Maindonald, Gersham (Oral history)

1762309337
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Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Description

Object description

British civilian on Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1940-1945; NCO served with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Palestine, 1948; served with 41 (Independent) Commando, Royal Marines in North Korea, 10/1950-12/1951

Content description

REEL 1 Background on Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1926-1940: family; education. Recollections of period as civilian on Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1940-1945: German Air Force attacks on St Peter Port, 28/6/1940; first appearance of German troops, 7/1940; distribution of rations; German use of Alderney as a punishment island; sabotage of German installations; how forced labourers were kept away from general population; degree of collaboration with Germans; tarring and feathering of girls who collaborated with Germans; ersatz foodstuffs eaten; arrival of Red Cross parcels after D-Day, 1944; German food supplies; liberation of island, 8/5/1945; extent to which German language was learnt; opinion of Germans; ration amounts and bartering; teenage entertainments. REEL 2 Continues: extent to which patois spoken and effect of war on it's use. Aspects of enlistment and training as marine with Royal Marines in GB, 1945-1946: nature of commando course. Aspects of period as NCO with 40 Commando, Royal Marines in Palestine, 1948: manning roadblocks on Tel Aviv-Jaffa road; importance of not losing weapons; provost role. Recollections of operations as NCO with 41 (Independent) Commando, Royal Marines in Korea, 10/1950-12/1951: arrival with advance party in Japan, 9/1950; commando raid to disrupt North Korean communications on east coast; operating from USS Horace A. Bass; second raid against rail embankment launched from submarine USS Perch (SS-313); rumour of commando being used for reconnaissance work. REEL 3 Continues: unit's role in helping withdrawal of 1st Marine Div, United States Marine Corps from Chosin Reservoir area; Chinese ambush and first casualty; intense cold; breaking through to perimeter at Hagaru-ri; incident for which he was awarded Military Medal; 'foxhole' duty at Hagaru-ri Camp; problems of keeping weapons operative in cold; closeness of Chinese forces to foxholes; small amount of ammunition Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops had; sight of masses of Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops silhouetted against skyline; suffering from cold and effects of lack of change of clothing; break out from Hagaru-ri; unit casualties from machine gun fire; C Troop's abortive frontal attack on machine gun position; withdrawal from Wonsan Harbour, North Korea to South Korea. REEL 4 Continues: award of American Presidential Unit Citation to 41 Indpendent Commando; witnessing of accidental shooting of United States marine by comrade; use of islands in Wonsan Harbour, North Korea for raids on east coast; question of problem of dating events of 1950-1951; attitude to service in Royal Marines.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), Second World War (association), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Maindonald, Gersham (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1996-04-22
Dimensions: whole: Duration 105, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 16627

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Maindonald, Gersham (Oral history)

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