Anderson, William John Basil (Oral history)

British officer served with London Scottish and 8th Bn Royal Scots in GB, 1934-1941; transport officer with 33 Bde, 7th Indian Div in India and Burma, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1939: family; education; joining Territorial Army, 1934-1935; character of London Scottish; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Period with London Scottish and 8th Bn Royal Scots in GB, 1939- 1941: guard duties with London Scottish in London docks; garzetting into Royal Scots as subaltern, 11/1939; posting to 8th Bn Royal Scots near Peebles; coastal defence duties in East Anglia; role commanding carrier platoon; posting to Indian Army, 1941. Aspects of period with 4/1st Gurkha Rifles and 33Bde, 7th Indian Div in India, 1942-1944: voyage from GB to India aboard Duchess of Bedford, 2/1942; move to Bangalore OTC; posting to 4/1st Gurkha Rifles near Abbottabad; impressions of Gurkha troops. REEL 2 Continues: reasons for being left behind at Abbottabad when 4/1st Gurkha Rifles moved to North West Frontier; training at Ranchi; becoming brigade transport officer of 33rd Bde, 7th Indian Div. move to Vizagapatam for voyage to Chittagong; racial composition of brigades of Indian Army; transport of vehicles to Arakan. Recollections of operations as brigade transport officer with 33 Bde, 7th Indian Div in the Admin Box, Arakan, Burma, early 1944: crossing Mayu Range; Japanese attack and surrounding of Admin Box, 2/1944; opinion of Japanese troops; ambush by Japanese whilst attempting to locate divisional headquarters; formation of Admin Box; re-capitulation of ambush story, 4/2/1944. REEL 3 Continues: medical treatment he received in casualty clearing station; story of how dispute about personal firearm saved him from hospital massacre; offensive against Japanese after relief of Admin Box. Recollections of operations with 33 Bde in Kohima area, India, 1944: role transferring brigade vehicles from Arakan to Kohima; role of 2nd Div at Kohima, 1944; story of Gurkhas who killed Japanese POWs; faithfulness of his Gurkha orderly. Period as air liaison officer in India, 1945: training in Rawalpindi area; liaison work at RAF Chaklala; preparations for Operation Zipper; stories relating to Gurkhas parachuting. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period in Admin Box, 2/1944: question of impossibility of rescuing men from massacre at hospital; meeting with hospital doctor after Second World War.