Macdonald, James Patrick (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Malaya, 1952 and Trieste, Italy, 1953-1954; served as staff officer attached to Headquarters, Nigerian Military Force in Nigeria, 1958-1960; served with 1st Bn East Anglian Regt in British Guiana, 1962; served as staff officer with Headquarters, Commander British Forces in Borneo, 1963; served as second in command of 2nd Bn The Royal Anglian Regt in Northern Ireland, 1971-1973

REEL 1 Background in Willington and Bury St Edmunds, 1931-1949: family; education; reasons for enlistment in army. Recollections of operations as second lieutenant with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Malaya, 1952: duties; how battalion's jungle warfare doctrine differed from the Jungle Warfare School; operating in Kajang and Kuala Kubu Bahru; patrolling road to Fraser's Hill after killing of High Commissioner; conditions in jungle; problems of radio communication; method of patrolling from 3/1952; killing of insurgent commander; question of handling dead and media attention attracted; attitude to operating in Kuala Langor swamps. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of soldiers from East Anglia; operation in which Liew Kon Kim was killed c10/1952; discovery of insurgent food dumps and disposal of it; 'hearts and minds' campaign; torture inflicted on civilians by insurgents; attitude towards insurgents; collapse from heat operations on operations; information gained from civilians on bringing insurgent dead into villages; role of Min Yeun; use of prophylactic shooting; opinion of RAF role; memories of General Gerald Templer and Hugh Stockwell; unit cycle of operations; lack of insurgent urban attacks. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period as lieutenant in Trieste, Italy, 1953-1954: disturbances after partition of United Nations Trusteeship announced, autumn 1953; role as guard commander at Excelsior Hotel; dealing with Italian mob trying to overturn car; attitude to service in Trieste. Recollections of period as staff officer attached to Headquarters, Nigerian Military Forces in Lagos, Nigeria, 1958-1960: relations with politicians and military men; lack of anticipation of later instability; concern over neighbouring Cameroons. Memories of period as battalion operations officer with 1st Bn East Anglian Regt in British Guiana, 1962. Memories of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Commander British Forces, Borneo, 1963.Memories of operations as second in command of 2nd Bn Royal Anglian Regt in Northern Ireland, 1971-1973.