Stafford, James (Oral history)

British private served with D Coy, 2nd Bn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Burma, 1940-1942

REEL 1 Background in Barnsley, 1921-1939: family and education; employment. Joining King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1939. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Sight of HMS Gypsy blown up in Harwich Harbour, Journey from GB to Burma, 1940. Recollections of period with D Coy, 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Burma, 1940-1941: joining unit at Maymyo; character of recruits; barracks at Maymyo; bugle calls for D Coy; weather conditions at Maymyo; soldiers disobeying out of bounds order on red light area, Maymyo; VD problem with troops; social contact with civilians; policing towns for riots and clearing towns of bubonic plague; nature of town riots; expectation of Japanese attack; watching Burmese carpenter. Recollections of operations with D Coy, 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Burma, 1940- 1942: receiving news of attack on Pearl Harbor whilst training in Taunggyi; move to Martaban; unit signaller killed by Japanese. REEL 2 Continues: pull out to River Bilin area and skirmishing with Japanese; success of mortar attack on Japanese ammunition dump; devouring of soldier's body by wild dogs; death of Sergeant Major 'Bull Howsley', River Bilin; retreat to Sittang railway bridge; Japanese shelling of troops drawing water; wounding by mortar fire at Sittang Bridge, 22/2/1942; question of brigade making a stand on wrong side of River Sittang and premature blowing of railway bridge; Japanese Air Force attacks; rafting across River Sittang and bulloch cart journey to Pegu; rescue from pursuing Japanese armoured car by elements of 7th Armored Bde; reamputation of his stump at Pegu; journey to Rangoon for trans-shipment to Madras; arrival in Madras General Hospital and reamputation of stump; opinion of Japanese troops; question of leadership during Sittang Bridge operation; question of lack of information given to British troops; how his leg was amputated with anaesthetic, 22/2/1942; nature of bullock cart journey to Pegu. Journey to South Africa via Bangalore and Sialkot. Period of medical treatment in South Africa, 1942: weight loss on reaching hospital at Pietermaritzburg. REEL 3 Continues: move to Paradise Halt; conditions at Paradise Halt; recreations at Paradise Halt. Voyage from South Africa to GB ca 1944. Discharge from army, 1944. Problems of getting suitable job after Second World War. Opinion of modern counselling and story of counselling he received from Indian medical officer at Sialkot. Attitude towards Japanese. Reaction to disarmament, 1994