McCloud, Frederick (Oral history)

British private served with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt in GB, India and Burma, 1940-1945

REEL 1 Background in Hull, Yorks, 1915-1939: family and education; employment. Recollections of period with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt in GB, 1940- 1941: call up to unit, 1940; training at Cockermouth; cross country running prowess of unit; memories of comrades in platoon; nature of accommodation; question of troop's hunger; compassionate leave to get married, 8/1940; coastal defence duties at Holy Island, Northumberland; anticipation of German invasion; living conditions at Ross Farm; state of troop's health; story of being snowed in near Belford Hall, early 1941. REEL 2 Continues: use of golden ray rockets to warn of invasion, early 1941; relations with civilians in Northumberland. Recollections of voyage from GB to India via South Africa, aboard Orchades, 1942: embarking at Clydeside; conditions aboard ship; entry into docks and sight of HMS Newcastle, Durban, South Africa; move to Clarewood Transit Camp, Durban, 6/1942; retaliation of Australian troops to stabbing of comrade, Durban; memories of The Lady in White at Durban; voyage across Indian Ocean; sight of Queen Mary on Atlantic stretch of voyage; physical training aboard ship. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt in India, 1942: arrival in Bombay; smells encountered in India; attitudes to race in army; sights of Calcutta; memories of Gibraltarian battalion barber; character of internal security duties in Calcutta, 1942; role with regimental police; life in Fort William. REEL 4 Continues: watching cricket on Calcutta maidan; role of W Coy clearing corpses from streets; duties with regimental police at Fort William; escorting military courier to Ranchi; encounter with monkey pack during leave at Balun, Punjab; leave period on tea estate at Narzera. REEL 5 Continues: Period of training with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt, 48th Bde, 17th Indian Div in Shillong area, India, 1943: move to Shillong; accommodation including rat infestation at Shillong; move to Moflung to train with 2/5th Bn Gurkha Rifles; use of female bamboo for emergency water supply; Gurkha's constructing of bamboo stairways on muddy slopes. Recollections of operations with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt, 48th Bde, 17th Indian Div in Chin Hills on India-Burma border, 1943-1944: move towards Tiddim; method of crossing River Manipur; road widening by Chin levies at Tiddim; preparations for expected Japanese attack at Kennedy Peak; Naga smoking customs; bounty given to Nagas for heads of Japanese troops; interrogation of Chin villagers to get information about Japanese. REEL 6 Continues: composition of mortar team and handling of mules; incident of shooting of soldier through eye on patrol; withdrawal from Kennedy Peak; use of US troop-carrying lorries on widened Tiddim Road; sight of gunner firing Bofors gun on Japanese road block; wounding of B Coy's Sergeant Major, Bob Little at OP Hill, near Bishenpur; memories of unit's mules Lucky and Churchill; incident when Major Cooper was wounded in command post; extrication of Major Cooper on make shift stretcher. REEL 7 Continues: reaction to death of Sergeant Major Bob Little; explanation of term 'duffy'; unit by passing of OP Hill. Recollections of operations with 12 Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn border Regt at Potsangbam, 1944 : nature of operation; personal moral during attack when Japanese opposition started; Vultee Vengence dive bombing attack against Japanese positions; Japanese attempt to break out of Potsangbam; reaction to unwashed condition; retracing route unit had advanced along; cleaning up process for troops coming out of line; singing 'Ye Ken John Peel' after cleaning up process. Recollections of period in India, 1944-1945: return to India; question of pay and leave; period of leave at Dalhousie. REEL 8 Continues: alcoholic activities in Dalhousie; visit to Golden Temple of Amritsar; activities on leave in Calcutta; visit to Tata Nagar Steel Works outside Calcutta; nature of medical problems; attempt of 9th Border Regt to get him to return to unit; medical treatment in Ranchi. Question of sense of comradeship in B Coy, 9th Bn Border Regt. Period of medical treatment in Wharnecliffe Hospital, Sheffield ,GB, 1945: return to GB; memories of VJ Day in. REEL 9 Continues: work at hospital; Arnhem veteran who died on operating table; contact with munitions workers; return to civilian employment in Hull, 1945. Attitude to having served with 9th Bn Border Regt in Burma.