Interview with George James Frankland

British schoolchild in Lambeth, London, GB, 1939-1945; private served with 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 12/1951-9/1952

REEL 1 Background in Lambeth, London, GB, 1932-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as evacuee from Lambeth, London to Ottery St Mary, GB, 1939-1940: character of evacuation; opinion of being evacuated. Recollections of period as schoolchild in Lambeth, London, GB, 1940-1945: use of Lambeth North Underground Station for sheltering from German Air Force raids; use of public air raid shelter in Cosser Street; schools attended; collecting shrapnel; getting used to regime during German Air Force bombing campaign; watching aerial combat, 1940-1941; German V1 Flying Bomb attacks on Lambeth; German V2 Rocket strike on Surrey Lodge, Lambeth Road, 6/1/1945; attitude towards German air attacks; victory celebrations 1945; use of Bedlam Park. Aspects of period as employee in printing industry in London, GB, 1946-1951. Aspects of period of training with Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) in GB, 1951: call-up for National Service, 3/1951; basic training at Shorncliffe Camp; rifle training. REEL 2 Continues: training at Canterbury, 5/1951; transfer to 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Devonshire from GB to Hong Kong, 1951: opinion of conditions on board; provision for not going onto active service until nineteen years of age. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 11/1951-12/1951: voyage aboard ammunition ship from Hong Kong to Inchon, South Korea; initial experience of winter winds; use of space heater in Britannia Camp; move to B Echelon; reaction to introduction of rations; ablutions in icy conditions; opinion of winter clothing and footwear; move to A Echelon, 11/1951; allocation to company and platoon, 12/1951. Recollections of operations as private with 4 Platoon, B Coy, 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 12/1951-9/1952: improvising trench heater. REEL 3 Continues: move into front-line to relieve Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, late 1951: state of roads; disposition of platoons in forward area; varying width of no-man's land; organisation of patrol work, early 1952; character of ambush patrols; preference for Sten Gun over rifle; nature of patrols; infestation of A Coy positions with rats; burning out rat nest; move to Hill 139; nature of Hill 139 and casualties in this position; ablution problems; use of Korean camp followers; washing clothing; Chinese People's Volunteer Army's lifting of British mines; unit casualties in minefield, 3/1952. REEL 4 Continues: attempt to move stretcher along crawl trench, 3/1952; patrol attack on Chinese People's Volunteer Army bunker; Chinese People's Volunteer Army's shelling of B Coy positions; Chinese People's Volunteer Army ground attack on 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 3/1952; relaxation in reserve, 5/1952; leave period in Japan, 5/1952. Recollections of period as private with 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div guarding prisoners of war on Koje-Do Island, Korea, 5/1952-7/1952: role of unit at Compound 66; prisoner of war home made weapons; conditions in compounds. REEL 5 Continues: attempt of pro-Communist prisoners of war to influence British guards, 6/1952. Recollections of operations as private with 4 Platoon, B Coy, 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Samichon Valley, South Korea, 7/1952- 9/1952: move back into front line, 7/1952; mosquito plague; getting used to patrol work; relief by 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt); introduction of battalion hierarchy once out of the front line; voyage aboard HMT Empire Trooper from South Korea to GB, 9/1952-10/1952; attitude to having served in Korean War and participated in National Service; question of problems of settling into civilian life.