Interview with David Whinfield Barclay Baron

British civilian served as colonial officer with Colonial Administration Service in Ceylon, 1937-1947; served with Colonial Administrative Service attached to East Africa High Commission in Kenya, 1947-1951; served Colonial Administrative Service attached to Hong Kong Administrative Service in Hong Kong, 1951-1966

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1915-1937: family; education. Recollections of period as colonial officer in Colonial Administrative Service in Ceylon, 1937-1947: entry into service; role and composition of Colonial Administrative Service; question of effects of Independence, 1948; duties; learning languages; question of racial divisions in Ceylon; contrast between Tamils and Singalese; question of British administration not using 'divide and rule' tactics; moves towards Independence; lack of Japanese pre-war intelligence gathering in Ceylon; role visiting villages; attending executions; outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; remote nature of conflict; local Ceylon defence organisation; membership of Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps and Ceylon Mounted Rifles; basic nature of military training; opinion of usefulness of military training; appointment as Assistant Private Secretary to Governor of Ceylon in Colombo, 1941-1942; panic caused by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service air attacks, Easter Sunday, 5/4/1942. REEL 2 Continues: air attack near Governor's residence Queen's House, Jaffna; lack of British troops on island; duties and role; opinion of Governor Sir Andrew Caldecott; reaction to orders not to join armed services; British administration's insistence on keeping to office hours; history of colonisation of Ceylon; arrival of refugees from Malaya and Dutch East Indies, 1942; reaction of General Archibald Wavell to leaving Dutch forces to invading Japanese forces in Dutch East Indies; opinion of General Archibald Wavell; opinion of Lord Louis Mountbatten; meeting between Lord Louis Mountbatten and American General Joseph Stilwell; opinion of General Joseph Stilwell. REEL 3 Continues: attitude of naval officers from HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repluse towards Japanese; low point of morale after sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repluse, 12/1941; question of Japanese being able to conquer Ceylon in 1942; reaction of Governor Sir Andrew Caldecott to appointment of Admiral Geoffrey Layton as Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon, 3/1942; story relating to naval officer throwing election ballot papers into Colombo Harbour, 6/1945; situation in Ceylon, 1944-1945; opinion of Admiral James Somerville; case of indiscretion by Admrial James Somerville; role decoding cables from London, GB including use of one time pads; lack of espionage on Ceylon; story of naval officer charged with desertion after psychological breakdown; impressions of General Harold Alexander after fall of Burma, 5/1942; opinion of Dutch Lieutenant Admiral Conrad Helfrich; handling Government papers; responsibility for running Queen's House. REEL 4 Continues: account of visit of HRH Duke of Gloucester to Ceylon, 1942 including his arrival at Queen's House, impressions of the duke's staff, incident during inspection of guard of honour, lack of interest shown by HRH Duke of Gloucester regarding Ceylon's defences, impressions of HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester's role, story of HRH Duke of Gloucester's first departure from island, Lady Olive Caldecott's opinion of HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and opinion of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester; leaving Ceylon, 1947; effect of Ceylon's Independence on Tamils working in civil service, 1948. Aspects of period as colonial officer with Colonial Administrative Service attached to East Africa High Commission in Kenya, 1947-1951: appointment as Clerk to East African Central Assembly; organisation of East African Civil Service; start of unrest in Kenya; incident of head messenger administering an illegal oath; question of High Commission officials losing touch with local Kenyan populace; nature of illegal oaths. Aspects of period as colonial officer with Colonial Administrative Service attached to Hong Kong Administrative Service in Hong Kong, 1952-1966: lack of contact with People's Republic of China; People's Republic of China's attempt to make propaganda of British official travelling through China; incident were Royal Navy craft were attacked by People's Liberation Army Navy; internment of off-duty naval ratings by People's Republic of China.