Mains, Anthony Archibald (Oral history)

British officer served with 2/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India, 1935-1941; served as staff officer in Iraq, 1941-1942; served as Assistant Military Governor in Rangoon, Burma, 1/1942-3/1942; served as staff officer on security duties in India, 1942-1944; officer with 5/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India, 1944-1946; served with Central Command, India, 1946; student at Quetta Staff College, India, 1946-1947

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1913-1932: family and education. Opinion of course at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1932-1933. Attachment to 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt at Sialkot, India, 1934-1935 including excursions to Jammu. Period with 2/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, India, 1935-1939: joining unit at Dehra Dun, 1935; posting of unit to North West Frontier; arrangements for army being called out in support of civil power, late 1930s; caste background to unit. Recollections of period with 2/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles on North West Frontier, India, 1939-1941: character of service at Landi Kotal; organisation of columns; attitude towards Pathan tribesmen; Gurkha attitude towards Pathans. Period as instructor at Indian Intelligence School, early 1941. Atmosphere in India, 1939-1942. Period as Chief Security Officer with Iraq Force, 1941: posting to Iraq, 4/1941; raising of Indian Army security units; story of Vichy French officer arrested as spy. REEL 2 Continues: problems of security duties in neutral country; visit to Turkey; securing Basra at time of Rashid Ali coup, 1941; reasons for loyalty of Iraq Levies; Bedouin use of slings to hurl stones at trains; movement of German nationals from Kabul and Tehran back to Germany; leaving Iraq ca 12/1941. Recollections of period as Assistant Military Governor in Rangoon, Burma, 1/1942-3/1942: arrival in Rangoon, 1/1942; initial role as Chief Security Officer, Burma Army and how he became Assistant Military Governor in Rangoon during British evacuation; conflict between army and police authorities in Rangoon; chaos after prisons and zoos emptied; leaving Rangoon with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt and escape from Japanese capture; narrow escape from Japanese Air Force attack; explosion of RAF bombs which destroyed Rangoon Station. Recollections of withdrawal through Burma, 1942: arrival with drunken servant in Maymyo; question of Chinese Army's failure to be honest about their defeat by Japanese in Shan States. REEL 3 Continues: question of being blamed for burning William Slim's petrol during retreat; character of Chinese Army during retreat; arrival in Manipur, India. Recollections of period as staff officer on security duties in Assam and Bengal, 1942-1944: role as Chief Security Officer with 4th Corps in Assam and change of role to Gauhhati Intelligence Detachment; minor character of Quit India movement and problems caused by floods; promotion to Chief Intelligence Officer in Assam, 1/1943; false Chinese report from Fort Hertz area of Japanese attack; problems of railway protection in Assam. REEL 4 Continues: contact with US army at Gauhati, role as Chief Security Officer, 14th Army at Comilla, 10/1943; status of the State of Tipperah; visit to the Maharajah of Tipperah in state capital Agartala, 1944; friction with superior at Comilla, 1943-1944. Recollections of operations as second in command of 5/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India, 1944-1946: posting to unit in Baluchistan, 9/1944; cantonment at Chaman in Kaffiristan; provisioning at Chaman; attitude of officers in unit; disciplinary work in unit; move to Fort Sandeman; arrival of walkie-talkies for column work on North West Frontier; problems getting back to India after leave in GB, 1945; move to Wana, Waziristan; description of Wana hunt. REEL 5 Continues: Pathan attack at Wana; weather conditions at Wana, 12/1945. Period as Chief Intelligence Officer for Central Command, India, 1946: posting to Agra, 1946; story of wartime arrest of two Anglo-Burmese SOE agents; causes of mutinies amongst Indian Army units; loyalty of Indian Army, 1946; rumour of mutiny caused by murder of senior military policeman in Lucknow, 1946; story of British deserter who headed gang of robbers in United Provinces, 1946-1947. REEL 6 Continues: Period with Quetta Staff College, during inter-communal violence 1946-1947: posting to college; his wedding in Agra, 9/1946; changing nature of rioting from anti-government to communal; Jinnah's weak position during Partition; his intelligence staff's prediction of defeat of government Unionist Party in 1946 elections; how alienation of Jinnah led to killings in Calcutta; witnessing communal disturbances in Quetta, 1947; British officer's protection of Hindus and Sikhs in Quetta, 1947; Nehru losing control of himself in Dehli rioting, 1947; wounding of Lady Mountbatten's personal envoy during Dehli rioting, 1947. Recapitulation of Rangoon evacuation, ca 3/1942: organisation of evacuation; role imposing law and order; treatment of Rangoon police; friction between army and police authorities; opening fire on looters in market; treatment of looters. REEL 7 Continues: removal of corpses from street; flogging of soldiers for looting; story of shooting at Indian soldier; provision of equipment from shops for British and Indian troops.