Description
Object description
British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 29th Independent Infantry Bde in North and South Korea, 1950-1951; prisoner of war in Bean Camp and Camp 2, Pyoktong, North Korea, 5/1951-7/1953
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of preparations for posting to South Korea as officer with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 1950: reaction to posting to South Korea, 7/1950; preparations for move to South Korea; reasons for battalion not receiving injections for cholera; problems with dock personnel at Southampton; voyage from GB to Korea, 1950. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 29th Independent Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 1950-1951: train journey from Pusan, South Korea to Kaesong, North Korea; action at Sibyong-Ni, North Korea, 11/1950; fear of ambushes on road from Sibyong-Ni to Kaesong, North Korea, 11/1950; opinion of batman; return of troops captured by North Korean People's Army; Christmas at Sibyong-Ni, North Korea, 12/1950.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction of unit to sight of execution of Korean civilians; relationship of Korean map names to reality of settlements on ground; Communist forces attack on positions at Sang-Dong, South Korea, 1/1951; error in siting of telephone exchange; question of quality of military intelligence; Chinese People's Volunteer Army equipment; failure of British troops to search prisoners of war rigorously; battalion casualties, 1/1951; cold weather conditions.
REEL 3 Continues: cold weather clothing; inadequacy of Aladdin Stove; contrast in shaving rules between British and American troops; sight of Korean refugees, early 1951; problems of searching Korean refugees. Recollections of operations as intelligence officer with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 29th British Infantry Bde during the Battle of the Imjin River in South Korea, 4/1951: move to River Imjin, 4/1951; question of failure to establish defensives and knowledge of Chinese People's Volunteer Army positions; reconnaissance flight over Chinese People's Volunteer Army lines, late 4/1951; Chinese People's Volunteer Army methods of disguising themselves from air observation; role at battalion headquarters during battle.
REEL 4 Continues: question of method of withdrawal from River Imjin, 4/1951; contrast between 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles in execution of withdrawal; capture by Chinese. Recollections of capture by Chinese People's Volunteer Army and march into North Korea, 1951: wounding from Centurion Tank's fire; use of morphia on broken leg; disposal of valuables and looting by Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldier; method employed by Chinese People's Volunteer Army personnel to capture Centurion Tank; opinion of use of napalm; rations given to prisoners of war; opinion of Doctor Robert Hickey.
REEL 5 Continues: memories of Beverly Gale; purchasing food; behaviour of Chinese People's Volunteer Army lorry driver; aid given to prisoners of war by Korean civilians; problem of access to pain-killers. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Bean Camp, North Korea, 1951: move to camp; banquet to celebrate October Revolution; stealing spoon. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Camp 2, Pyoktong, North Korea, 1951-1953: move into camp; meeting with Randle Cooke; sleep deprivation method employed on United States Marine Corps pilot to gain confession of germ-warfare; reports received on conditions on Koje-Do Island.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of release from prisoner of war captivity in North Korea, 8/1953: issue of Red Cross parcel; behaviour of Communist prisoners of war; processing of ex-prisoners of war in South Korea; story of how army public relations man controlled press conference. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in North Korea, 1951-1953: medical treatment he received from Chinese; capabilities of Chinese medical personnel; character of medical treatment; effect of spinal injections and medical problems; ineffectiveness of Chinese propaganda; lessons learnt from Chinese political propaganda.