Interview with Terence Rupert Molloy

British officer served with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt in India, 1939-1942; served with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt, 32nd Indian Infantry Bde, 20th Indian Infantry Div in Ceylon, India and Burma, 1942-1944

REEL 1 Background in India and GB, 1917-1937: family circumstances; education. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Northamptonshire Regt in GB and Northern Ireland, 1937-1939: background to commissioning into regiment, 1937; posting to 2nd Bn Northamptonshire Regt in Northern Ireland. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt in India, 1939-1942: job looking after Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) personnel on draft to India, 4/1939; joining unit at Bihar; social activities for officers and men at Dinapur; move to Jhansi, 1/1940; refusal of Brigadier William Slim to take unit to East Africa; presence of internees at Dinapur from 9/1939; return of battalion to Dinapur after 1941; use of wooden replica weapons, 1939-1941; deferring of repatriation for time-expired regulars; 1939-1942; abortive voyage towards Rangoon, Burma, 3/1942 including issue of new equipment; return of ship to Calcutta; return to Dinapur. REEL 2 Continues: joining 20th Indian Infantry Div at Trimulgherry for jungle training. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt, 32nd Indian Infantry Bde, 20th Indian Infantry Div in Ceylon, 1942-1943: contact with Australian troops; living conditions at Horana; lack of facilities for troops; use of camp at Katakarunda; battalion exercises at Hambantota; arrival of reinforcements. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt in 32nd Indian Infantry Bde, 20th Indian Infantry Div in India, 8/1943-11/1943: move to Ranchi, 8/1943; conditions in camp at Ranchi; move to Dimapur; troops' accommodation at Dimapur; character of road between Dimapur to Imphal; description of Naga houses in which battalion was accommodated; contacting fever. Recollections of operations as company commander with 2 Coy, 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt, 32nd Indian Infantry Bde, 20th Indian Infantry Div in Burma and India, 1943-1944: becoming operational in Kabaw Valley, Burma, 11/1943; description of tracks in Kabaw Valley, Burma; moving on foot and character of Burmese guide, 12/1943; nature of Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; advance to Tilaung Chaung on River Yu, Burma. REEL 3 Continues: terrain in Kabaw Valley, Burma; reconnaissance patrols preceding attack on Imperial Japanese Army strongpoints 'Bath and Wells'; attack on 'Bath and Wells' and their capture; memories of Lieutenant Alec George Horwood who won a posthumous Victoria Cross, 1/1944; discovery of another Imperial Japanese Army strongpoint; question of Japanese belief that British Army troops would disperse if attacked from rear; reconnaissance patrol to search for wounded Imperial Japanese Army soldier. REEL 4 Continues: brief attachment to No 42 (Royal Marine) Commando at Belgaum, India; plan to be recalled to his battalion and problems encountered; rejoining unit at Wangjing, near Imphal, India; reconnaissance patrol down Tiddim Road, India; taking up positions at Bishenpur, India; terrain on Silchar Track, India; climb up Silchar Track to Point 5846, India; Imperial Japanese Army attacks on Point 5846, India; Imperial Japanese Army troops' use of grenade launchers; reaction to lack of training of soldiers he was in charge of when attempting to rescue wounded officer; wounding in foot, 20/4/1944. Recollections of medical evacuation and hospitalisation in Burma and India, 1944-1945: his stretchering down from Point 5846, India to Advanced Dressing Station; aid from American Field Service; theft of his boots. REEL 5 Continues: reasons for his evacuation to Loreto Convent in Calcutta, India; problems loading ambulance train at Calcutta, India; arrival of wounded at Secunderabad, India; ants' tormenting of wounded; overwhelming of base hospital at Secunderabad, India; failure of wound to heal, 4/1944-12/1944; repatriation to GB, 1/1945; attitude to having served with 1st Bn Northamptonshire Regt in Second World War; attitude to being interviewed by Imperial War Museum, 14/10/1999; attitude towards Japanese.