Description
Object description
British officer served with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB and Egypt, 6/1940-1/1943; served with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 2/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1913-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-5/1942: joining British Army, 11/1939; commissioning into Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), 24/5/1940; joining battalion at Retford, 6/1940; coastal defence duties at Dungeness, 1940-1941; move to Deal, 1941; presence of defensive flame-throwing device at Deal; attitude towards General Bernard Montgomery; role within unit; move to Tadworth; inspection by King George IV, 1942. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Laconia from GB to Egypt, 5/1942-7/1942: conditions on board; seasickness amongst troops; composition of convoy; social activities organised; threat of Imperial Japanese Navy submarines in Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean, 6/1942; arrival in Egypt, 7/1942.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in Egypt, 7/1942-1/1943: reaction to General Bernard Montgomery's arrival to head Eighth Army; fortification of Alam Nayel, 8/1942; construction of defences; coping with flies; initial German attack at Alam Halfa; battalion night attack at Alam Halfa, 3/9/1942; wounding at Alam Halfa, 3/9/1942; medical attention for wounds; interrupting of A Coy's improvised cricket match by German Air Force attack; arrival of new equipment, 10/1942; diversionary role of division during Battle of El Alamein, 24/10/1942.
REEL 3 Continues: medical problems, 11/1942. Aspects of period as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Iraq, 2/1943-4/1943: transfer of battalion to 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div, 1/1944; move to Iraq; danger of theft of rifles in Baghdad; embarkation aboard HMT Empire Trooper at Basra, 4/1943. Aspects of period as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India, 5/1943-1/1944: arrival in India, 5/1943; start of monsoon conditions at Ranchi. Recollections of operations as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in in Arakan, Burma, 1/1944-4/1944: move to forward areas; terrain in Arakan terrain; start of operations, 1/1944; artillery shell burst which killed NCOs; action at Razabil; advance towards The Tunnels in Mayu Range; friendly fire incident during B Coy's advance on Imperial Japanese Army positions at The Tunnels; Imperial Japanese Army practice in cremating right hand of their dead; decision to move back to Assam; flight from Arakan to Dimapur, India, 4/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div during Siege of Kohima, India, 4/1944: move to Kohima and return to Dimapur; immediate return to Kohima as Imperial Japanese Army advanced; start of siege; his post on Garrison Hill; strength of unit; pattern of fighting during siege; water supply; Imperial Japanese Army attempts to persuade British Indian Army troops to defect; lifting of siege by 2nd Infantry Div; wounding in head by mortar bomb, 19/4/1944; evacuation and medical treatment received for wound. Recollections of operations commanding B Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Burma, 1944: rejoining unit at Dimapur, India; conditions in advance into Burma; sight of Imperial Japanese Army wounded who had been despatched by their comrades.
REEL 5 Continues: story of snake in wireless set; capture of sick Imperial Japanese Army prisoner of war; pursuit of Imperial Japanese Army down Tiddim Road into Burma; loss of NCOs in close action with Imperial Japanese Army troops; dealing with Imperial Japanese Army road block and destruction of Japanese force; attempt of Imperial Japanese Army NCO to battalion stretcher-bearers; incidents of tick typhus; role of battalion's animal transport section; surrender of Imperial Japanese Army soldier; British Indian Army soldier who survived descent from aircraft on crate of bully beef; descent from Chin Hills into Kabaw Valley; evacuation from Kabaw Valley to Imphal, India, 1944. Recollections of operations as second in command of 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt), 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Burma, 3/1945-8/1945: advance into central Burmese plains; wounding of commanding officer and becoming second in command; use of air support; condition of Meiktila on capture; snake infestation of ruined buildings in Meiktila.
REEL 6 Continues: capture of Imperial Japanese Army prisoner of war; advance to Pegu; cutting off of Imperial Japanese Army divisions from Arakan, north of Pegu; casualties in action against Imperial Japanese Navy marines in Pegu Yomas area, 1945; attitude to having served with 4th Bn Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regt) in Second World War; contact with Indian National Army personnel near Toungoo.
