Smith, Eric David (Oral history)

British officer served with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy and Greece 1944-1946; served as Gurkha recruiting officer in Darjeeling, India, 1948-1950; served as intelligence officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 51st Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1956; served with 1/7th Bn Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, 3rd Commando Bde and 99th Gurkha Infantry Bde during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 1963-1964

REEL 1 Aspects of period as officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India and Palestine, 1942-1944: background to joining 7th Gurkha Rifles; origin and motivation of Gurkha troops; training in Palestine, 1943-1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 2/1944-11/1944: reaction to joining division in Italy; joining battalion after initially being left out of battle; in action at Castle Hill at Monte Cassino, 3/1944; estimate of Gurkhas' performance during Battle of Monte Cassino; conditions at Monte Cassino; physical state at end of Monte Cassino action; question of differences between Gurkha and Indian battalions; commanding C Coy during Battle of Tavoleto on Gothic Line, 9/1944; wounding by sniper during Battle of Tavoleto, 9/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Greece, 1944-1946: move to Greece, 11/1944; tensions between British troops and Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) insurgents in Patras, 12/1944; action against Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) insurgents; question of civilian support for Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS); Greek attitudes to British presence prior to and after truce, 1945; relations between Greek insurgents and civilians; leaving Greece, 1946. Aspects of period as officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India, 1946-1947: atmosphere in Junagadh during Partition; role of unit during riots in Ahmedabad, 5/1947; opinion of decision of Gurkhas to serve India or GB, 1947; how senior Gurkha officer lost out on promotion. Recollections of operations as intelligence officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 51st Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1956: roles on rejoining battalion at Kuala Kubu Bahru, 1950; attitude to jungle operations; difficulties of tracking insurgents in jungle; success of unit ambush on insurgent camp at Rompin; improvements in intelligence; importance of co-operation between army and Federation of Malaya Police. REEL 3 Continues: memories of General Gerald Templer; attitude of Gurkhas towards insurgents; performance of Gurkhas in jungle. Recollections of operations as officer with 1/7th Bn Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, 3rd Commando Bde and 99th Gurkha Infantry Bde during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 1963-1964: posting to unit in 3rd Division, Sarawak; co-operation with helicopter squadrons; preventing infiltration by Indonesian forces; description of helicopter crash in which he lost arm, 20/4/1964; opinion of Indonesian forces. Aspects of period as Gurkha recruiting officer in Darjeeling, India, 1948-1950: attitude towards role; methods of recruitment; criteria for rejecting recruits; behaviour of some recruiters.