Burt, Brian Trevor (Oral history)

British schoolchild evacuated from Southampton to Walton Hill, GB, 1939-1944; signaller served with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, Korea and Egypt, 1951-1953

REEL 1 Background in Southampton, GB, 1930-1939: family; education. Recollections of evacuation from Southampton to Walton Hill, 1939-1944: question of being burden on host family, 1939-1940; work he had to do as evacuee child; conditions in Walton Hill village school; schooling in Newbury; German Air Force attack on Newbury, 2/1943; changes to host families, 1940-1944; end of evacuation, autumn 1944; return to Southampton. Period as apprentice electrician in Southampton, 1945-1951: low wages; call up for National Service, 7/1951. Period of training with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1951: reasons for wanting to go into Royal Corps of Signals; nature of basic training at Catterick Camp; effect of injections. REEL 2 Continues: allocation as wireless and line operator during trade training at Gallowgate Camp; fatigues which preceded trade training; trade training; living conditions in Gallowgate Camp, winter 1951-1952; problems of keeping warm; nature of morning roll-call. Period with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1952: reaction to posting to Southern Command; arrival in Winterbourne Dauncey Camp; cookhouse and guard duties; stories of looking after prisoners as regimental policeman; reaction to posting to Korea, 5/1952. Aspects of voyage from GB to Korea aboard HMT Empire Halladale, summer, 1952: duties on board ship; subsidised tobacco; seasickness crossing Indian Ocean. REEL 3 Continues: impression of women building labourers, Singapore, 7/1952. Recollections of operations with Royal Corps of Signals in Korea, 1952: arrival in Pusan; train journey to front-line; sight of devastated Seoul; request to go out on detachment; nature of work regime for Korean labourers building road for British Army, 8/1952; dangers of swimming in River Imjin, 8/1952; period with 23 Canadian Transport Coy; posting to South Ammunition Point; Royal Norfolk Regt casualties caused by artillery; entertainers who visited Korea; posting to 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards; reaction to having to leave Korea, late 1952. Period with Royal Corps of Signals in Egypt and Libya, 1953: hostile attitude of Arab at Ismailia Railway Station; arrival in Chandor Barracks, Canal Zone; work repairing telephones; story relating to colour of webbing; nature of guard duties in Canal Zone. REEL 4 Continues: circumstances of last minute posting to Benghazi, 1953; duties in Benghazi, 1953. Visit to Malta before return to GB, 6/1953. Demobilisation in GB, 1953. Attitude to having done National Service. Return to Korea under re-visit scheme, 1993.