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Object description
British private served with 1st Bn London Rifle Brigade, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), 2nd London Bde, 1st London Div in GB, 4/1939-7/1940; officer served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infantry Div in Egypt and French Syria, 2/1941-10/1941; served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Ceylon and India, 3/1942-10/1943; served with 21 Column, 2nd Bn Queen's Regt, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India and during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 10/1943-6/1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1914-1939: family; employment. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn London Rifle Brigade, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), 2nd London Bde, 1st London Div in GB, 1939-1940: joining Territorial Army, 4/1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; guard duties on Liverpool Street Railway Station against potential Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacks, autumn 1939; guard duties at RAF Northolt, 5/1940; role with anti-parachute motorcyclist platoon at Godmanchester, 6/1940; platoon members motorcycle accident near Cambridge; attitude towards threat of German invasion, 1940. Aspects of period as officer cadet with No 163 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Shorncliffe, GB, 7/1940-11/1940: sight of German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber attack on Convoy CW8 off Folkestone, 25/7/1940; observation of Battle of Britain in Folkestone area, 7/1940-10/1940.
REEL 2 Continues: sight of formations of German Air Force bombers heading for London at Folkestone, 1940. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in GB, 11/1940-12/1940: commissioning into regiment, 11/1940; sight of red glow in sky during German Air Force attacks on East End of London, 12/1940; period waiting for overseas embarkation at Liverpool, 12/1940-1/1941. Aspects of period as officer with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde 6th Infantry Div in Egypt, 2/1941-5/1941: voyage aboard HMT Britannic from GB to Egypt, 1/1941-2/1941; arrival in Suez; move to El Tahag Camp; move to Mersa Matruh; encounter with bed bugs; move to Charing Cross in Western Desert, 4/1941; airfield defence role of unit in Western Desert. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infantry Div on abortive voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Crete, Greece, 5/1941: embarkation at Alexandria.
REEL 3 Continues: German Air Force attacks on ship; Bren Gun defence of ship; fire started on board from German Air Force attack; return of ship to Alexandria, Egypt; battalion move to Canal Zone, Egypt, 5/1941. Recollections of operations as officer with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th Infantry Div in Palestine and French Syria, 6/1941-10/1941: move of unit to Palestine; move to Deraa in anticipation of Vichy French tank attack, 6/1941; reaction to going into action; infantry advance against Vichy French positions at Kuneita, 6/1941; entry into Kuneita, Syria, 6/1941; attitude to fighting Vichy French and Senegalese forces; advance to Queen's Hill, Qatana area, French Syria.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude of villagers towards presence of battalion, 6/1941; battalion lorry accident, 6/1941; attitude of some troops to going into action; shell shock case; advance on village in hot weather; Vichy French shelling of B Coy on stony ground in Yafour area, 6/1941; orders to drive Vichy forces off ridge in Yafour area; support work of Royal Australian Artillery; move of battalion from sight of Vichy French troops esconced on ridge; role of unit digging trenches in front of Australian Army anti-tank unit; withdrawal of battalion to Damascus for two days rest; return of battalion to mountains to resume attempt to drive Vichy French forces off them; contracting African Tic Fever.
REEL 5 Continues: period of recuperation from African Tic Fever in Palestine, 10/1941. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt, 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Egypt and French Syria, 11/1941-3/1942: return to Egypt, 10/1941; contracting amoebic dysentery in Alexandria, Egypt which thwarted move with battalion to Tobruk, Libya; handling German officer prisoners of war in Cairo, Egypt, 12/1941; return of battalion to Canal Zone, Egypt, 1/1942; battalion move to French Syria, 1/1942; role constructing fortifications in case of German breakthrough, 1/1942-2/1942. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Nieuw Amsterdam from Egypt to Ceylon, 2/1942-3/1942: submarine scare off Aden Protectorate. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in Ceylon, 3/1942-3/1943: arrival in Colombo, 15/3/1942; reaction to orders to march through Colombo; opinion of coastal defences at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo; move to Habarana.
REEL 6 Continues: jungle training; precautions against Japanese invasion of east coast of Ceylon, 4/1942; loss of comrade in accident; period in Kandy and Neuralia area; leisure activities and exercises; further bout of amoebic dysentery and how he missed battalion move to India, 6/1942. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 70th Infantry Div in India, 3/1943-9/1943: rejoining unit in Ranchi, 3/1943; rumour of desertion of defence platoon of Headquarters, 70th Infantry Div; role commanding defence platoon, Bangalore, 4/1943; organising aid for Hawker Hurricane accident site.
REEL 7 Continues: role with advanced party of 70th Infantry Div in Calcutta; problems in leading Desert Victory parade in Calcutta, 6/1943; rejoining battalion at Jhansi. Aspects of period as officer with 21 Column, 2nd Queens Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India, 10/1943-1/1944: reaction to earmarking of 70th Infantry Div to Special Force; training in Sal Forest; water crossing techniques; role as administration officer, 12/1943; move of 21 Column to North East India, 1/1944; address by Major-General Orde Wingate at Dimapur; opinion of Major-General Orde Wingate. Recollections of operations with 21 Column, 2nd Queen's Regt, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 2/1944-6/1944: march into difficult terrain in Burma, 2/1944; abandoning lightweight blanket issue; question of water shortage; method of making progress in hilly terrain; arrival at Kulukgarh where 2nd Bn Leicestershire Regt took over leading brigade; descent to River Chindwin.
REEL 8 Continues: crossing River Chindwin; effects of swallowing water from River Chindwin; his problems on march; conversation with Brigadier Bernard Fergusson about survivors from First Chindit Expedition; push to Indaw; water supply problems; attention paid to signs of Imperial Japanese Army presence; clash with two lorry loads of Imperial Japanese Army troops; attacks on small groups of Imperial Japanese Army troops; navigating in jungle; orders to return to Aberdeen Landing Zone; sight of Japanese steam train on branch line.
REEL 9 Continues: march via Myitkyina past White City Landing Zone towards Aberdeen Landing Zone; Douglas Dakota aircraft accident at Aberdeen Landing Zone; merging of 21 and 22 Columns for attack on Indaw West Airfield; orders of unit to move to Broadway Landing Zone to be flown out of Burma; physical and psychological condition he was in on being flown out of Burma; contact with native populations in Burma; attitude to partcipating in Second Chindit Expedition, 1944; attitude towards Japanese.
