Description
Object description
British bandboy and private served with 2nd Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in India, 1935-1941; NCO served with 2nd Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Burma, 1942; private served with No 2 Commando, 2nd Special Service Bde and 2nd Commando Bde in Albania and Italy, 1944-1945; NCO served with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 9/1952-10/1953; served with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Cyprus, 1956
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, India and Egypt, 1920-1934: family; education; father's military postings. Aspects of period as bandboy and private with 2nd Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in India, 1934-1941: enlistment as bandboy, 1935; duties at Nowshera and Delhi, 1939-1941; under fire from insurgents at Peshawar on North West Frontier, 1941; attitude to service on North West Frontier; character of unit's equipment; voyage from Madras to Rangoon, Burma, 2/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Burma, 2/1942-5/1942: lack of knowledge of country; in transit at Mingaladon; conditions on roads; reception from Burmese villagers; reaction of Burma Rifles unit to approach of Imperial Japanese Army; Imperial Japanese Army Air Service attack on unit; withdrawal and friendly fire attack by Royal Air Force; initial contact with Imperial Japanese Army; attempt to aid wounded Gurkha officer.
REEL 2 Continues: acquisition of Bren Gun from dead British Indian Army soldier; desperation for water on withdrawal; refusing NCOs order to open fire; taking up positions in paddy fields at Mokpalin; Imperial Japanese Army 'jitter' tactics; disorientation of unit officer; shooting down of Imperial Japanese Army Air Service aircraft; dilemma as whether to withdraw without orders; retreat to River Sittang; swimming of River Sittang; trek towards Waw; change in attitude of villagers to British stragglers after intervention of Anglo-Burmese comrade; handling of hostile villagers; arrest as potential deserter; effect of merging of unit with 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry at Pegu; reaction to being transferred to Corps of Military Police.
REEL 3 Continues: deliberate disobeying of first orders as military policeman; return to unit; trek towards Rangoon; acquisition of 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt haversack; decision to head towards Akyab; physical state of stragglers; memories of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Charles 'Bull' Faithfull; Imperial Japanese Army outflanking tactics; troops' reaction to anti-cholera inoculations; plan to counter-attack Japanese forces at Prome; reasons for unit becoming cut off; escape of Burmese civilian from being shot; dilemma of directing mortar fire at Imperial Japanese Army troops and hitting own troops at Paungde; action at Shwedaung; sight of dead 1st Bn Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) personnel at Shwedaung.
REEL 4 Continues: Imperial Japanese Army practice of killing wounded men including their own; salvaging food from burnt out tank; wounding by blast grenade; character of Imperial Japanese Army Air Service attack; Private Bill Townend's shooting down of Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bomber aircraft; sight of wounded Sikh; further fighting at Shwedaung; aiding mortally wounded comrade Private Harry Kay hit in kidney, 6/4/1942; escape through Japanese roadblock aboard artillery tractor; acquisition of 1st Bn Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) mortar; withdrawal towards Mandalay; question of dealing with cases of nervous exhaustion; story of how refugee saved him during road accident.
REEL 5 Continues: arrival by ambulance at Allanmyo; incident of British Indian Army soldier who took his posessions at Allanmyo; voyage with wounded up River Irrawaddy to Mandalay; need for food; train journey from Mandalay to Maymo; medical treatment at British hospital in Maymo; paying for extra food in hospital; conditions on train journey to Myitkyina; problems of ferrying wounded by aircraft; opinion of work of British Indian Army Sikh officer in organising evacuation of wounded by aircraft from Myitkyina to India; initial incomprehension of officer at Tinsukia, India about situation in Burma; treatment of wounded Burma survivors at Bareilly and at Lucknow in India. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 9/1952-1953: background to volunteering to go as intelligence sergeant to Korean War; voyage aboard HMT Devonshire from GB to South Korea, 8/1952-9/1952; reception at Pusan, 9/1952.
REEL 6 Continues: question of quality of corporals; introduction to Korean houseboys; use of Korean porters; mortar accident at Yong Dong Po; support for 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt) on The Hook; contrast between mortar work at Yong Dong Po and Burma; move to Nae Chong; living conditions; infestation of rats; problems caused by visitors to frontline; contrast between unit and Royal Artillery observation posts; Chinese People's Volunteer Army attempts to knock-out Royal Artillery observation post; character of sniping expeditions; winter 1952-1953; dispensing rum to United States Army troops; in reserve in tents in cold weather; arrival of officer Ian Hardy; reputation of The Hook; mortar support for 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt) on The Hook; attachment to Support Platoon, 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt); Chinese People's Volunteer Army 'jitter' tactics; atmosphere on The Hook; artillery bombardment preceding Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack.
REEL 7 Continues: role as quarter-master sergeant; meeting with George Forty; start of Chinese People's Volunteer Army artillery barrage preceding attack on The Hook, 1953; lack of Chinese People's Volunteer Army counter-fire against mortars; replacement of unit on The Hook by 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt); move to Nae Chong; emergence of Chinese People's Volunteer Army personnel from their positions on Armistice Day, 27/7/1953. Aspects of return from India to GB via United States of America, 1942-1943: punishment for refusal to do kitchen duties at Fort Slocum, New York; voyage aboard HMT Louis Pasteur from United States of America to GB; reaction to soldiering in GB, 1943; turning down chance of duties with Home Guard; objection to Far East posting; volunteering for commando training.
REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of commando training in GB, 1943-1944: introduction to self-discipline of commandos at York; reverting to rank of private in order to join commandos; teaming up with Private Johnny Fox at Achnacarry; coping with commando training; story of Scottish football professional offering his gold medal for best commando recruit; problems he had with unarmed combat; Returned to Unit (RTU) system. Recollections of operations as private with No 2 Commando, 2nd Special Service Bde and 2nd Commando Bde in Italy and Albania, 1944-1945: effect of unwashed grapes on unit personnel; move to Bari, Italy; raiding operation against Germans in Albania; opinion of Albanian partisans, 11/1944.
REEL 9 Continues: suspected shooting of German prisoners by Albania Partisans; capture of Sarande, Albania; willingness of Germans on Corfu Island, to surrender to British; return to Italy and contracting malaria; move to front line at Ravenna, Italy; relations between Italians and Germans on front line at Ravenna, Italy; attachment of commando to Italian Partisan Garibaldi Brigade; projected role of commando in attack at Lake Comacchio, Italy, 4/1945; types of assault craft used on Lake Comacchio, Italy, 4/1945; problems of carrying mortar; accurate bombardment by 142nd (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regt, Royal Artillery; problems of disembarking in mud of Lake Comacchio, 1/4/1945; capture of German Army troops; presence of Asiatic personnel amongst German prisoners of war.
REEL 10 Continues: commando casualties during Battle of Lake Comacchio, 4/1945; handling casualties at Regimental Aid Post; story of how he accidentally navigated group into German positions; rescuing casualty from threat of German Panther Tank; role of commando in preventing German break-out from Argenta, Italy; contact with civilians in Argenta area, Italy; under friendly fire from II Polish Corps Tanks; abortive plans to attack across River Po, Italy; relations with German prisoners of war after VE Day, 5/8/1945. Aspects of period as NCO with No 4 Commando in Germany, 1945-1946: role guarding Nazi prisoners of war at Recklinghausen; duties guarding German civilians from attacks from Displaced Persons.
REEL 11 Continues: relations with German civilians at Suderwich; Christmas party for German children; runaway horse and cart incident; role shooting fresh meat for local hospitals; behaviour of Displaced Persons. Aspects of operations with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Cyprus, 1956: background to posting to Cyprus; cordon and search operations; how ex-miner used his expertise to find National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) insurgents; use of church bells to warn National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) insurgents; handling antagonistic journalist; supplying tinned fish to monks at Kykkos Monastery; reasons for missing operation against National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA); question of lack of effects of experiences serving with military.
