Bumstead, Geoffrey Edmund Stuart (Oral history)

British civilian member of Kingston Vale Local Defence Volunteers in GB, 1940; NCO served with 70th Bn London Irish Rifles in GB, 1941-1942; officer served with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles in India and Burma, 1944-1945; served with RAF Regiment in Aden, 1955-1957

REEL 1 Background in Kingston and Hailsham, 1921-1939: family and education. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Period with Kingston Vale Local Defence Volunteers, 1940: membership and duties; anticipation of German invasion, 1940; atmosphere in unit. Period with 70th Bn London Irish Rifles in GB, 1941-1942: becoming stick orderly; tough southern Irishmen in unit; amusing story of arrival of cussing Jackie Barrett; problem of motivating southern Irish; story of Sergeant-Major Morgan 'the best mortar man in the British Army; ambition to become a Gurkha officer. Voyage from GB to India, 1942. Period with 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles at Abbottabad, India, 1942-1943: commissioning into unit; learning Gurkhali; qualities of Gurkha soldiers; signal course; posting to 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles. Recollections of operations with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 7th Indian Div in Arakan, 1943-1944: move to Kwarzon; role as commanding officer of mortar/carrier platoon; terrain in Arakan. REEL 2 Continues: defence of Admin Box; nightime skirmish with Japanese party; discovery of Japanese body; air supplies to Admin Box; US L-5 pilot who demanded souvenirs. Recollections of operations with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 7th Indian Div at Kohima, 1944: move to Kohima via Shillong; meeting with Vera Lynn at Shillong; resemblance of Kohima battlefield to First World War; sudden disappearance of Japanese from area; patrol along Jessami track and encouter with party of Chindits; character of Naga guide; rest period at Kohima where he contracted jaundice. Recollections of operations with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Burma, 1944-1945: return to unit in Kabaw Valley; encounter with python in Kabaw Valley; dry zone in central Burma; issue of rifle-propelled grenade for use against Japanese strongpoints; question of practice with rifle propelled grenades; push towards Pagan area and crossing of River Irrawaddy; advance to Salin; injuring by grenade booby trap, 4/1945; role of unit in blocking Japanese retreat at Pegu on River Sittang, summer 1945. REEL 3 Continues: meeting with General William Slim at Pegu, 8/1945. Period with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Thailand, 1945: arrival in Bangkok and surrender of Japanese at airport; attitude to Japanese POWs; alleged prostitute status of Japanese nurses for Japanese officers. Period with Headquarters 114 Bde in Malaya, 1946. Recollections of period with 4/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles during partition of India, 1947: move from Pakistan to Dehra Dun; anti-communal riot duty in India; incident where two rioters shot at Havelian railway station, 7/1947; decision of Gurkha units whether to go to India or GB. Recollections of period with RAF Regiment attached to Aden Protectorate Levies in Aden, 1955-1957: posting to Beihan; nature of actions on Yemen border; last visit to RAF Regt troops in Aden, ca 1966. Recollections of visit to RAF Regt troops in Zambia, ca 1965-1966: role and duties; preparing contingency plans in case of clashes between Zambia and Southern Rhodesia.