Tyhurst, Frederick George Thomas (Oral history)

British private served with 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regt (Lancaster) 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India, 1943-1944; served with No 46 Column, 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regt (Lancaster), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 3/1944-7/1944

REEL 1 Background in Canning Town, London, GB, 1923-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as civilian in Canning Town, London and Bentley, GB, 1939-1942: character of 6th City of London (Silvertown) Bn, Home Guard and 24th Hampshire (Alton) Bn, Home Guard; bombing of family home in Canning Town; living in church crypt after house was bombed; sheltering under railway arches in Canning Town; use of Anderson Shelter; degree of personal and public morale; attitude towards German Air Force aircrews. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1942-1943: enlistment, 5/11/1942; attitude towards basic training; treatment recieved from NCOs; refusing promotion after question of social origins came up with regards to commissioning; opinion of army; move to 10th Bn Royal Sussex Regt in County Durham, 1943; voyage aboard HMT Rangitara and HMT Stirling Castle from GB to India, 1943. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regt (Lancaster), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Bde during training with Chindits in India, 1943-1944: posting into unit, 1943; nature of training; enforcement of discipline. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as private with No 46 Column, 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regt (Lancaster), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 3/1944-7/1944: flying into Broadway landing zone, 10/3/1944; question of not discarding equipment; first casualty caused by friendly fire, 5/4/1944; reaction to separation from column; role of tail groups; brush with Japanese rest camp and loss of water supplies; nickname of 'phantom brigade'; period in Blackpool landing zone block and strategic withdrawal through mud, 8/5/1944-25/5/1944; mercy killing of wounded to stop them falling into Japanese hands; evacuation with dysentery, 7/1944; nature of fighting in Blackpool landing zone; accurate work of Imperial Japanese Army observation posts; opinion of quality of Imperial Japanese Army fox-holes; weapons use at Blackpool landing zone; question of superiority of Japanese weaponry; question of mis-siting of Blackpool landing zone; work of mules; negotiating slopes out of Blackpool landing zone, 25/5/1944; hand-to-hand fighting with Imperial Japanese Army at Blackpool landing zone. REEL 3 Continues: Imperial Japanese Army troops shouting during attacks; no prisoner policy by Japanese and British; surprising Japanese forces in village; attitude towards Japanese; story of Japanese ruse in which soldier was killed by sword; opinion of Major-General Orde Wingate; lack of contact with Burmese villagers; state of health in jungle; irregularity of food supply; composition of 46 and 41 Columns; role of floater columns; attitude towards service with Chindits. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regt in India, 1944-1945: crash of Short Stirling aircraft at Karachi on journey back to GB, 1945; training for riot control in Cawnpore, 1944; brush with supporters of Mahatma Gandhi in Lucknow-Cawnpore area, 1945. REEL 4 Continues: lack of impact of General Election in GB, 7/1945; VE Day in Cawnpore; prior recollection of 'Cushy' the platoon mule and his fate during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 3/1944-7/1944.