Description
Object description
British fusilier served as signaller served with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt) in GB and Germany, 1950-1952; served with Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt), 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 8/1952-8/1953
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London and Diss, GB, 1932-1949: family circumstances; education; memories of outbreak of Second World War at St Mary's Bay, 3/9/1939; evacuation to Diss; effect of war on education; effect of blast on family home in Southgate; father's memories of German Air Force bombing of Southgate; sight of anti-aircraft battery in Winchmore Hill; attempt to become regular in Royal Air Force, 1948-1949. Aspects of period as signaller with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt) in GB and Germany, 1950: initial training with Royal Army Pay Corps on Salisbury Plain, GB; transfer from Royal Army Pay Corps to Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment); application to serve with battalion in Iserlohn, Germany; training as signaller; high morale in unit; trading with Germans on black market.
REEL 2 Continues: infantry and wireless training at Iserlohn. Germany; role as battalion signaller; meaning of tuning and netting whistle; battle training in Sennelager Training Area, Germany; precision of drill in battalion; farewell to family on posting to South Korea, 7/1953. Recollections of operations as signaller with Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 8/1952-8/1953: voyage aboard HMT Halladale from GB to South Korea, arrival in Pusan, 8/1952; effect on battalion's marching discipline of United States Army band at Pusan, 8/1953; advice on arrival in South Korea.
REEL 3 Continues: unit's objection to South Korean soldier's beating of small boy; danger of drinking contaminated water; fitness training on hills; taking over from 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in front line; problems of signallers job in front line especially lack of sleep; defences and fortification of positions; line-repairing duties; wireless responsibilities; codes used and inflexibility of Morse Code for battlefield conditions; artillery shell hit on unit latrines; lack of guards on line-laying parties; skill of line-layers.
REEL 4 Continues: under friendly Bren Gun fire in No-Man's Land; opinion of Chinese People's Volunteer Army night-time patrols; execution of Operation Pimlico, 24/11/1952-25/11/1952; reaction to losing radio contact with Fusilier George Hodgkinson during Operation Pimlico, 24/11/1952-25/11/1952; question of effects of service in Korea; heavy Chinese People's Volunteer Army artillery fire after Operation Pimlico; use of dug in Centurion Tanks; narrow escape from artillery fire; smoking as means of keeping awake manning radio sets; danger of going into no-man's land.
REEL 5 Continues: contrast in tactics between British and Chinese in respect to taking casualties; higher level of casualties in United States Army in contrast to British Army; incident when Australians rescued United States Army troops; use of codes, passwords and responses; keeping radio sets and lines in repair; problems when passwords changed; problems of being caught in flare in no-man's land; question of soldier's sense of being invulnerable.
REEL 6 Continues: cleaning up in reserve; use of Korean porters; techniques for keeping warm; reasons for loss of teeth; reasons for not shaving in front line; attitude of riflemen to signallers; negative aspects of signal role; problems of dust in summer; problems of ringworm and use of DDT; method of keeping jeep oil from freezing; winter clothing; types of clothing worn to avoid identification by Chinese; recall to line to prevent Canadian Army troops from being overrun; role of signallers in stabilising such a situation; importance of self-reliance; rat infestation; weapons discipline in trenches.
REEL 7 Continues: effects of artillery shelling; esprit de corp of unit; troops' questioning of role in Korea; attitude to having served in Korean War; effects of service in Korean War and attending reunions; plight of refugees; importance of cleaning up unwanted food; Korean children foraging for food; reasons why rest and recreation nicknamed 'rack and ruin'; Maori singing prowess; opinion of French Canadian drivers; attempts of United States Army troops to buy British rubber commando boots.