Smallman, William Alan Wynne (Oral history)

British officer served as staff officer with Royal Army Service Corps in France and Belgium, 1940; served with No 3 Commando in GB, 6/1940-1/1942 including Operation Claymore, the raid on the Lofoten Islands, Norway, 4/3/1941 and Operation Archery, the raid on Vaagso Island, Norway, 27/12/1941; served as staff officer with Headquarters, Combined Operations, Headquarters, 1st Special Service Bde and Headquarters, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, 1942-1944 served as staff officer with 11th Army Group in India and Ceylon, 1944-1945; served as staff officer with XXXIV Indian Corps and 33rd Indian Infantry Bde in Ceylon and Malaya, 1945-1946, served as staff officer with British Army of the Rhine in Germany, 1949-1953; served as staff officer with Headquarters, Middle East Land Forces on Cyprus, 1955-1957

REEL 1 Background in York, GB, 1915-1939: family; education; enlistment in Royal Army Service Corps, 1939; attitude to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as staff officer with Royal Army Service Corps in France and Belgium, 1940: use of impressed civilian lorries; unit morale in France; relations between troops and French civilians at Liévin, France; opinion of French Army; hearing news of German attack at Boulogne, France, 5/1941; move to Aalst, Belgium; plight of Belgian refugees; aid given to child with injured legs; problems of doing his job; entry into perimeter at Dunkirk, France; destruction of alcohol and weapons; organisation of evacuation at Bray-Dunes, France; obtaining rations at Bray-Dunes, France; his evacuation from Dunkirk, France, 30/5/1940; sight of officer in armchair directing evacuation; reception at Dover, GB, 31/5/1940; duties on return to GB. Recollections of period as officer with No 3 Commando, in GB, 6/1940-1/1942: formation of commandos, 6/1940; volunteering for commandos, 14/6/1940; raising of K Troop, 3 Commando; initial training. REEL 2 Continues: memories of David Niven, William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes; financial advantages of being in commandos; administration of commandos; abortive Operation Workshop to capture Pantelleria Island, Italy; nature of No 8 Commando; reorganisation of commandos, 1941. Recollections of operations as officer with No 3 Commando during Operation Claymore, the raid on Lofotens Islands, Norway, 4/3/1941: unopposed attack; blowing up of fish oil factory; wish of Norwegians to join Allies; unloading of captured Germans. Recollections of operations as officer with No 3 Commando during Operation Archery, the raid on Vaagso Island, Norway 27/12/1941: degree of intelligence; character of German opposition; wounding of Lieutenant Dennis O'Flaherty; achievement of raid; problems on return to GB. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Combined Operations, Headquarters, 1st Special Service Bde and Headquarters, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, 1942-1944: initial role giving talks to civilian workers, 1942. REEL 3 Continues: duties at Headquarters, Combined Operations, London, 3/1942; reaction to postponement of operations; role as brigade major to Brigadier Robert Laycock, 3/1942; memories of Evelyn Waugh, 1942; planning North Africa landings Operation Torch with Headquarters, 1st Special Service Bde, 1942; planning for Operation Overlord with Headquarters, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div, 1943-1944. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 11th Army Group and XXXIV Indian Corps in India and Ceylon, 1944-1945: work with Headquarters, 11th Army Group and XXXIV Indian Corps in New Dehli, India and Kandy, Ceylon; memories of Lord Louis Mountbatten, General Adrian Carton de Wiart and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Young; working on projected Operations Roger and Zipper with Headquarters, XXXIV Indian Corps, 1945. Aspects of period as staff officer with XXXIV Indian Corps and 33rd Indian Infantry Bde in Malaya, 1945-1946: landing on Morib during Operation Zipper after VJ Day, 8/1945; state of Japanese forces in Far East, 8/1945; use of Japanese prisoners of war; state of disorder in Malaya, 8/1945. REEL 4 Continues: staff work in Kuala Kangsar; attempts to induce guerillas to hand in their weapons; role as brigade major with 33rd Indian Infantry Bde, 1946; character of Japanese discipline; how guerillas became bandits in north Malaya, 1946. Aspects of period as staff officer with British Army of the Rhine in Germany, 1949-1953: relations with German forces and civilians at Neumünster; speed with which German economy recovered. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Middle East Land Forces in Cyprus, 1955-1957: his duties at Golden Sands Camp; precautions take against National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) insurgents in Famagusta; 1955; grenade attack on lorry carrying British troops; character National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) attacks on British troops; pre-planning of support for Operation Musketeer, the landings at Suez, Egypt, at Headquarters, Middle East Land Forces at Episkopi, 1956.