Description
Object description
British civilian in Birmingham GB, 1940; trooper served with 26th Hussars, 255th Indian Armoured Bde in India, 6/1942-10/1943; served with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde, XXXIII Indian Corps in India and Burma, 10/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in India and GB, 1922-1939: family; education; employment as carpenter. Aspects of period as civilian in Birmingham, GB, 9/1939-9/1941: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; carpentry work he did in Birmingham, 1940; destruction of lodgings in Shirley Road, Birmingham, 10/1940; reaction to sight of destruction of Coventry, 11/1940; effect of war on building work on Salisbury Plain; driving work in Royal Army Ordnance Corps depot on Salisbury Plain. Aspects of enlistment and training as trooper with Royal Armoured Corps Regimental Depot at Bovington Camp, GB, 9/1941-2/1942: enlistment in Royal Armoured Corps, 9/1941; initial driver-mechanic training, opinion of M3 Lee/Grant Tank; use of shell case in tank for toilet purposes; procedures for overseas postings, 1/1942; issue of uniform. Aspects of journey from Bovington Camp to Gourock, GB, 2/1942: leaving Bovington Camp, sight of father at Wool Railway Station; receiving mail at Bournemouth.
REEL 2 Continues: events at Basingstoke Railway Station; precautions against desertion at Leicester; reception from civilians in Gourock. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Orbita from GB to India via South Africa, 2/1942-6/1942: carrying officers' kit on board troopship; catering arrangements; ablutions on board; shortage of fresh water; bathing in cloudburst at Freetown, Sierra Leone; Royal Armoured Corps drafts manning of ship defences; sight of Royal Navy's protection of convoy; work of hawkers at Freetown, Sierra Leone; reception by civilians in Cape Town, South Africa; rumours of destination of ship; arrival in Bombay, India, 6/1942. Recollections of period as trooper with 26th Hussars, 255th Indian Armoured Bde in India, 1942: condition of troops on arrival in Bombay, 6/1942; joining 26th Hussars; train journey from Bombay to Naira Camp; reaction to conversations with old soldiers at Naira Camp.
REEL 3 Continues: background to creation of 26th Hussars, 6/1941; contrast in discipline of old soldiers and new arrivals; question of problems arising from a regiment's tradition; attachment to Dock Ferrying Party supervising unloading of convoys on Bombay Docks, 12/1942; social life in Bombay; return to regiment at Secunderabad, 8/1943; reaction to disbanding of regiment, 10/1943. Recollections of operations as trooper with 7 Troop, C Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)in India 1943-1944: posting to regiment, 10/1943; journey to Imphal, 12/1943; move to Yairipok; move to Milestone 108, 12/1943; entertainment by Stainless Steven at Imphal; address by Lord Louis Mountbatten; formation of defensive boxes; loss of equipment on ravine side; role patrolling road out of Imphal; Imperial Japanese Army troops overrunning of forward post; unpreparedness for meeting Imperial Japanese Army.
REEL 4 Continues: adoption by unit of puppy 'Jif' and the dog's attitudes to Japanese and Indians; defence of Lion Box; question of unit's inexperience; artillery shell hit on tank track; evacuation of Lion Box, 13/2/1944; friendly fire casualties in Lion Box by Royal Air Force; move to defensive positions at Sangkungmai, 2/1944; problems of night guard duties and lack of water; role of B Sqdn at Nungshigum, 4/1944; ascent of Kennedy Peak, Burma on Tiddim Road; 'jitter' tactics used by Indian National Army; practice of Imperial Japanese Army troops not to surrender; character of tank warfare in India/Burma; delivery of new tank engine by air; explanation of Imperial Japanese Army 'jitter' tactics; use of Japanese bamboo road on Tiddim Road.
REEL 5 Continues: techniques for crossing river; leave in Calcutta, 12/1944-1/1945. Recollections of operations as trooper with 3rd Carabiniers, 254th Indian Tank Bde, XXXIII Indian Corps in Burma, 2/1945-5/1945: advance towards Mandalay; retaking of Mount Popa and Yenangyaung; Imperial Japanese Army's use of captured Ordnance QL 25 Pounder Field Guns on River Irrawaddy; condition of tank guns at Prome. Aspects of period as trooper with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde, XXXIII Indian Corps in India, 6/1945-8/1945: return voyage from Burma to India, 6/1945; preparations for Operation Zipper in India, 1945; return to GB, 1945; attitude to having served in Second World War. Recollections of operations as trooper with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde, XXXIII Indian Corps in India and Burma, 10/1943-8/1945: snake problem during retaking of Mount Popa, Burma; attitude towards Imperial Japanese Army troops; unit camp followers; story of camp follower taking the regiment's one Japanese prisoner of war; memories of camp follower; conversation with British Indian Army soldier on Tiddim Road about British presence in India.
REEL 6 Continues: use of Indian bearers and their pride in their work; story of role in charge of sweepers at Ahmednagar, India, 1945; period in India, late 1945. Recollections of visit to Burma, 1996: attitude towards Burma and how that changed on return in 1991; political atmosphere in Rangoon; banning of Burmese civilians from parks; prior recollection of lack of welcome for British Army soldier everywhere with except South Africa; hospitality received from civilians in South Africa in contrast to India. Recollections of operations as trooper with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde, XXXIII Indian Corps in India and Burma, 1943-1945: British troops behaviour towards villagers; lack of comforts; condition of Yenangyaung, 1945; actions with 6 Troop, C Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) resulting in his being Mentioned in Despatches on Tiddim Road, 11/1944.
REEL 7 Continues: question of sense of invulnerability in tank; question of motivation; incident when tank was hit by Imperial Japanese Army anti-tank guns in Lion Box, India, 4/1944 including casualties amongst crew, opinion of 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own)'s defence of tank, withdrawal to Oyster Box, India and condition of tank after action.
REEL 8 Continues: description of fighting on Tiddim Road, India; 5 Troop's assault on Japanese held salient and his job retrieving bodies, 5/1944; disposal of bodies and war cemeteries; role of 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own) at Imphal, India; lack of knowledge of Imperial Japanese Army gas bombs; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army weapons; sight of Imperial Japanese Army looter in Lion Box, India, 4/1944; question of qualities of soldiers of different ages in combat; character of older trooper in his tank; attitude towards Imperial Japanese Army soldier.
REEL 9 Continues: explanation of term 'BLA'; question of achievements of Fourteenth Army and it's reputation as 'Forgotten Army'; level of rations during Japanese siege of Imphal, India; condition of Imperial Japanese Army troops at Imphal; question of Burma Campaign being a soldiers rather than officers war; question of class differences between officers and men in unit; sources of information; listening to All-India Radio; Noel Coward's visit to Lion Box, India; film entertainment in Oyster Box, India; problems with ablutions. Recollections of period as trooper with 26th Hussars, 255th Indian Armoured Bde in India, 6/1942-10/1943: contact with Quit India Movement at Naira Camp and Bombay, 1942-1943; armoured support given to 1st Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own) in Bombay, 1942; listening to Mahatma Gandhi's speech in Bombay; social life in Bombay; attitude to British presence in India.
REEL 10 Continues: his mother's reaction to his posting to India; lack of equipment and opinion of British Indian Army officers; attitude of British civilians towards British Army troops; encounter with Bombay Parsee Sir Ezra Jheejheeboy, 1943; question of failure to get compassionate leave when his father died in GB, 6/1944.
