Interview with Donald Frederick Thompson

British civilian schoolchild in Birmingham, GB, 1939-1944; private served with 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt), Palestine Command in Palestine, 1945-1946; NCO served as instructor with Midland Training Bde in GB, 1946-1949; NCO served with 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 6/1949-10/1951; served with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 10/1951-9/1952

REEL 1 Background in Smethwick and Hall Green, Birmingham, GB, 1927-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as schoolchild in Birmingham, GB, 1939-1944: German Air Force bombing of Birmingham, 11/1940; incident of land mine tangled in tram wires; sight of German Air Force circling over Birmingham before attacking Coventry, 14/11/1940-15/11/1940; father's military service in Second World War; bombs which fell on Hall Green area; period as Civil Defence Service messenger at Sparkhill, 1942-1944; German Air Force attacks on 'shadow factories' in Shirley, Solihull and Castle Bromwich areas; destruction of Birmingham city centre; public morale; co-operation with neighbours; memories of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; question of effect of war on his education. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1944-1945: enlistment in British Army, 1944; role of young soldier battalions; barrack room 'bull'; nature of training at Blackdown Camp, Aldershot, 1944; wish to participate in active service during Second World War; benefits of training; emphasis on self-reliance. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training as private with Parachute Regiment in GB, 1945: volunteering for Parachute Regiment; nature of training; plans for airborne attack on Japan, 1945; abortive voyage aboard HMT Devonshire from GB to India; reasons for return to Canal Zone, Egypt. Recollections of operations as private with 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt), Palestine Command in Palestine, 1945-1946: joining unit at Beersheba, 8/1945; opinion of regular army life in Palestine; attitude of local populations towards British Army troops, 1945-1946; question of degree of danger experienced in Palestine; lecture on Zionist nationalism and threat to British Army; attitude to divisional exercises in desert; return to GB, 1946. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as training instructor with Midland Training Brigade Group in GB, 1946-1949: orders to train Danish conscripts and impression Danish platoon made on him; composition of Midland Training Brigade, 947; promotion to sergeant and reaction to drill course at Guards Depot, Caterham; opinion of drill instructors Sergeant McQueen and Regimental Sergeant-Major Ronald Brittain; period at Midland Training Brigade Group Depot at Strensall Camp, 1948; decision to send forces to Hong Kong. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 6/1949-10/1951: membership of advance party; move from Woodfield Barracks to the New Territories; arrival of 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Norwegian Farm Camp; dealing with riot in Nathan Road, 1/1949; anti-refugee patrols in New Territories, 1949; sight of Chinese Communist aircraft attack on oil tanks over border in China; character of climate including coping with insects; news of outbreak of Korean War, 6/1950. REEL 4 Continues: preparations of Signal Platoon to move from Hong Kong to South Korea, 8/1951-9/1951. Recollections of operations as NCO with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 10/1951-9/1952: reception on arrival in Pusan, 10/1951; nature of train journey to Britannia Camp; move into reserve positions behind lines, 10/1951; Chinese People's Volunteer Army attacks on Hills 317 and 217; role of unit as counter-attack battalion; detachment as platoon sergeant to brigade headquarters; Chinese People's Volunteer Army ground attack on Hill 217; attitude towards killing; tactics employed by Chinese People's Volunteer Army on Hill 217; use of Bren Gun fire on Hill 217; Chinese People's Volunteer Army infantry tactics and use of artillery and mortars; relief of battalion by United States Army troops; question of performance of battaion, 10/1951. REEL 5 Continues: performance of Sergeant Phillips during fighting for Hill 217; return of unit to defensive positions in front line, 12/1951; plans for 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards to capture London Ridge; United States Marine Corps aircraft napalm attack on London Ridge; witnessing helicopter rescue of pilot; work of medivac helicopters; question of unit's role in United Nations' last offensive operation of Korean War; handing over to Australian Army unit; memorial service at Pusan; effects of war on Korean civilians; use of Korean porters; rigid formulae used by Koreans in conversation about war; question of lack of long-term effects of service in Korean War on him; maintaining telephone line contact with platoons; provision of wireless spares to platoons; question of worthwhileness of war; question of regimental loyalty; living conditions in South Korea; weather conditions. REEL 6 Continues: effects of winter weather; use of drip-feed jerrycans as heaters; incident when signal office set on fire and injuries to signaller; winter clothing issue; lack of military hygiene in field.