bentong; successful operation in which ten insurgents were killed. REEL 3 Continues: description of 'Red' and 'White' areas; accidental shooting of two off duty policemen; attitude towards requirement to shout warning before shooting in jungle; attitude to atrocities committed by insurgents; opinion of shelling and mortaring of jungle; rest and recuperation periods; disciplinary action for accidental discharge of weapons. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt in Hong Kong, 1966: work returning refugees to People's Republic of China; story of unit member who got through barbed wire to wave Union flag; water rationing and typhoons. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Royal Hampshire Regt during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 1966: description of living underground in bunkers on Indonesian border; comparison between jungle in Federation of Malaya and Borneo, Malaysia. REEL 4 Continues: prior recollection of occasion when insurgents attacked base camp and defences employed at Bentong, Federation of Malaya; use of Iban trackers in Borneo.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Blake, Frank Walter (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1994-04-25
Dimensions: whole: Duration 95, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 13953

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