Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 9th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine, 1945-1948; served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde in North and South Korea, 11/1950-10/1951
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Fakenham, GB, 1926-1944: family; education; skills learnt poaching; reasons for enlistment in British Army 1944. Aspects of operations with 2nd Royal Ulster Rifles, 9th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine, 1945-1948: grenade attack on cinema; annoyance of civilians being searched by military personnel; attitude to service in Palestine and Egypt; prior recollection of roughness of street life witnessed as recruit in Glasgow, GB, 1944. Aspects of membership of the Royal Ulster Rifles Shooting Team at Bisley, GB, 1948: development training as sniper. Recollection of period as NCO with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde in North and South Korea, 11/1950-10/1951: formation of sniper section on embarkation for South Korea, 10/1951.
REEL 2 Continues: reconnaissance role of snipers; selection of targets; aiming points; effect of wind on sniping; use of sniper smock; rations and personal equipment taken on operations; alcohol ration; sniper equipment; use of recognition panels; sniper evasion after firing; why North Korean and Chinese forces did not use snipers; definition of term sniper; sniper weapons; attitude of rest of battalion to sniper section.
REEL 3 Continues: number of rounds typically used; reaction of Chinese People's Volunteer Army patrol to loss of man to sniper; sniper concealment; movements in North and South Korea, 11/1950-12/1950; coping with weather conditions; regime employed by snipers; working in pairs; question of how many times a sniper would go out a week; morale among snipers; operation to clear North Koreans from village when Utting was attacked by Communist officer high on drugs, 15/2/1951.
REEL 4 Continues: incident of finding Republic of Korea Army (ROK) deserters in village, 27/2/1951; escape of Headquarters Coy from encirclement by Chinese People's Volunteer Army on River Imjin; role during withdrawal; story of officer who wanted to bayonet charge Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops; attitude towards Chinese forces; attitude towards United Nations' political objectives; opinion of Korea and reasons why he was glad to leave, 1951; achievements of United Nations' forces.
REEL 5 Continues: rescuing three year old Korean orphan, 'Patsy' and how she was adopted by battalion for a time before being sent to orphanage; fate of Korean children, 1951.