Description
Object description
British NCO served with No.1 Independent Field Intelligence Unit in Bodo, Norway, 4/1940; served with Special Operations Executive as martial arts instructor in improvised self defence systems for Home Front, GB and in security work in Middle East and North West Europe, 1940-1945; served with Special Branch, Palestine Police in Palestine, 7/1946-5/1948 [NB: the historical validity of this interview is in question and it has therefore been withdrawn from the public catalogue]
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1939: work as professional actor and instructor with St. John's Ambulance Brigade, 1939: hearing news of outbreak of Second World War at theatre in Birkenhead, 3/9/1939; civil defence precautions; closing of theatres and recruitment of actors to forces; initial chaos in British Army; story of volunteering for what turned out to be an intelligence unit, fluency in Norwegian and German. Recollections of period as NCO with No.1 Independent Field Intelligence Unit in GB and Norway, 1940: opinion of intelligence training at Wycombe Court, Buckinghamshire; parachute training at RAF Ringway; story of parachute jumps including landing in Knutsford High St; posting to operation with No.1 Independent Field Intelligence Unit in GB, Norway and France, 1940; briefing for Norway mission from Colin Gubbins; chaotic arrival in Bodo, Norway, 4/1940; story of killing 'quisling' mother and son, Gubbins' reaction; retreat to Narvik; opinion of co-operation from Norwegian authorities, spring 1940; escape to GB; posting to France and joining troop evacuation from Dunkirk; size, uniforms, arms, members of unit including 'locksmith'/burglar; demoralisation at Dunkirk evacuation; opinion of importance of role of Little Ships at Dunkirk, June 1940. Recollections of period with Special Operations Executive as martial arts instructor in improvised self defence systems for Home Front, GB and in security work in Middle East and North West Europe, 1940-1945: story of Colin Gubbins' interest in his martial arts skills.
REEL 2 Continues: story of being introduced by Colin Gubbins to two members of Shanghai police regarding his ideas for defence and attack including Major Eric A Sykes; aspects of knife, garrot and stick and baton combat at Auchinraith House in Scotland; War Office's response to technique of killing enemy with pencils; story of 'blooding' in slaughterhouse, instructions to train civilians, Home Guard and police in combat techniques, 1940; story of General Spear's disapproval of defence tactics; civilian donation of firearms to Home Guard; 'stick and staff' combat method; turning walking sticks into bayonets; official opposition to 'un-gentlemanly' combat techniques; being trained as hangman by Albert Pierrepoint at Pentonville Prison; continuing work as instructor at Locheilort training school, Scotland; Gubbins' praise for him; learning Arabic at Royal College of Languages in Beirut, fellow pupils Arthur Lowe and Tommy Cooper; memories of Major Roy Farran.
REEL 3 Continues: story of killing traitors with Roy Farran in Ismalia, 12/1943; story of killing Scottish civilian stealing arms to sell to Arabs and Jews, 4/1943; rounding-up deserters in Middle East; opinion of Special Operations Executive, Cairo; aspects of work for Special Operations Executive in GB, 1941-1942; opinion of Special Operations Executive's disbanding in 1945; role as observer and reporter to Gold Beach for D-Day; role catching German infiltrators in Normandy; disguise as Royal Army Medical Corps stretcher-bearer and search for German infiltrators in Berlin, 1945; question of infiltrators in Normandy, 1944; story of shrapnel wound to chin and growing beard; becoming suspect to military police in GB. Aspects of work with Special Branch, Palestine Police and Palestine, 1946-1948: recruitment interview with John Rymer-Jones, 7/1946; work with Special Branch.
REEL 4 Continues: advising on disguises for Palestine Police; story of being followed by hired American assassin, Nahariyah; story of arresting Benjamin Stern's son at Haifa; attempt to arrest secretary of Mufti on suspicion of being an assassin, Jerusalem; assassination attempt on him at Azib. Aspects of theatrical work in Temple Theatre, Cairo including contact with Spike Milligan; practising Arabic with Arthur Lowe; opinion of Tommy Cooper. Acting roles since 1948.