Interview with Norman Leonard Bryant

British private served with 5th Bn Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942; NCO served with 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regt, 64th Indian Infantry Bde, 19th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Shepperton and Petersfield, GB, 1917- 1939: family circumstances; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; effect of Second World War on farming. Recollections of period with 5th Bn Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942: enlistment in British Army, 3/1940; joining battalion at Shepton Mallet; attitude of family he was billeted with on having soldiers in home; character of basic training; move of 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div to Royston; story of how commanding officer dealt with dirty rifle charge, summer 1940; driving anti-aircraft trucks at Royston; coastal defence work in Thanet area, 11/1940; German Air Force strafing attack on football match at RAF Manston, late 1940; cigarette shortage, late 1940; story of how officer dealt with Corps of Military Police speeding complaint against Bryant; story of civilian smuggled into military area at Margate, early 1941; attitude towards coastal defence work in Kent, 1940-1941. REEL 2 Continues: opposition he encountered to leaving unit for Worcestershire Regt, early 1942; how father dealt with accusation of avoiding military service. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Duchess of Richmond from GB to India, 1942: conditions on board troopship; reception in Durban, South Africa; treatment of Indian airmen in South Africa. Recollections of period with 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regt, 64th Indian Infantry Bde, 19th Indian Infantry Div in India, 1942-1944: initial impressions of Bombay, 5/1942; acclimatisation at Wellington Hill Station; joining battalion at Madras, 6/1942; coastal defence duties; incident of being stoned by Indian civilians in Madras, 1942; allegiance of camp followers to unit; role as mechanic of C Coy's transport and maintaining Universal Carriers; story of snake expert, Indian fitter Balram who was bitten by snake and survived. REEL 3 Continues: relations with Indian fitter, Balram; training on Malabar Coast in monsoon; use of elephant to extract Universal Carriers; reluctance to being promoted sergeant; memories of meeting Field Marshal Archibald Wavell; removal of battalion's Universal Carriers; voyage up River Brahmaputra to Dimapur; attitude of Indian steamer captain to transporting British troops, late 1944. Recollections of operations with 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regt, 64th Indian Infantry Bde, 19th Indian Infantry Div in Burma, 1944-1945: move into Burma, 11/1944; lack of Imperial Japanese Army opposition during crossing of River Chindwin, 11/1944; role looking after battalion jeeps; first skirmish with Imperial Japanese Army and reaction to casualties; NCO's narrow escape from unexploded artillery shell; mine danger to jeeps; arrival at River Irrawaddy; story of three Imperial Japanese Army troops who walked into battalion's perimeter on River Irrawaddy. REEL 4 Continues: problems of regaining unit lines west of River Irrawaddy; casualties on foot patrol; jeep patrols; terrain in Central Burma; incident where battalion got lost, 25/12/1944; capture of Shwebo; meeting of 2nd Infantry Div and 19th Indian Infantry Div; crossing River Irrawaddy; advance to Mandalay; living conditions of troops; attack on Fort Dufferin; battalion casualties caused by United States Army Air Force at Fort Dufferin; capture of Fort Dufferin; reasons for attitude towards Japanese; road clearing duties at Maymyo; capture of Rangoon; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of return to GB, 1945: dispute on voyage GB about whether ex-Far Eastern prisoners of war should share duties aboard ship, late 1945; story of disguising himself as ex-prisoner of war Suez, Egypt to get new uniform; family homecoming; problems of re-adjusting to civilian life after 1945; question of psychological and physical effects of service in Burma during Second World War.