Ince, Richard Henry (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 3rd Infantry Bde, 1st Infantry Div in France, 1940; served with 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in Algeria and Tunisia, 11/1942-2/1943; served as recruitment officer for Parachute Regt in GB, 1943-1944; commanded S Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1947-1948, commanded C Coy, 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 1952-1953 including period as British liaison officer with Headquarters, I Corps, United States Army at Panmunjom for first release of British prisoners of war, 4/1953; commanded D Coy, 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Cyprus, 1956-1957; served as Brigade Major with Nigerian Army Bde, United Nations Operations in the Congo (ONUC) at Luluabourg, Republic of Congo, 1961

REEL 1 Aspects of operations as officer with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 3rd Infantry Bde, 1st Infantry Div in France, 1940: prior recollection of reasons for enlistment in British Army, 1936; patrols in Saar area in front of Maginot Line; opinion of French Army after visit to Maginot Line; relations with French civilians; how he missed unit actions with appendicitus, 5/1940. Aspects of period as officer with South Staffordshire Regt in GB, 1940: public morale under German Air Force attacks; question of national unity during Second World War; anticipation of German invasion; defence of Sandringham area and preparations against German parachute and glider attacks. Aspects of training with 11th Special Air Service Bn and 1st Bn Parachute Regt in GB, 1940-1942: volunteering for airborne training, autumn 1940; nature of training; calling off of projected operations. Recollections of operations commanding S Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in Algeria and Tunisia, 11/1942-2/1943: arrival by sea in Algiers, French Algeria, 11/1942; move to Maison Blanche, French Algeria; parachute drop into Tunisia, 15/11/1942; attack on Djebel Mansour, Tunisia, 2/1943; relations between paratroopers and German prisoners of war; opinion of German troops; German counter-attack on Djebel Mansur and wounding in legs, 2/1943. REEL 2 Continues: evacuation from front line by mule; medical treatment recieved for wounds; period as recruitment officer for Parachute Regt after return to GB, 7/1943-11/1944; sory of meeting wife at Albany Barracks, Isle of Wight, VE Day, 8/5/1945; later reaction to result of General Election in GB, 7/1945. Recollections of operations commanding C Coy, 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 1952-1953 including period as British liaison officer to I Corps, United States Army: relieving Australian troops, autumn 1952; trench warfare conditions; near impossiblity of keeping Chinese prisoners of war alive; witnessing first prisoner of war exchanges at Panmunjom, 4/1953; opinion that prisoners of war had been successfully brainwashed by Chinese; condition of returned British prisoners of war; living conditions of British troops including coping with cold, ration supplies, Korean camp followers and low-level of casualties; difference of opinion with corp commander General Bruce Clarke over the Battle of the Hook whilst on liaison duties with I Corps, United States Army, 1953; question of lack of decisiveness of senior American officers; opinion of Turkish troops; leaving Korea, 1953; leave period in Japan. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of operations commanding D Coy, 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Cyprus, 1956-1957: basing of unit near Kermia; pursuit of Georgious Grivas in Troodos Mountains; discovery of National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) underground hides; attempts to ambush insurgents; accident in which National Service officer Second Lieutenant Clive Laurence was accidentally shot dead in Nicosia, 25/11/1956; vehicle accidents; relations with Greek and Turkish Cypriots; village searches and question of damage to property; security measures for troops in towns. Aspects of operations as officer with 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1947-1948: attack on restaurant in which his companions were killed and wounded, 1947; attending hanging of sentenced Zionist insurgent in Acre Prison. Aspects of period as brigade major with Nigerian Army, United Nations Operation in the Congo, (ONUC) peacekeeping forces in Luluabourg area, Republic of Congo, 1961: question of reasons for crisis; pursuit of cannibal who had human joints in refrigerator; lack of discipline of Liberian troops serving with United Nations; peacekeeping achievements of unit.