Jones, John Benjamin (Oral history)

British private served with 94 Coy, Royal Army Service Corps and 10 Port Squadron, Royal Engineers during Operation Grapple nuclear tests on Christmas Island, 6/1958-6/1959; served with 19th Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps in Cyprus, 12/1963-5/1964 and Borneo, 3/1965-11/1965

REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, 1938-1957: family and education; employment. Period of National Service training, GB, 1957: joining army, 1/1957; opinion of army discipline; treatment of unmanly recruits; incident of recruit who 'refused to soldier' on day of commanding officer's inspection; psychological nature of army training; quality of driving instruction; instruction in servicing vehicles; posting to Christmas Island. Flight from GB to Christmas Island via Iceland, Canada and US. Recollection of period with 94 Coy, RASC and 10th Port Squadron, RE, Christmas Island, 6/1958-6/1959: work of 94 Coy, RASC; story of how he overslept and got demoted on day of his first A-bomb test, 8/1958; transfer to 10th Port Squadron, RE, 8/1958; witnessing his first A-bomb test, 8/1958. REEL 2 Continues: reaction to test; clothing worn during tests; decontamination procedures; role of driving scientists into Ground Zero; what Jones saw in Ground Zero area; four tests which took place 8/1958-9/1958; collection of birds killed in explosion; wiring coconuts to trees to improve appearance for Prince Philip's visit; question of lack of after effects; how he was diagnosed with 'Liverpool Chest' when recruited to army, 1957; how homosexuals in army were sent from Christmas Island to Changi Gaol, Singapore; rest and recreation period in Hawaii; relations with Gilbert and Ellis Islanders, especially with Eric Cameron and Fijian engineers. Period with spearhead unit, Colchester, 12/1963. Recollections of period with 19th Field Ambulance, RAMC, Cyprus, 12/1963-5/1964: move to Nicosia, 12/1963; role escorting Greek doctors through Turkish checkpoints and vice versa; attitude to being an observer under UN cap badge; incident of gun battle and removal of severely injured Turk, Aiyas Theodoras; incident of driver attempting to smuggle Turks from Panhandle into Nicosia; degree of threat to drivers and crews. REEL 3 Continues: inter- communal conflict, 1963-1964; relations with Greeks and Turkish civilians; opinion of effectiveness of UN; civilian attitudes to British troops. Recollection of period with 19th Field Ambulance RAMC, Borneo, 1965: hearts and minds work with medical team, Bukit Nukle area; medical conditions treated among Sarawak villagers; contracting dengue fever; effectiveness of hearts and minds campaign; story of villager massaged with antibiotic cream.