Interview with John Simon

British gunner served with 70th (3rd West Lancashire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 33rd and 44th Anti-Aircraft Bde, 4th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1938-1942; served with 212th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, 70th (3rd West Lancashire), Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Southern and Eastern Commands in India, 5/1942-8/1943; served with 99 Headquarters Column, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 1944

REEL 1 Recollection in Birkenhead, GB, 1919-1938: family; education; employment; father's reaction to seeking employment in shipbuilding industry. Recollections of period as gunner with 70th (3rd West Lancashire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, 33rd Anti-Aircraft Bde, 4th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1938-1940: enlistment in Territorial Army, Aigburth, Liverpool, 1938; duties as Lewis Gun operator and spotter; summer camp; role of spotter; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; sight of anti-aircraft gunners firing on Royal Air Force Handley Page Hampden bombers over River Mersey, 11/1939; move to Scapa Flow, 2/1940; construction of accommodation; German Air Forces attacks on Royal Navy warships, 4/1940; living conditions Scapa Flow; nature of German Air Force attacks. Recollections of period as gunner with 70th (3rd West Lancashire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, 44th Anti-Aircraft Bde, 4th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1940-1942: move to Manchester to defend A V Roe and Company and Ferranti Ltd factories; operation of unit; heavy raids on Manchester necessitating change of gun barrels, 12/1940; German Air Force raids on Manchester including daylight raid on Ferranti Ltd factory; relations with civilians; attitude towards German Air Force airmen; witnessing German Air Force raid on Cammell Laird factory, whilst on leave, Tranmere, 5/1941; sight of African Oil Mills under attack, Liverpool, 5/1941; move to Southend-on-Sea for overseas service; embarkation 16/3/1942. Voyage aboard HMT Orion and HMT Mauretania from GB to India via South Africa, 3/1942-5/1942. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as gunner with 212th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, 70th (3rd West Lancashire), Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Southern and Eastern Commands in India, 5/1942-8/1943: arrival and movements; relation with Indians; accidental crash of United States Army Air Force aircraft at Calcutta, 1943. Aspects of training as private with 99 Headquarters Column, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India, 8/1943-1/1944: reasons for volunteering for Special Force, 8/1943; infantry training at Jhansi; training in river crossings. Recollection of operations as private with 99 Headquarters Column, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition, Operation Thursday in Burma, 2/1944-5/1944: trek from Ledo Road across Naga Hills to River Chindwin; organisation of columns; creation of Aberdeen Landing Zone; attacks by Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft; orders not to fire on Japanese aircraft; opinion of Peter Durrans ex-batman to Brigadier Bernard Fergusson; contacting malaria; evacuation from Aberdeen Landing Zone; collection of Gurkha burial urns; physical condition on evacuation from Burma; rations. REEL 3 Continues: incident of mule who did not like it's load; air accident during 2nd Bn Leicestershire Regt out of Burma; visit by Major-General Orde Wingate to column; incident of muleteer hitching lift in light aircraft and seeing Imperial Japanese Army advancing towards Imphal and Kohima, India; description of 'panic map' used during Second Chindit Expedition; diversionary nature of unit's operations; method of dropping rations to column; capture of Indian National Army prisoners of war; treatment of prisoners of war; prior recollection of three week training scheme, 12/1943; opinion of sappers who prepared route into Burma.