Interview with Robert Edward Searle

British private served with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in North and South Korea, 8/1950-4/1951

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Thames and New Malden, GB, 1931-1949: family; education; evacuation to Lord Walsingham's Estate at Thetford, 1939-1940; reasons for return to New Malden; personal morale during German Air Force bombing campaign; German Air Force V2 Rocket hit on Park Road, Kingston upon Thames; sight of German V1 Flying Bomb attack; influence of propaganda on civilians; victory celebrations, 1945; death of aircraft worker father, 1942. Aspects of training with British Army in GB, 1949: story of how he came to join 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) in Hong Kong, 1949; how experience of Army Cadet Force as teenager helped with initial training; how lack of money forced him to abandon plans for officer training. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949: voyage aboard HMT Dunera from GB to Hong Kong, 1949; training with D Coy near Norwegian Farm Camp, New Territories; transfer to Mortar Platoon in Support Coy; first news of war in Korea, 6/1950; nature of send off for troops. Recollections of operations as private with Mortar Platoon, Support Coy, 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 8/1950-7/1951: voyage aboard HMS Ceylon from Hong Kong to Pusan, South Korea, 8/1950; arrival in Pusan, South Korea; move to River Naktong, South Korea; reaction to noisiness of United States Army troops in front line, 8/1950; battalion positions on River Naktong, South Korea; under North Korean People's Army mortar fire on River Naktong, South Korea, 8/1950; dysentery bout and treatment; crossing River Naktong, South Korea. REEL 2 Continues: action against North Korean People's Army for hill near River Naktong, South Korea where platoon came under heavy mortar fire, 25/9/1950; United States Air Force accidental napalming of Hill 282, South Korea; capture of hill by Major Kenneth Muir and evacuation of wounded by helicopter; how 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde led advance north after 9/1950; living and working conditions during advance north, 9/1950-11/1950; incident of United States Army troops under fire; accidents occurring to United States Army motorised troops; how North Korean People's Army troops mistook battalion for Soviet Army troops and ensuing melee at Sariwon, North Korea. REEL 3 Continues: carnage among Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops caused by United States Artillery howitzers firing over open sights, winter 1950-1951; loss of two comrades in action from mortar bomb; narrow escape from grenade accident; question of why mortar platoon was not popular with riflemen; fight with officer's batman, 1951; reaction to battalion withdrawal from South Korea; opinion of high quality of officers and NCOs, 1950-1951; return to Hong Kong and call for volunteers to return to South Korea; voyage from Hong Kong to GB, 7/1951; refusal to sign on with Regular Army after National Service; later joining of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association in GB, 1990; degree of contact with Korean civilians and search for infiltrators amongst refugees; celebration of Thanksgiving Day, 11/1950; near accident during Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1950; suffering from cold; impatience to be relieved by 29th British Infantry Bde. REEL 4 Continues: low degree of contact with other battalions in 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde and other United Nations' troops; Communist troops' methods of attacking; execution of wounded North Korean People's Army soldier; question of need to fight Korean War.