Interview with James Thomas Chambers

British civilian in Holloway, London, GB, 9/1939-7/1942; trooper served with 23rd Hussars, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB, 1942-1943; NCO served as wireless operator served with Jedburgh Team Bunny in Langres area, France, 8/1944-9/1944; served with Special Operations Executive on Morotai Island, Dutch East Indies and Labuan, North Borneo, British Borneo, 1945

REEL 1 Background in Hackney and Holloway, London, GB, 1923-1939: family circumstances; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as civilian in London, GB, 9/1939-7/1942: German Air Force bombs which fell on Holloway area; work putting out German Air Force incendiary bombs which fell on timber yard; mother's use of London Underground station to shelter in during German Air Force raids; sight of devastation in Farringdon area. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 7/1942-9/1942: call-up for military service, 7/1942; attitude to military 'bull'; basic training at Newport, 7/1942-8/1942; treatment of conscripts by NCO; selection to be gunner-wireless operator with Royal Armoured Corps at Barnard Castle, 8/1942-9/1942. Aspects of period as trooper with 23rd Hussars, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB, 10/1942-9/1943: posting to Chippenham Park Camp near Newmarket, 10/1942; nature of training with unit; reasons for volunteering for Special Operations Executive, 9/1943. Recollections of training with Special Operations Executive in GB, 1943-1944: character of training at Special Training School 65 (STS 65) Milton Hall, Peterborough; unarmed combat training. REEL 2 Continues: Morse Code training at Special Training School 54a (STS 54a) Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames; preference for training with Special Operations Executive in contrast to 23rd Hussars including visit by King George VI in 1942 and opinion of M4 Sherman Tank; wireless exercises at Special Training School (STS 54a) Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames; radio training at Special Training School (STS 54b) Belhaven School, Dunbar, winter 1943-1944; return to Special Training School (STS 65) Milton Hall for training especially coding and de-coding; parachute training at No 1 Parachute Training, RAF at RAF Ringway; teaming up with Captains Jocelyn Radice and Lieutenant Maurice Gerville; obtaining codename 'Drachma'; Bastille Day celebrations at Special Training School 65 (STS 65) Milton Hall, Peterborough, 14/7/1944. Recollections of operations with Jedburgh Team Bunny at Langres, France, 8/1944-9/1944: flight to France, 17/8/1944; reception committee near Langres, 17/8/1944; start of operations and contact with Maquis. REEL 3 Continues: training Maquis in use of small arms; radio work attending arms drops; Special Air Service group operating in area; Maquis casualties; Maquis treatment of collaborator; capture of Auberive; death of Captain Jocelyn Radice, 27/8/1944; arrival of Free French Forces at Auberive, 9/1944; French branding of collaborators with swastikas, 9/1944; wounding of Lieutenant Maurice Gerville, 8/9/1944; refusal to become involved in warfare between rival French Resistance groups. Recollections of operations as NCO with Special Operations Executive in British Borneo, 1945: background to posting; nature of training on Fraser Island in Australia; role as wireless operator with Allied Intelligence Bureau on Morotai Island, Dutch East Indies. REEL 4 Continues: arrival on landing craft at Labuan; wireless operating to agents in jungle; receiving emergency message from radio operator of Major Tom Harrison; memories of Major Tom Harrison; living conditions at Labuan; reaction to Japanese surrender; background to delayed return to GB via Singapore, Malaya. Aspects of operations as NCO with Jedburgh Team Bunny in France, 8/1944-9/1944: transmitting request for air strike in support of 2nd Special Air Service Regt in Belfort Gap; story of death of Special Air Service officer Lieutenant Michele Pinci from strafing by Allied aircraft, 11/9/1944.