Wynford, Robert Samuel (Oral history)

British officer served with 5th Bn Scots Guards in GB, 1939-1940; served with 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in France, 1940; served with 1st Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in Italy, 1944; served with 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in Jamaica and Grenada, 1950; served as Military Assistant to Sir Gerald Templer in Malaya, 1954-1957

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Welch Fusiliers in GB, 1937-1939: background to joining army; opinion of Royal Military College, Sandhurst; reasons for choosing Royal Welch Fusiliers. Aspects of period as officer with 5th Bn Scots Guards in GB, 1939-1940: call for officers with skiing experience to volunteer to aid Finns; effect of capitulation of Finnish forces whilst embarking in Scotland, 2/1940; attitude towards Russo-Finnish Winter War. Aspects of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in France, 1940: leading party of unit from Rouen to Cherbourg; requisitioning of car from French civilian; acquiring rations on march; attitude of French civilians towards British retreat; waiting in Cherbourg to embark; German Air Force activity over Cherbourg. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in Jamaica and Grenada, 1950: posting to Jamaica. REEL 2 Continues: attitude of civilians towards hurricane warning in Kingston, Jamaica; dealing with escape and riot of prisoners from Kingston Jail after hurricane; reasons why police force not used to quell riot; mixed regular-National Service character of his unit; attitude of Jamaicans to presence of British troops; move to Grenada to deal with disturbances led by Eric Gairy; flight and unopposed landing on airfield; briefing with local administrator; his interview with Eric Gairy; damage to hotel; reaction of tourists to disturbances. REEL 3 Continues: relations between troops and civilians; precautionary placing of small garrisons on other Windward and Leeward Islands; degree to which troops married West Indians. Recollections of operations as Military Assistant to Sir Gerald Templer in Malaya, 1954-1957: appointment to role; nature of duties; Templer’s emphasis on achievement rather than ceremonial; Templer’s frequent visits to every part of Malaya in a ‘hearts and minds’ campaign; opinion of Templer; Templer’s policy towards planters who might be soft targets for insurgents; size of Communist insurgent problem; his own periods in jungle; treatment of captured insurgents. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in Italy, 1944: his request to return to regimental duty after period as GSOII with 4th Division; role as company commander during attack at Lake Trasimere, 24/6/1944; German use of multi-barrelled Nebelwerfer mortars; his blowing up by mortar bomb and loss of left arm, 24/6/1944; medical treatment received for wounds and evacuation to GB.