Harper, Alexander Forrest (Oral history)

British officer served with Royal Deccan Horse in India, 1931-1943; served with No 94 Column, 4/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, Morris Force and commanded No 30 Column, 3/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 3/1944-7/1944; commanded 3/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Java, Dutch East Indies, 1945-1946; student at Quetta Staff College during Partition, India, 1947

REEL 1 Background in Freshford, GB, 1910-1930: family; education; attending Royal Military College, Sandhurst, GB, 1930-1931. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Deccan Horse in India, 1931-1943: initial attachment to 2nd Bn Lancashire Fusiliers in Punjab; various India stations served at; lack of mechanisation in unit; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; ceremonial duties with Bengal Bodyguard to Governor of Bengal in Calcutta, 1938-1940; second hand account of attempted assassination of Sir John Hotson, Acting Governor of Bombay in Poona, 22/7/1931. Aspects of period as officer with 4/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div training with Chindits in India, 1943-1944: volunteering for Chindits and joining unit at Jhansi, 1943; preparations for Second Chindit Expedition; impressions of Major General Orde Wingate. Recollections of operations as officer with No 94 Column, 4/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, Morris Force during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 3/1944-4/1944: flying in gliders and Douglas Dakotas to Chowringhee Landing Zone; ambush role of unit on Bhamo-Myitkina Road; capture of first Japanese prisoner of war; second action against Japanese. REEL 2 Continues: appearance of Japanese dead; third ambush on road and Japanese counter-attack; link-up with No 49 Column. Recollections of operations as commanding officer of No 30 Column, 3/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition, 4/1944-7/1944: reason for taking command of unit who were acting as garrison troops at Broadway Landing Zone; move to Blackpool Landing Zone to join 111th Indian Infantry Bde; effect of arrival of monsoon; vulnerability of supply planes to Japanese gunfire; withdrawal to Lake Indawgyi; use of Short Sunderland Flying Boats to take wounded from Lake Indawgyi; impossibility of going sick during expedition; march north towards Mogaung; move to Point 2171, near Taungni; attack on Point 2171 by unit, 9/7/1944 and loss of company commander Major Frank Blaker who was awarded Victoria Cross for his actions; opinion of Japanese counter-attack on Point 2171; role during attack on Point 2171; withdrawal to Mogaung. REEL 3 Continues: entry into Mogaung; question of how much Chindits achieved in Burma, 1944; physical condition on leaving Burma, 7/1944. Recollection of operations as commanding officer of 3/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Java, Dutch East Indies, 1945-1946: contrast in insurgent activity in east and west of Java; arrival in Surabaya; house-to-house fighting against insurgents in Surabaya; use of pole charges; release of Dutch prisoners from Surabaya Jail; size of insurgent forces; attitude of civilians to British forces. Recollections of period as student at Quetta Staff College during Partition, India, 1947: arrival of trainload of massacred Muslims at Sukkar; retaliatory massacre of Hindus in Quetta bazaar; how staff college students turned out into bazaar after massacre.