Hazell, Fred (Oral history)

British NCO served with 2nd Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in GB, India and Burma, 1940-1945. Present at Battle of Kohima. 4/1944-5/1944

REEL 1 Background in Hainault and Southall, 1919-1940: family; education; activities with Church Lads Brigade including military training, summer camps, uniform and story of complaints at noise of band; engineering studies at Southall Technical College, 1932-1935; work as junior draughtsman with German consulting engineer, 1936-1940; background to being called 'Fred'; question of approach of war including naturalisation of employer, filling sandbags for hospital bomb defences and view of test of barrage balloons; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; question of volunteering before call up; registration for militia service with Royal Navy including medical and interview; effect of war on work on designing smaller production lines with factory premises; complaints to Labour Exchange following cancellation of initial call up due to war related nature of work.. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during basic training at 303 Infantry Training Centre at Seaton Barracks, Crown Hill, Plymouth, 3/1940-6/1940: call up and generosity of employer during war service; reception; opinion of food rations; relationship with squad sergeant; story of complaint at assignment to infantry. REEL 2 Continues: story of complaint at assignment to infantry and reasons for reference of navy; kitting out and problems with fit due to height <6ft 3">; barrack room; differing backgrounds of recruits; polishing leather equipment; story of sick recruit; day's timetable; starting smoking; drill; weapons training; food rations; canteen facilities; preparing for kit and barrack room inspections; relationship with NCOs and officers; formation of composite battalion to counter possible German paratroopers; hospitality to soldiers in local pub; move to Crown Hill Fort; status of squad on standby as reinforcements to join 2nd Bn, Norfolk Regt in France, 5/1940. REEL 3 Recollections of period with 2nd Bn, NR at Driffield Woods Camp, 6/1940-10/1940: initial difficulty in finding unit; status as corporal in charge of Anti-Aircraft Platoon, Headquarters Coy; theoretical equipment with Bren guns on specially fitted lorries; anti-aircraft Bren gun posts defending camp; opinion of Company Sergeant Major Haversom; s story illustrating inexperience of going to sleep and losing rifles during manoeuvre, subsequent appearance in front of Colonel George Winter and transfer to 16 Platoon, D Coy; question of mixed composition of unit; problem with soldiers of draft from Royal Warwick Regt draft going AWOL; anti-parachutist precautions; route marches; manoeuvres; bombing of Driffield Airport and subsequent mention in William Joyce 'Lord Haw Haw' broadcast; relationship with regulars; relationship with civilians; story illustrating unpopularity of amateur concert parties. Recollections of period at Hessle, 10/1940-12/1941: billets; manoeuvres including exercise with Home Guard; opinion of Major Hatch; opinion of Second Lieutenant Jerry Myler, and reaction to him taking over command of 16 Platoon from Hazell; D Coy platoon commanders. REEL 4 Continues: promotion to lance sergeant; relationship with ORs; sergeants mess including relationship with pre-war regulars and drinking habits; relationship with Myler; attending PT course at Railway Institute, York, 12/1940; training in embarking and landing from assault landing craft during severe winter conditions whilst aboard HMS Glenearn in Inverrary, 1/1941; periods on coastal defence duty patrolling in Hornsea sector; assisting in salvage of grain after air raid damage to grain silos in Hull; re-equipment with properly fitting uniform during drill course with Guards Depot, Caterham; difficulties during PT instructors course at Catterick. REEL 5 Continues: state of training; story of manoeuvres illustrating reasons for unpopularity of Winters; illustrative story of first meeting of Major Robert Scott. Period at Fairford, 12/1941-4/1942: cases of AWOL due to disappointment leaving Hessle before Christmas; billets; responsibility for supervising bar and difficulty in getting adequate supply of alcohol as sergeants' mess caterer; question of training; wet weather; issue of tropical kit and question of overseas posting. Recollections of voyage aboard Orbita to Bombay, India, 4/1942: cabin accommodation; ruse to enforce tidiness as mess deck sergeant with company of Royal Scots; nature of relationship between Norfolks and Royal Scots and Lancashire Fusiliers; question of seasickness; food rations; sleeping on deck; bingo; gambling games in sergeants' mess; false air raid alarm on arrival at Freetown; period ashore at Retreat Camp, Capetown, including amusing story of missing opportunity of guided tour, luxury food supplied and story of leaving bar where Benjamin McCrae was refused service as 'black'. REEL 6 Continues: period ashore at Retreat Camp, Capetown, including question of awareness of apartheid and status of McCrae; question of role in invasion of Madagascar; reactions to news of India posting. First impressions on landing at Bombay, 10/6/1942. Period at Chinchwad Camp, 6/1942-7/1942: conditions of service; story illustrating impact on pre-war regular units of arrival of 2nd Div operating under war conditions; story of exercise during monsoon rains; story of two day route march including unsuitability of using bullock cart to transport rations, haversack rations and crossing river obstacle; fish in formerly dry area; transfer to command 18 Platoon; story of soldier wounded in bottom; story of misdirection sleeping Indian bullock cart driver; question of section leaders incompetence with compass; inspection by Duke of Gloucester at Poona. Period of combined operations training at Karakvasla, 7/1942: swimming; story of company exercise to land, destroy radar station and dispute with Myler over correct directions back to boats. REEL 7 Continues: story of company exercise to land, destroy radar station and dispute with Myler over correct directions back to boats; opinion of Myler. Period based at Ahmednagar camp, 7/1942-1/1944: layout and hut accommodation; beds; question of Indian servants; role as special occasions guard commander; acting as guard for burials; opinion of Sten gun and danger of them firing accidentally; method of zeroing in new rifles and preference of accurate rifle to Sten. 'Flag marches' during 'Quit India' crisis in Bombay, 1942. Period on civil control duties based at Ahmedabad, 8/1942-9/1942: story of clearance of major 'Quit India' demonstration outside Ahmedabad railway station by Captain Fulton; detached company duty in Congress House; removal of alley gates; success in establishing good relationship with Indian civilians; story illustrating attitude of Major Robert Scott to Indian civilians; soldiers drowned in river crossing exercise. REEL 8 Continues: send off from Indian civilians on leaving. Period at Juhu, 1942: nature of preliminary jungle training sessions as part of advance party; knee injury and hospitalisation with malaria; leave. Period based at Ahmednagar camp, 7/1942-3/1944: competitive nature of training introduced by Colonel Robert Scott and success of D Coy on range; rejection by Winter of permission to apply for paratrooper unit; period of jungle training near Belgaum; leave periods including hunting parties; reaction to cancellation of combined operations. Recollections of airlift to Dimapur, 9/4//1944: prior move to Banglore; preparations; airlift in US aircraft and reaction to first view of forested terrain. Recollections of advance in command of 18 Platoon, D Coy, 2nd RNR up Dimapur/Imphal Road, 10/4/1944-14/4/1944: prior issue of tracer ammunition; briefing; lack of haste; description of Nagas and Naga villages. Account of detached assignment to escort tanks up to advanced 5th Bde positions Zubza, 13/4/1944-14/4/1944: instructions from Scott; laagering in flat patch of ground; failure to dig in overnight. REEL 9 Continues: investigating report of Indian troops; discovery of Japanese fighting patrol; warning platoon and subsequent skirmish; evacuation of wounded; reporting to Scott and offer of possible commission; personal morale; learning necessity of digging in on active service. Recollections of operations, 14/4/1944-16/4/1944: nature of terrain and jungle; abortive patrol to ambush Japanese patrols towards Dimapur, ca 16/4/1944-17/4/1944; incidents illustrating failed unreliability of individuals in action; method of preparing fortified post on bend in road to cover passage of battalion; compo, emergency and US food rations; water supply; tommy cookers. Recollections of flank march on Operation Strident to GPT Ridge, 25/4/1944-7/5/1944: taking over positions near Iron Bridge; company commanders' briefing. REEL 10 Continues: briefing; preparations; buying extra supplies; terrain during night march, 25/4/1944-26/4/1944; fatigue and failure to set guard during overnight stop at Naga village; rate of progress; opinions of Nagas; jettisoning packs; Naga ammunition supply column and question of their lack of rations; arrival in front of Japanese positions on GPT Ridge, 4/5/1944; briefing and reaction to role as leading patrol in attack; hearing noise of Japanese patrol clashing with Royal Scots and question of loss of surprise; account of attack to secure top of GPT Ridge, 5/5/1944, including Japanese snipers in trees, close escape illustrating ineffective nature of Japanese grenades, Japanese bayonet charge, question of value of maintaining small arms fire control during attack I jungle conditions. REEL 11 Continues: account of attack to secure top of GPT Ridge, 5/5/1944, including direction of attack, consolidating defensive positions and fatal wound received by Major Hatch whilst arranging defensive positions, re-organisation of D Coy; Japanese decoy calling during night; close escape from snipers within defensive perimeter; issue of water ration; failure of attempt to bring up artillery and tank support to tackle Norfolk Bunker, GPT Ridge; volunteering for special mission with Crampion to use former Japanese crawl trench to approach Norfolk Bunker to use Boyes anti-tank rifle, view of abortive attack by Gurkha unit and death of Brigadier Goschen; subsequently occupying and dismantling superstructure of Norfolk Bunker captured by Captain Randle, 6/5/1944; death of Brigadier Theobalds; circumstance of replacement by Lieutenant Gerry Myler and story of his policy random firing without targets; stand to because of low cloud; nature of Norfolk Bunker; arrival of cooks and hot food rations; subsequent dysentery. REEL 12 Continues: attack of dysentery and effects of evacuation in ambulance to Dimapur. Period in hospital at Dimapur, 5/1944: reception; state of health; fatigue. Convalescence in hospital at Gohote, 5/1944. Rejoining unit and period at Kigwema, ca 5/1944-6/1944: promotion to company quartermaster sergeant and posting to C Coy; opinion of reinforcements; duties; stories illustrating nature of unofficial working relationship with Naga tribesmen. Stories of incidents during fighting on GPT Ridge, 5/1944: coming under heavy fire from Indian unit whilst occupying advanced post towards Aradura Spur; story illustrating ineffectiveness of artillery fire. Aspects of operations during advance to Mandalay, 6/1944-4/1945: reaction of former anti-aircraft gunners to being drafted to infantry; move forward and occupying Khasom area; organisation of impromptu roulette wheel for charity fete at Khasom; move to concentration area near River Chindwin; petrol accident making tea; question of time of reformation of C Coy; early Christmas celebrations and story of shaving off moustaches, 12/1944. REEL 13 Continues: question of status of Murray-Brown, 12/1944; crossing Chindwin, 28/12/1944; impromptu New Yeas Eve party organised in dugout by Major Kent, 31/12/1944; advance towards Irrawaddy; ineffective Japanese bombing attack, 10/1/1945; story of formal entry of C Coy into Burmese village and subsequent breakfast with Oxford educated Indian civilian; ration parties; story of water ration party to village occupied by Japanese troops; occupation of Saye, 20/2/1945; mule transport; posting as Company Sergeant Major of D Coy; story of leaving behind ammunition panniers during relief by Nepalese troops from Saye positions and subsequent coming under fire from Japanese who had re-occupied positions; crossing Irrawaddy and move through elephant grass at Thabyetha, 28/2/1945; visit by Scott; opinion of Murray Brown and Bradshaw; reasons for rejection of commission. REEL 14 Continues: reasons for rejection of commission; reactions to posting as Company Sergeant Major of D Coy; Japanese suicide squad night attack on positions at Mandalay; firing all ammunition including anti-tank grenades prior to leaving Burma; return to India. Period at Kanchrapara, India, 4/1945. reaction to discovering role in assault on Rangoon prior to cancellation of operation; convalescent rations; opinion of cooks and rations on active service; sergeants' mess; disrupted concert party. Period with detachment to build transit camps near Madras, ca 7/1945-8/1945: composition of unit; method of establishing work routine with Indian troops; riding motorbike; reaction to end of active service; story illustrating nature of personal morale. REEL 15 Continues: story illustrating nature of personal morale. Voyage back aboard Strathmore to GB, 10-1945-11/1945: abandoning application to work on tea plantation; story of reception and send off from Scott at Kalyan Camp; cabin accommodation; question of war souvenirs. Recollections of period at Dorchester Camp, 11/1945-: burning beds to keep warm; reactions to use of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; embarkation leave and difficulty in adapting to civilian lifestyle; background to voluntarily reducing rank to colour sergeant and posting to A Coy of Holding Bn; story of discovering that nominal roll had been exaggerated and exchanging spare blankets for lost beds to complete inventory on closure of company; story avoidance of posting as sergeant major; demobilisation, 5/1946. Aspects of period as company sergeant major active service in Burma, 1944-1945: duties; story of death in action of persistent malingerer near Mandalay, 1945; checking evening defensive positions; question of liaison with company commander; reaction case of self wounding after Saye action. Post-war career: return to work as draughtsman despite initial efforts to find alternative work. REEL 16 Continues: difficulty in acclimatising to office work; question of counselling care after trauma; background to establishing contacts with Royal Norfolk Regimental Association and Burma Star Associations; late application for war medals.