Interview with Ronald Larby

British signaller served with No 14 Field Signal Troop, Royal Corps of Signals, Commonwealth Divisional Signals Regiment and 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 1951-1952

REEL 1 Background in Lambeth, London, GB, 1932-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as evacuee in Tintagel, GB, 1940-1942: placing of evacuees with hosts; effect of evacuation on education; degree with which war affected Tintagel; relations between evacuees and local children. Recollections of period of schoolchild in Kensal Rise, London, GB, 1942-1945: move to Kensal Rise, 1942; German V1 Flying Bomb attacks and effects on education; German V2 Rocket strike on Chiswick, 8/9/1944; father's industrial accident; VE Day celebrations in Hanover Road, Kensal Rise, 8/5/1945. Aspects of training with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1950-1951: call-up for National Service, 11/1950; reaction to basic training; nature of basic training at Catterick Camp; trade training; desire to serve aboard. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as signaller with Royal Corps of Signals in Tanglin Barracks, Singapore, Federation of Malaya and Hong Kong, 1951: job escorting military prisoners from South Korea to Singapore; volunteering for service in South Korea in Hong Kong, summer 1951; exercises. Recollections of operations as signaller with No 14 Field Signal Troop, Royal Corps of Signals, Commonwealth Division Signals Regiment and 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 1951-1952: arrival in Pusan, 3/11/1951; initial impressions of Pusan; banter with American wounded; question of arrival in South Korea being a culture shock; sight of devastated Seoul; sight of 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt being relieved; effect of aircraft on nerves of Second World War veteran; story of having protection from officer after being subjected to unreasonable demands by regimental sergeant-major; operating in poor weather conditions; rumour of Armistice, 12/1951; transfer to 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde opposite Castle Hill; reaction to assignment as switchboard operator; start of snow, 25/12/1951. REEL Continues: coping with cold; limitations of No 19 Wireless Set; problems of maintaining land lines; non-conformist comrade; position of Headquarters Coy in line, 4/1952; repairing landline under Chinese fire, 4/1951; Chinese 'Macbeth' attack and reaction to lack of publicity in Daily Mirror newspaper; sight of American and Australian air attacks; witnessing loss of United States Air Force North American F-86 Sabre and failure to rescue pilot; role relieving Australian signals crew; signals work carried out whilst 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde was withdrawing from front line; American ration packs; man management in unit; return to 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde after period in reserve; apprehension of Republic of South Korean (ROK) troops on Kansas Line; story relating to character of Australian Army troops. REEL 4 Continues: participation in 'skunk hunts' for Korean deserters, black marketeers and guerrillas; incident of being caught in wire during 'skunk hunt'; brief posting to Headquarters Royal Engineers at Fort George, GB, 8/1952; job monitoring Pintail Bridge, 1952; leaving South Korea, 1952; attitude towards Chinese; contact with Korean Pioneers and Korean Augmentation Troops Commonwealth (KATCOMS); attitude to having served in South Korea; problems of readjusting to civilian life after National Service.