Deller, William Charles (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine, 1946-1948; served with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, Malaya, 1949 and 1952-1953; served with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 8/1951-8/1952; served with Aden Protectorate Levies in Aden, 1960-1962; served with 1st Bn East Anglian Regt and 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regt in Aden, 1964-1965

REEL 1 Background in Duxford, GB, 1939-1945: life on farm; membership of Officer Training Corps and acting as runner for Air Raid Precautions; contact with RAF Duxford. Recollection of operations as officer with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine, 1946-1948: commissioning into Suffolk Regt, 8/1946; role of British troops in operations against illegal immigrants; attitudes towards Jewish immigrants and Palestinians; role keeping Arabs and Jews apart in Jerusalem; leaving Palestine, 14/5/1948; Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers' casualties; reaction to service in Palestine; importance of National Service conscripts having a sense of purpose during military service; opinion of Suffolk Regt troops. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Greece, 1948-1949: role securing ports in case of evacuation; attitude of Greek civilians towards British troops. Recollection of operations as officer with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Malaya, 1949 and 1952-1953: move to Malaya; preparations for jungle warfare; deployment of battalion; role of commanding officer; Lieutenant Colonel Ian White in success of battalion. REEL 2 Continues: intelligence co-ordination with Federation of Malaya Police; changes in policy towards insurrection between 1949 and 1952; incident of contact with guerrilla; tactics employed by unit in jungle; differences between different companies of battalion; strength of 'Kajang Gang' under Liew Kon Kim; deep penetration operations; intelligence gathered; success of food denial campaign; use of Surrendered Enemy Personnel and information provided by them; conditions in jungle; changes in equipment between service in 1949 and 1952-1953; jungle rations; question of shaving in jungle; visits by senior officers; lifestyle of planters in Malaya; question of deterioration of army units in peacetime; move to 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt in GB and Germany, 1950-1951. REEL 3 Continues: Recollection of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 8/1951-8/1952: situation in Korea; source of troops in battalion; recruits from 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles who became characters; arrival on Hill 355; roles within unit; value to career of having participated in a major war; nature of static warfare and living in bunkers; incidents of 'songo fever'; attempts to capture Chinese prisoners; unit losses on patrol; experiences patrolling in Samichon Valley; attitude towards Chinese troops; tactics employed by Chinese; rotation of 1st Commonwealth Div; American organisation at Seoul airport; leave in Tokyo, Japan; opinion of British equipment including Centurion Tank; firing mortars in support of 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers; winter equipment; question of lack of disciplinary problems amongst British troops; opinion of battalion; leaving battalion, 1952; rejoining 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Malaya, 1952. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Aden Protectorate Levies in Aden, 1960-1962: policing protectorate; organisation of levies; question of increase in military activity; low level of military activity. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn East Anglian Regt and 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regt in Aden, 1964-1965: role as company commander of A Coy during Radfan operation; battalion's leaving Aden, 9/1965; internal security work in Aden town, 1965; grenade throwing in Aden; preparations made for patrolling; incident of unit officer capturing a grenade thrower; changing situation in Aden, 1964-1965.