Boshell, Francis Hugh Briggs (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in GB and France, 1939-1941; served as staff officer with 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in India, 1942-1943; commanded B Coy, 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in India and Burma, 11/1943-8/1945; served with 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in Cyprus, 1958

REEL 1 Background in Reading, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; period as officer cadet at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1939-1940. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in Belgium and France, 4/1940-5/1940: taking draft to battalion, 4/1940; joining unit at Tournai, Belgium, 10/5/1940; condition of unit, 20/5/1940; role as liaison officer between battalion and Headquarters, 6th Infantry Bde; refugees on road, 5/1940; chaotic conditions at Dunkirk, France; return crossing aboard MV Royal Daffodil to Margate, GB, 29/5/1940; reception at Margate, GB; attitude of civilians to returning British Expeditionary Force. Aspects of period with 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-4/1942: coastal defence duties at Filey, GB, 1940-1942; expectation of German invasion; nature of coastal defences. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in India, 1942-1943: initial impressions of India; lack of activity by Quit India Movement, 1942. Recollection of operations as officer commanding B Coy, 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in Arakan, Burma, 11/1943-3/1944: return to unit at Chittagong, India, 11/1943; abortive plans for seabourne landing at Akyab, Burma, 11/1943; failure of 6th Infantry Bde's attack in Donbaik area; role commanding B Coy; terrain in Donbaik area; unit malaria casualties; sickness and battle casualties; Imperial Japanese Army infiltration tactics and need for all round defence; opinion of troops of Imperial Japanese Army; Japanese use of psychological warfare including amusing retort by Indian troops; level of Imperial Japanese Army casualties and their refusal to be taken prisoner of war; story of Imperial Japanese Army officer who killed himself rather than be taken prisoner of war; prior recollection of jungle training at Belgaum, India; effects on morale of training; attitude towards Chindit Expeditions. Recollections of operations commanding B Coy, 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div at Kohima, India, 3/1944-6/1944: move from Dimapur to Kohima; attempts to relieve Kohima; Japanese 'human wave' attacks on Summerhouse Hill; digging in above District Commissioner's Tennis Court. REEL 3 Continues: B Coy positions on Summerhouse Hill; nature of fighting on Summerhouse Hill; use of Sten Gun; water supply on Summerhouse Hill; air supply and question of how much was captured by Japanese forces; question of Japanese aims to break through into India; morale of unit after three weeks on Summerhouse Hill; brief period out of line; return to front line at Kohima and role to take Aradura Spur; Imperial Japanese Army defensive structures on Aradura Spur; lack of Japanese personal possessions and supplies; start of advance to Imphal, 6/1944. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in Burma, 7/1944-8/1945: return to front line at Kalewa on River Chindwin, 11/1944; advance to River Irrawaddy and wounding by machine gun fire, 24/12/1944. REEL 4 Continues: return to unit on River Irrawaddy front, 1945; blocking positions to west and south of Mandalay; failure to capture Japanese prisoners of war; attitude towards Japanese; aid given by unit to Japanese wounded; withdrawl of 6th Infantry Bde to India to prepare for amphibious assault on Rangoon, Burma, 4/1945; lack of opposition to Operation Dracula the landings at Rangoon, 5/1945; clearing of River Irrwaddy Delta of Japanese forces; reception of returning British prisoners of war at Rangoon Airfield, 8/1945; later staff role with Headquarters, 6th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in Malaya, 10/1945; question of impact of General Election in Burma, 7/1945; question of national unity in GB during Second World War. Aspects of operations as second in command of 1st Royal Berkshire Regt in Cyprus, 1958: stationing of unit in Nicosia; role and duties; searching villages for National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA); instructions given to troops on village searches. REEL 5 Continues: how Greek political movement Enosis fuelled Greek-Turkish Cypriot enmity; lack of casualties on patrol; troops opinion of service in Cyprus.