Fairhurst, Joseph Levi (Oral history)

British civilian in Wigan in GB, 1939-1944; private served with 10th Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt) in GB, 1945; NCO served with 2nd Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt), India, 1945-1947; served with 1st Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders at Bulford Camp, GB, 1948; served with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950; served with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in South Korea, 9/1950-10/1950

REEL 1 Background in Wigan, GB, 1939-1945: family circumstances; boom in factory work during Second World War; German Air Force bomb which fell on Goose Green churchyard; availability of bacon pieces during rationing; exchange of coupons for goods; attitude towards Germans; presence of Italian prisoners of war in Ashton-in-Makerfield area. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1944-1945: forging mother's signature to enlist, 1944; reasons for wanting to join Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment); basic training with King's Royal Rifle Corps Regimental Depot, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, 1944; infantry training at Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Regimental Depot, Queen's Barracks, Perth, 1944-1945; story of mother locking him out of house when he came home on leave, 1945. Aspects of period as private with 10th Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt) in GB, 1945: joining C Coy at Lockerbie; escorting German prisoners of war to Dingwall; winter conditions and make-shift water heater at Crieff, 1/1945-2/1945. Recollections of period as NCO with A Coy, 2nd Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt), 14th Indian Air-Landing Bde in India, 1945-1947: posting to India, 3/1945. REEL 2 Continues: teasing of new recruits by old sweats at Kalyan Transit Camp, 1945; jungle training; train journey to Karachi area; glider training, 1945; internal security procedure practice; move to Sharat Hill Station, near Peshawar; barrack room servants and work of charwallahs; patrols on North West Frontier patrols; handling of mules; patrols in Khyber Pass; transfer to D Coy; work of punkahwallah and paniwallahs; internal security duties at Napier Barracks, Karachi, c1946; dispersal of mob with fixed bayonets at Karachi; anti-British shouts by rioters in town; attacks by Muslims on refugees fleeing to India, 1947. Aspects of period with 1st Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders at Bulford Barracks, GB, 1948: problems regiment had getting ex-Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) men to remove hackles. REEL 3 Continues: interview with Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders officer and demotion to ranks; transfer to B Coy 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (Princess Louise's) 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950: digging trenches and patrolling on border with People's Republic of China, 1949; opinion of service in Hong Kong; amusing story of how he got Chinese tailor to make trousers out army blanket and punishment with seven days Confined to Barracks (CB); soldiers' beer bouts in monsoon ditches; role as orderly corporal; posting to South Korea, 8/1950; voyage aboard HMS Ceylon from Hong Kong to Pusan, South Korea, 8/1950. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Coy, 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in South Korea, 9/1950-10/1950: nature of train journey from Pusan to River Naktong, 9/1950; Universal Carrier disguised as tank on River Naktong; Korean People's Army mortaring from village and unit's search of village; story of investigation of abandoned jeep to see if maps in inside. REEL 4 Continues: orders to go on three day listening patrol; wounding of troops bringing supplies to listening post, 9/1950; attack on Hill 282 including surprising group of Korean People's Army having breakfast; wounding in abdomen and napalming by United States Air Force, Hill 282, 9/1950; nature of journey to American first aid station; crash of ambulance transporting him. Aspects of hospitalisation for wounds in Osaka, Japan, 1950: move to Osaka, 10/1950; attending Bob Hope Show; how Royal Army Medical Corps thwarted a move to United States of America, 10/1950. Aspects of hospitalisation in Hong Kong, 1951: contrast between British and American hospital regimes; recuperation, early 1951. Aspects of return to 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) in Hong Kong, 1951: re-union with battalion on their return from South Korea, 4/1951. REEL 5 Continues: award of American Bronze Star for role on Hill 282. Reflections on military service: refusal to sign on for extra military service, 1953; attitude to having served in Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) including attending reunions; question of need to fight Korean War. Aspects of service with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in South Korea, 9/1950-10/1950: plight of Korean civilians; guile of Korean People's Army troops; uniforms worn; American ration packs; contrast between British and American soldiers in Korean War; question of acceptance of Englishmen in Scottish regiments.