Lapidus, Samuel Henry Alfred (Oral history)

British NCO served with 69th Medium Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, France and Belgium 1940-1942; officer served with 178th Assault Field Regt, Royal Artillery in India and Burma, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Birmingham and North Wales, 1915- 1939: family; education; joining Royal Artillery territorial unit in North Wales. Recollections of operations with 361 Bty, 69th Medium Regt, Royal Artillery in France and Belgium, 1940: arrival in Arras area, winter 1940; reception by Belgium civilians, 10/5/1940; initial action at Louvain, 5/1940; reaction of Belgians to surrender; contact with Middlesex Regt at Commines; stranding in Commines; loss of guns and equipment; sight of Dunkirk rearguard; German Air Force attacks on men on Dunkirk beaches; problems soldiers had in sea; evacuation from Dunkirk mole; reception at Dover, 2/6/1940. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of period with 69th Medium Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940-1941: re-assembling of unit at Larkhill; state of unit morale, 6/1940; contact with German Air Force POW during Battle of Britain; airfield defence role at Shoreham airfield, summer 1940; German aircraft his unit shot down at Lancing College; German Air Force at RAF Ford, 8/1940; coastal defence role at Climping; effects of Winston Churchill's and Lord Haw Haw's speeches; officer selection procedure; posting to 178th Assault Field Regt, Royal Artillery. Period with 178th Assault Field Regt, Royal Artillery in India, 1942-1943: arrival in Bombay, ca 2/1942; training in Poona area; change in unit equipment. Recollections of operations with 178th Assault Field Regt, Royal Artillery in Burma, 1944-1945: impression of Joseph Stilwell; injury in mine accident, 1944; problems of getting guns across River Irrawaddy, 12/1944; medical condition of troops; state of unit at Maymyo, 1945. REEL 3 Continues: withdrawal of division from Burma. Recollections of liberation of Malaya and Java, 1945: preparations for invasion of Malaya in India, 8/1945; hearing news of atomic bomb on Japan; liberation of Singapore; Japanese commandant who tried to commit suicide; reception by Japanese at Batavia; disarming Indonesian guards; reception of Dutch authorities; attitude of British paratroopers; sight of Japanese surrender of weapons. Demobilisation in GB, 1946: arrival in GB, 2/1946; demobilisation procedure in Lancaster; effect of demobilisation on later social situation. Aspects of service in Dutch East Indies and Burma, 1943-1945: liberation of internees in Java; attitude towards Japanese in Burma. REEL 4 Continues: use of artillery pieces in Arakan, 1943-1944; story of soldier who had no idea of geography; story of Japanese commandant who confiscated internees teeth in Java.