Interview with William Patrick Coughlan

British evacuee from Poplar, London to Cornwall, GB, 1939-1945; bandboy served with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in Free Territory of Trieste, 12/1948-12/1949; private served with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 26th Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951

REEL 1 Background in Poplar, London, GB, 1931-1939: family; education. Aspects of evacuation from Poplar, London to Cornwall, GB, 1939-1945: arrival in Truro; treatment for illness in Redruth Union Workhouse; attitude to East End evacuees in Cornwall; losing contact with parents during Second World War. Aspects of enlistment and training as bandboy with Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in GB, 1946-1948: enlistment as bandboy, 1946; problems faced during basic training; range of musical experience; question of how his love of music helped developed his education; level of literacy amongst bandboys; education provided by British Army; problems his vocal stammer posed for him; treatment he got for vocal stammer at Northfield Military Psychiatric Hospital, Birmingham; contact with soldiers psychologically affected by service in Palestine; further treatment he got for his stammer at Shaftesbury; posting to Trieste, 1948. REEL 2 Continues: theatre trips in London on leave. Recollections of period as bandboy with 1st Bn Cameronians in Free Territory of Trieste, 12/1948-12/1949: sight during journey from GB to Free Territory of Trieste of devastated Cologne, Germany, 12/1948; tripartite division of city; generosity of United States Army; winter weather conditions; relations with Yugoslavs; voyage from Free Territory of Trieste to Hong Kong, 12/1949; character of regiment. Recollections of operations as private with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 26th Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951: arrival, 4/1950; decline in fortunes of band; lack of military training of some bandboys; character of Muar during Malaya Emergency, 1950; employment of bandboys; shot fired at him at Muar; guard duty; punishment for not doing church band duty; allocation to jungle training; move to 4 Platoon, B Coy for jungle operations; nature of battalion jungle patrols; conditions at night in jungle. REEL 3 Continues: comradeship during patrols; Dyak tracker's jungle knowledge; attempt to put guards on buses being attacked by Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; discovery of abandoned Malayan National Liberation Army camp; incident of NCO who broke down on patrol; posting back to regimental band duties, 1951; ambush on train in Kluang area, 3/1951; post-mortem on bodies of 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt personnel killed in ambush; reception he received on return to regimental band. Recollections of service as NCO with British Army in GB and West Germany, 1952-1959: studies at Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, 1952; story of circumventing pay parades to avoid embarrassment over vocal stammer; story of transfer to Royal Army Pay Corps; attachment to Intelligence Corps, 1955; promotion to sergeant and attaining O Levels at Brighton, GB, 1957. REEL 4 Continues: posting to West Germany, 1958; relations with German civilians, Bielefeld, West Germany; attaining A Levels, 1959; leaving British Army to become teacher, 1959; question of what he got out of military service; story relating to punishment he received for question about Germans in Second World War. Aspects of service with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 1948-1951: character of battalion and its officers; relations with officers; question of commissioning from the ranks; what happened to other bandboys who joined with him in 1946. REEL 5 Continues: story of fate of parents during Second World War. Aspects of operations as private with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 26th Gurkha Infantry Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951: story relating to racism of European civilians; attitude of European civilians towards British Army troops; question of how much knowledge troops were given about political situation; screening operations in kampongs; posting of propaganda posters; use of corned beef; incidence of venereal disease among troops; homosexuality in British Army.