Description
Object description
British officer served with Assam Valley Light Horse, India, 1933-1937; served with 5th Bn Royal Norfolk Regt in GB, 1938-1940; served with 5th (Special Reserve) Bn Scots Guards and No 1 Commando in GB and France, 1940-1941; served with 5th Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in GB and Malaya, 1941-1942; prisoner of war in Singapore and Thailand, 1942-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB and Brazil, 1910-1933: family and education; sporting activities; membership of OTC; work as coffee merchant and cowboy in Brazil, 1926-1929; story of being paid in gold; attendance at Cambridge University 1930-1932; refusal to return to Brazil; decision to go India, 1933. Period as tea planter in Asaam, India, 1933-1937: journey out; organisation of tea estate; conditions of estate workers; impressions of Indian civilians.
REEL 2 Continues: move to agricultural station of Tea Association; tea cultivation; story of meeting superintendent in jungle and resulting job offer; role as company engineer; effects of minor earthquakes; social activities. Period as trooper with Assam Valley Light Horse, 1933-1937: enlistment and equipment; training for riot control duties; cavalry charging exercises; organisation of unit; opinions of officers and NCOs; story of horses rolling in dust during exercise.
REEL 3 Continues: alerts ; reaction to service with unit; recreation with Gurkha soldiers. Account of eventually successful attempts to shoot rogue elephant which had been attacking Indian civilians.
REEL 4 Background to return to GB, 1937. Work as farmer in Norfolk, 1937-1939. Period with A Copy, 5th Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt, 1938-1940: enlistment and commission; organisation of 5th Bn; RNR; dispensation as farmer not to attend annual camps; lack of training; mobilisation, 8/1939; role organising billeting of troops in Dereham; air raid on Dereham; question of adequacy of training; coastal defence duties, story illustrating winter weather conditions, 1939; opinion of company commander; contrast between regulars and territorials. Period with 5th Bn, Scots Guards in GB and France, 1940: reasons for joining as instructor ; role of unit; resignation of commission; training and weapons; period at Borden Camp, 1940; opinion of unit; move to France; role as Arctic instructor; contrast between British and French food rations; move to Gourock, Scotland.
REEL 5 Continues: loading equipment onto ship; cancellation of Finland expedition and disbandment of unit. Period with Independent Coy in GB, 1940: training in Norfolk; move to Gourock, Scotland; disbandment of unit after capitulation of Norway. Period with No 1 Commando based at Dell Football Ground, Southampton, 1940-1941: training; constructing defences; reconnaissance of French coast including attacks by Stukas and E-Boat; armament of RAF boats; account of abortive raid on Guernsey airport, 1941, including preparations, loss of commandos in high tide, German fire, appearance of German U-Boat and return to GB. Recollection of period with 5th Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in GB, 1941: posting to A Coy; status of battalion; reception; exercise in Scotland. Voyage to Singapore, 1941-1942: conditions; initial destination; composition of 18th Div; transfer of 53rd Bde to US liners; conditions; opinion of US naval officers; role as provost on arrival in Cape Town, South Africa.
REEL 6 Continues: story of being fined after war for failure to return military police armbands; diversion of 53rd Bde to Mombasa; move to Singapore. Recollection of period with 5th Bn, RNR in Malaya and Singapore, ca 1/1942-2/1942: situation on arrival at Singapore; move into Malayan Peninsula; Japanese bombing of US troopship; defensive positions; relief of Australian coy , nature of terrain; withdrawal; D Coy actions; commanding D Coy; Japanese tactics; lack of jungle training; move to Batu Pahat; D Coy role as rearguard; chaos on road; withdrawal through mangrove swamps and collection of stragglers; arrival in fishing village; evacuation by sea to Singapore; duties guarding naval base; withdrawal into town; question of looting; injuries from Japanese air attack; reaction to receiving orders to surrender, 15/2/1942; orders that each unit to form five man escape parties; fate of RNR party.
REEL 7 Continues: question of knowledge of Japanese atrocities. Recollection of period in Changi POW Camp, 15/2/1942-6/11/1942: conditions including rations; work in gardens; working parties; setting up university and library; story of being interrogated in Changi Gaol; background to Selarang incident; state of health; treatment of dockyard working parties; conditions; opinion of Indian National Liberation Army guards; increase in working parties. Recollection of period working on Thailand to Burma railway, 11/1942-8/1945: assembly of officers' party; conditions during train journey to Banpong; relationships with officers; reactions to address by Japanese officer in Banpong medical problems; move via Kanburi to Wun Lung; acceptance officers would join working parties.
REEL 8 Continues: role in building Wampo viaduct; cutting and moving timber; POWs refusal to assemble bridge unless directly ordered by Japanese; rations; story of growing tomatoes from seeds; construction of camp; treatment by guards; methods used in construction work on cuttings; question of working with poor health; contracting malaria; worsening rations; use of agricultural knowledge to grow food; outbreak of cholera; beri beri; secret radios; story of family receiving reports of Schulman's death and only subsequently finding out he was POW; role moving cattle down line; trips into jungle; difficulties of escaping; story illustrating unpredictabile nature of Japanese guards.
REEL 9 Continues: question of POWs' will to surviveand Norfolk soldiers' ability to survive on poor rations; story of showing propaganda leaflet to Japanese guards; story of cashing cheque with Thai civilians; black market activities; establishment of officers' camps; relationship with officers; completion of railway and destruction by allied airforce; bridges over River Kwai; view of destruction of bridge at Tha Makham; move to officers campat Kanburi; end of war, 8/19845. Recollections of period after liberation, 8/1945: story of visit to ORs camp; collection by US aircraft and opinion of aircrew; awareness of need to avoid over eating; period staying with 2nd Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt. . Return to GB, 1945: choice of means of transport; reception at Southampton; return to Norfolk; story of army sending ambulance to take Schulman to hospital; demobilisation. Attitude towards Japanese and question of their treatment of their own troops. Attitude of Korean guards. BEG 1910