Interview with Brian Mather

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

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Description

Object description

British NCO served with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards in Kenya, 1960-1962; served as instructor at Guards Training Depot, Pirbright in GB, 1962-1965; served with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards, Aden Bde in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 9/1965-4/1966; served with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards on tours of Northern Ireland, 1970-1986; officer served with 1st Armoured Div in the Gulf War, 1990-1991

Content description

REEL 1 Background to training with Coldstream Guards in GB, 1958-1959: reasons for joining British Army, 10/1958; basic training at Guards Training Depot, Pirbright. Aspects of period as with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards in Kenya, 1960-1962: move to Kenya; exercise in Kuwait in which he collapsed from heat exhaustion; basing of unit at Gil Gil; degree to which Mau Mau were still operating; relations with Africans; opinion of service in Kenya. Aspects of period as instructor at Guards Training Depot Pirbright, GB, 1962-1965: signing on for further twenty two years; problems for service wives; attempt of British Army to encourage home ownership among soldiers; question of boarding schools for children of serving British Army personnel. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards in Northern Ireland, 1970-1986: his nine tours of service in Northern Ireland; border patrols in Londonderry area; discovery of thousand pound bomb, 1971; work as 'tout handler' in Belfast 1978; incident of broken-down car in Springfield Road, West Belfast, 1978. REEL 2 Continues: basing of unit in West Belfast; question of usefulness of intelligence gathered. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Coldstream Guards, Aden Brigade in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 9/1965-4/1966: work as platoon sergeant on Cap Badge Ridge; helicopter supply; danger of patrolling at Grenade Corner in Sheikh Othman; attitude to serving on Cap Badge Ridge; attacks by insurgents on Cap Badge Ridge; air support from Royal Air Force Hawker Hunter aircraft; attitude of Adenis towards British Army. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Armoured Div during Gulf War, 12/1990-2/1991: role and duties as divisional quartermaster; naming of various camps; Christmas celebrations in Saudi Arabia, 25/12/1990; role of Camp 4; targeting of Al Jabyle by Iraqi Scud Missiles; use of sewer pipes as air raid shelters; American control of air raid warning system; attitude towards Scud Missiles; use of Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suits; question of danger of troops becoming blasé about Scud Missiles; character of Al Jabyle port; relations with Saudi Arabians; opinion of rations. REEL 3 Continues: question of 'Gulf War Syndrome'; work of British Army administration; question of apprehensiveness before hostilities started; attitude towards Allied coalition forces; attitude to having served with Coldstream Guards, 1958-1995.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), 1990 to the present day (content), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Mather, Brian (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2000-04-17
Dimensions: whole: Duration 70, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 20280

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