Interview with Thomas Charles Bell

British NCO served with No 44 (Royal Marine) Commando, 3rd Special Service Bde and 3rd Commando Bde in Arakan, Burma, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Ashington, GB, 1918-1936: family; education; reasons for joining Royal Marines, 1936. Aspects of period as marine with Royal Marines in GB, 1936-1939: basic training at Royal Marines Depot Deal; sea service aboard HMS Rodney; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as NCO with 3rd Bn Royal Marines, Royal Marine Division in GB and during Dakar Raid, French West Africa, 1939-1941: opinion of quality of first batch of wartime marines; belief that Germans would invade, summer 1940; memories of Dakar Raid, French West Africa, 9/1940; background to how 3rd Bn, Royal Marines became No 44 (Royal Marine) Commando; opinion of Dakar Raid. Aspects of period as NCO with No 44 (Royal Marine) Commando in GB and India, 1941-1944: character of commando course at Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry; description of 'Me and my Pal' system; casualties during training; contrast between training and action; billeting system in Kent; problems of seeing wife and baby, 1943; voyage aboard HMT Reina del Pacifico from GB to India, 1943; German Air Force attack in Mediterranean; arrival in India, 12/1943; address by Lord Louis Mountbatten. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with No 44 (Royal Marine) Commando, 3rd Special Service Bde and 3rd Commando Bde in Arakan, Burma and India, 1944-1945: use of 'R' boats for seaborne landings in Arakan, Burma; shooting of Imperial Japanese Army sniper in tree; casualties during landings; problems of Imperial Japanese Army troops mixing with villagers; sniping at Imperial Japanese Army troops; failure to capture Japanese prisoners; loss of NCO and wounding of chaplain; opinion of artillery support received; move to Assam, India; treatment for dysentery in Silchar, India; impenetrability of bamboo; dangers from elephants; contact with Naga hill people; difference in attitude between Naga hill people and Burmese; need for constant watering of supply road; hospitality of planter, O B Jones in Assam, India; character of rainfall in Assam, India; failure of experiment with American K-rations on St Martin's Island, India; return to Arakan, Burma; landings on Akyab Island, Burma; landing in mangrove swamps near Myebon, Burma. Aspects of operations at Kangaw, Burma, 1/1945: objectives of operation at Kangaw. REEL 3 Continues: reasons for lack of artillery cover at Kangaw; casualties from artillery bursts in trees; Imperial Japanese Army infantry attack on Pinner, Kangaw; role as troop sergeant-major; use of camouflage; Imperial Japanese Army troops' behaviour towards captured British Indian Army stretcher-bearers; Imperial Japanese Army tactics; character of hand-to-hand fighting on Hill 170; memories of Lieutenant-Colonel Grant-Taylor; character of Imperial Japanese Army boots; problems of locating Imperial Japanese Army troops in jungle. Aspects of service with No 44 (Royal Marine) Commando, 3rd Commando Bde in Far East, 1945: curtailing of plans to invade Malaya, 8/1945; move into Hong Kong, 1945; expelling Communists from Hong Kong; accumulation of rubbish under Japanese rule in Hong Kong; incident of Indians burning cinema showing film 'Objective Burma' (1945) in Calcutta, India. REEL 4 Continues: futile attempt of British Army officer to stop mob in Bombay, India; incident of being admonished for digging up lawn in front of museum in Bombay, India; exchange of Japanese currency in Hong Kong; opinion of service in Hong Kong and India; attitude to having served with Royal Marines in Second World War; question of effects of wartime service.