Description
Object description
Mauritian NCO served with Mauritius Coastal Regt of Mauritius Artillery on Mauritius, 1941-1942; served with Kings African Rifles in Kenya and Sudan, 1942-1945; served with Royal Pioneer Corps in Egypt, Palestine, GB, Germany and Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1946-1977
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Mauritius, 1922-1941: family; reaction to threat of war; opinion of Commonwealth and question of French background; reasons for enlistment. Aspects of enlistment and training as NCO with Mauritius Coastal Regt, Mauritius Artillery on Mauritius, 1941-1942: question of post-war health problems relating to service with regiment; visit of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, 12/1941; question of boredom with duties. Aspects of period as NCO with King's Africa Rifles in Kenya and Sudan, 1942-1945: volunteering; question of lack of black NCOs; move to infantry school; language course; joining 6th (Tanganyika) Bn King's African Rifles; role as staff sergeant in Sudan, 1943; reaction to first action; commission; jungle training for potential service in Burma, 1944-1945; re-equipping with mules; VJ Day, 15/8/1944 and cancellation of embarkation for Burma. Recollection of period as officer with Royal Pioneer Corps in Egypt and Palestine, 1946-1948: posting to Mauritius and recruitment to unit; role of Mauritians during World War Two and in Palestine, 1946.
REEL 2 Continues: role of pioneers; promotion to captain and move to Egypt; movements; training in Egypt, 1946; role; move to Palestine and role of pioneer group; nature of conflict; reaction to service in Palestine, 1946-1948; story of having to take refuge with trappist monks in Latrun, Palestine after being fired on at a road block, 1947; question of personal morale and value of training; political situation and arrival of Jewish émigrés to Palestine; reaction to duties; company casualties night prior to embarkation, 1948. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Pioneer Corps in Canal Zone of Egypt, 1948-1954: move to Canal Zone in Egypt and promotion to acting major; political situation; wounding in skirmish with Egyptians.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction to incident; relations with senior officers and recommendation for regular commission. Recollections of period as officer with British Army in West Germany and GB, 1954-1964 and 1967-1977: story of reversion to rank of captain and receipt of regular commission, 1952; reaction to posting to Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1964-1967; marriage and service with British Army of the Rhine, West Germany; duties clearing mines off moors to allow construction of early warning system; story of death of corporal and parliamentary row; pattern of service in Germany; taking industrial relations degree in GB, 1963-1964. Recollections of operations as officer with British Army in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1964-1967: posting to Aden; political situation; opinion of local population; reaction to posting; incident of son finding a bomb in city; checking laundry for bombs; story of explosion at party; story of insurgent hand grenade attack at regimental dinner; reaction and family's reaction to tense situation; story relating to trip to Mauritius during tour of Aden; promotion to lieutenant-colonel at training depot; promotion to full colonel and personnel appointment; opinion of Commonwealth; reaction to Mauritian Independence, 12/3/1968.
REEL 4 Continues: question of return to Mauritius; post-military career; question of effects of war; question of decorations; prior recollection of shooting incident in Canal Zone, Egypt.