Interview with Roy William Painter

British signaller served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to Commonwealth Division Signals Regt, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 1952-1953

REEL 1 Background in Finsbury Park, London, GB, 1933-1951: family; education; evacuation to Merton; further evacuations to Kettering and St Erith; use of Finsbury Park Underground Station as air raid shelter; effects of German Air Force bombing in Finsbury Park area; victory celebrations, 1945. Aspects of training with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1951: call-up for National Service, 1951; arrival at Catterick Camp; character of basic training; period with Royal Corps of Signals demonstration team; mother's reaction to his posting to South Korea. Voyage aboard HMT Empire Halladale from GB to South Korea: job on board; incident of being refused entrance to Raffles Club, Singapore, Federation of Malaya; march in Aden, Aden Protectorate. Recollections of operations with Royal Corps of Signals attached to Commonwealth Division Signals Regt, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 1952-1953: reception in Pusan; joining King Troop; attachment to 3rd Royal Australian Regt; friendship with 'The Akadama Kid'; initial reaction to being under-fire; personal morale; Chinese People's Volunteer Army mortar fire around headquarters of 3rd Bn Royal Australian Regt. REEL 2 Continues: use of American helicopters to evacuate wounded; United States Air Force use of napalm; protecting himself from rats; opinion of Australians; dispersal of United States Army troops by Chinese People's Volunteer Army mortar fire; description of 'riding shotgun'; Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack on 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt) on The Hook, 11/1952; incidents of humour; attitude to serving in Korean War; attitude towards Koreans; role of Korean porters and friendship with Korean doctor; importance of access to washing facilities; living conditions of United States Army troops; pressure of work on signallers; comrade who had died of beating in prisoner of war camp; amusing story of not knowing difference between gorillas and guerrillas; reception on return to GB; later conversation with actor Michael Caine; swollen eye from mosquito bite; twentieth birthday at Yong Dong Po; later correspondence with broadcaster Alan Whicker; attitude to doing National Service. REEL 3 Continues: story of political agitator in unit; leave in Japan, spring 1953.