Mead, Kenneth Andrew (Oral history)

British sapper served with Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1943; NCO trained with Glider Pilot Regiment in GB, 10/1943-1/1944; served with F Sqdn, No 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regt in GB, Normandy, France and during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 1/1944-9/1944; prisoner of war in Stalag XII-A, Limburg an der Lahn and Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg, Germany, 10/1944-4/1945; served with No 1914 Flight, Glider Pilot Regiment in Federation of Malaya, 1955-1957

REEL 1 Background in Southend-on-Sea, GB, 1923-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as sapper with Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1943: joining Royal Engineers as boy soldier, 9/1939; story of being buried in rubble during German Air Force attack on Ordnance Survey Headquarters in London Road, Southampton, 31/11/1940-1/12/1940; attitude of public in Southampton towards German Air Force aircrews. Aspects of training as NCO with Glider Pilot Regt in GB, 10/1943-1/1944: reasons for volunteering for unit; pattern of training; handling of General Aircraft Hotspur and Airspeed Horsa Gliders; character of Royal Air Force tow pilots. Aspects of period as NCO with F Sqdn, No 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regt at RAF Broadwell in GB, 1/1944-6/1944: joining squadron, 1/1944; character of C Sqdn flying General Aircraft Hamilcar Glider; training at RAF Broadwell and briefing for D-Day. Recollections of operations as NCO with F Sqdn, No 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regt in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: role taking 6th Airborne Div troops to Ranville area, evening 6/6/1944; nature of flight to Ranville; landing near Ranville; evacuation to GB, 7/6/1944. REEL 2 Continues: success of glider assault; preparations for abortive missions after D-Day, summer 1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with F Sqdn, No 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regt during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944: question of chaotic nature of operation; how he was ambushed and captured in south of Hartenstein Hotel near Oosterbeek after Allied evacuation across river; initial treatment by Germans on capture and interrogation; flight to Netherlands on second day of operation, 18/9/1944; troops carried on operation and nature of landing; relations with Dutch civilians; nature of fighting and shooting down of supply aircraft; lack of supplies. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Stalag XII-A, Limburg an der Lahn and Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg, Germany, 10/1944-4/1945: march to Zutphen, Netherlands; train journey to Frankfurt am Main; interrogation at Stalag XII-A, Limburg an der Lahn, 10/1944-12/1944; move to Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg, 12/1944. REEL 3 Continues: liberation by Soviet Army Cossacks, 23/4/1945; treatment by Soviets on liberation; orders to former Soviet prisoners of war to fight with Soviet Army; American negotiating release of prisoners of war; return to GB, late 5/1945; treatment by Germans at Stalag IV-B including lack of water in camp; contrast between prisoners of war captured early in war and those captured in 1944-1945; impressions of Soviet Army troops; treatment of Germans by Soviet Army; opinion of need for counselling after military service. Recollections of operations as NCO with No 1914 Flight, Glider Pilot Regt in Federation of Malaya, 1955-1957: work with flight at Seremban; supporting 2/6th Bn Gurkha Rifles; types of propaganda leaflets dropped; character of insurgent leader 'Ten Foot Long' of 3rd Independent Platoon; low-level danger of ground fire; opinion of suitability of Taylorcraft Auster aircraft for operations; use of landing strips at jungle forts. REEL 4 Continues: adaptation of maps of jungle; grenade attack by insurgents on dance hall in Seremban; attitude to serving in Federation of Malaya; possibility of accidents over jungle.