Grosvenor, John Wallace Harold (Oral history)

British private with 5th Bn East Lancashire Regt and 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in North West Europe, 1944; served with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Jamaica, 1947-1949; served with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Korea, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1950-1951; POW in North Korea, 1951-1953

REEL 1 Background in Whitstable and Guildford, 1924-1941: family; education. Period with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Jamaica, 1947-1949: riot control in Kingston; Newcastle hill station; extent of contact with local civilians. Reaction to posting to Korea, 1950. Voyage from GB to Korea aboard Empire Windrush. Aspects of operations with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 1950-1951: reception in Pusan; assault on Hill 327; relations with US troops. Battle of Imjin River, 4/1951: reconnaissance patrol; attempt to break out; capture by Chinese; opinion of Chinese soldiers. Recollections of period as POW in North Korea, 1951-1953: march northwards; physical conditions of POWs; indoctrination attempts by Chinese and western visitors. REEL 2 Continues: life in Number 1 POW camp; segregation of different POW nationalities; POW medical problems and diet; improvement in conditions with start of peace talks; burials and death; release and processing, Kaesong; punishment of POWs; lack of contact with Korean civilians. Call up to 5th Bn East Lancashire Regt, 1942. Membership of Guildford Home Guard, ca 1941. Period with 5th Bn East Lancashire Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945: landing in Normandy, 6/1944; heavy casualties near Caen; transfer to 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt; wounding by sniper at Venlo, late 1944. Various aspects of Occupation of Germany, ca 1945- 1946 including bartering with German civilians.