Description
Object description
British NCO served as medical orderly with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to A Coy, 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 11/1950-4/1951; prisoner of war in No 1 Camp, Choksong, North Korea, 1951-1953
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Arundel, GB, 1922-1941: family; education; enlistment in Royal Army Medical Corps, 1941. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 1950: recall to Army Reserve, 1950; attachment as medical orderly to A Coy, 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt at Colchester, 8/1950; attitude of battalion to prospect of posting to Korea. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Windrush from GB to South Korea, 1950: incident of soldier dying from ruptured spleen received in beating at Port Said, Egypt; reception of troopship in Korean waters. Recollections of period as NCO with A Coy, 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 11/1950-4/1951: arrival in Pusan and rail journey northwards to Suwon; premonition of North Korean attack at Sibyon-Ni, 11/1950; in reserve to 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles at Death Valley/Happy Valley, Christmas, 25/12/1950; bypassing Seoul in withdrawal south, 12/1950; retreat to Pyeongtaek, winter 1950-1951; large number of refugees passing through unit lines; story of attending woman with baby who had walked into barbed wire; incident of dealing with women shot in leg by guard; refugees' aversion to being placed in camps.
REEL 2 Continues: contracting bronchitis; danger of fires in trying to cope with severe cold; attempt to disrupt Chinese build up on Hill 327; role attending wounded during fighting on Hill 327. 2/1951; receiving five days leave in Japan, 2/1951; state of health of troops; problems with footwear; sight of United States Army troops burning equipment at Pyongyang, 12/1950. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde during the Battle of the Imjin River, 4/1951: disposition of unit's companies; failure of United States Rangers' patrol to capture prisoner; failure of unit patrols to detect Chinese two weeks prior to their attack; company commander's remark about Women's Institiute, 4/1951.
REEL 3 Continues: start of the battle; role as medical orderly during battle including treating Lieutenant Philip Curtis; symptoms of battle exhaustion and treatment; Chinese wave attack on Gloster Hill; securing supplies for Gloster Hill; 'Battle of the Bugles'; mortar bomb which killed quartermaster sergeant; everyman for himself order. Recollections of march as prisoner of war into North Korea, 4/1951-6/1951: capture by Chinese People's Volunteer Army; refusal of Chinese to allow removal of stretcher case from Gloster Hill; shooting of Sam Mercer; United States Air Force strike on Gloster Hill; Captain Anthony Farrar-Hockley's escape attempt; diet on march north.
REEL 4 Continues: initial impressions of Chinese; opinion of Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops in battle; conditions on march north; incident of beating received for retaliating against guard who had kicked him; trussing up punishment employed by Chinese and demand for confession. Recollection of period as prisoner of war in No 1 Camp, Choksong, North Korea, 1951-1953: arrival in camp; heavy death rate amongst American prisoner of war; rewards for fly killing; diet and supplements; prisoners of wars' will to live and state of health; suffering from 'happy feet'; Chinese reporting of state of talks at Panmunjon; effect of diet on prisoners of wars' health; Chinese supply of medicines; work of prisoner of war 'daily life' committee; withholding of medicines by Chinese camp authorities; news of death of King George VI, 2/1952.
REEL 5 Continues: western Communist lawyer's visit to camp; Easter breakfast rations; camp commandant's humiliation by prisoners of war defy order; trials of will with camp authorities; joker arrested for making joke against Chinese authorities during camp concert; Chinese camp authorities fear of riot; Chinese attempts to indoctrinate prisoners of war; prisoner of war who took advantage of political talks with interpreter; visits by western Communists, Alan Winnington and Wilfred Burchett; germ warfare scare among Chinese; question of faith in eventual release; reactions of American prisoners of war to imprisionment; release, 1953.
REEL 6 Continues: question of effects of imprisonment; escape attempts; Fusilier Derek Kinne's accidental killing of guard; question of American troops being singled out for bad treatment.