Interview with Arthur Francis Freer

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Description

Object description

British trooper served with 56th Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps and 1st East Riding Yeomanry in GB, 1941-1942; NCO served with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde in India and Burma, 10/1943-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in York and Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1922-1941: family; education; memories of Officers Training Corps (OTC) at Hymers College, Kingston upon Hull; learning Morse Code; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; membership of 2nd (Brough) Bn, East Riding Home Guard at Cottingham, 1941. Aspects of period as trooper with 56th Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1941-1942: reasons for volunteering for Royal Armoured Corps; relations with NCOs; passing driving test; character of training; role as wireless instructor; types of wireless sets used; rules for operating wireless sets; method of driving tanks; opinion of Matilda Tank Mk II; gunnery training on moors near Catterick Camp; limited tactical training. REEL 2 Continues: types of machine guns used; personal weapons issued; opinion of Thompson Machine Gun; technique for throwing grenades; training with Boys Anti-Tank Rifle; bayonet training; uniform and equipment issued; qualifying as wireless operator; background to joining 1st East Riding Yeomanry at Bingley. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Esperance Bay and SS Nieuw Amsterdam from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 11/1942-1/1943: conditions on board SS Esperance Bay from GB to South Africa; transfer to SS Nieuw Amsterdam in Durban, South Africa; behaviour of South Africans aboard SS Nieuw Amsterdam. Aspects of period as trooper with 47th Royal Tank Regt in Egypt, 1943: transfer to unit on arrival; warning against thieves; amusing story of mistaking regimental sergeant major for thief; visit to Cairo. Aspects of period with Royal Armoured Corps Depot at Poona, India, 1943: arrival at Poona. REEL 3 Continues: Tonga racing; character of training; role as wireless operator; sight of Mahatma Gandhi; incident of being chased by Indian mob in Hyderabad; lack of social contact with Indian civilians; background to transfer to 26th Hussars and then 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards). Recollections of period as NCO with B Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde at Imphal, India, 10/1943-4/1944: character of journey from Madras area to Imphal, 10/1943; security on journey; traffic control on Dimapur-Kohima Road; attitude to serving in Imphal area; patrolling; contact with Nagas tribespeople; visits from Lord Louis Mountbatten and General William Slim; Japanese attack during 'Stainless Steel' show; practising attacking bunkers with Gurkhas. REEL 4 Continues: technique for attacking bunkers; amusing story relating to Gurkhas volunteering for parachute training; fate of A Sqdn; Japanese use of anti-tank weapons and artillery against A Sqdn. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde during Battle of Nungshigum Ridge, India, 13/4/1944: plan to attack on Nungshigum Ridge; crew members; start of attack on ridge, 13/4/1944; role of Royal Engineer officer in guiding tanks; Japanese attempts to mine the side of tank; hearing of loss of unit tank commanders; mortal wounding of his own tank commander; destruction of Japanese bunker; orders to return; encountering sheer drop; unit casualties; Japanese casualties; fate of tank commander; supporting tanks with machine gun fire; finding grenade in bottom of tank after attack; view he had from inside tank; character of Japanese troops. REEL 5 Continues: reaction to end of action; question of loss of tank commanders; opinion of M3 Lee Tank during Nunshigum Ridge action; air and artillery support before attack; role of supporting 1/17th Bn Dogra Regt; role of squadron commander; commanding officer's visit after action; cleaning and re-equipping tanks, 14/4/1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards), 254th Indian Tank Bde in India, 4/1944-11/1944: role of unit; target indication; arrival of new squadron leader Major Mackinder Wright; terrain around Tiddim Road; Japanese tactics; role of 3/4th Bn Bombay Grenadiers as tank guards; daily routine. REEL 6 Continues: health problems; use of communal latrine at Bishenpur; story of finding elephant on Silchar Track; arrival of Japanese comfort girl; problems with malaria and leeches; living conditions during monsoon; rations available; effect of monsoon on water supplies; use of Valentine Bridgelayer Tank in monsoon; problems of repairing thrown tracks; incident of butchering cow for meat; problems of stomach disorders for crew in tank. REEL 7 Continues: nature of fighting around Bishenpur, 4/1944-7/1944; attempted Japanese ambush on unit; lack of water; clearing of Japanese troops from mule lines at Bishenpur; reopening of road to Imphal; unit casualties; procedure of evacuating tanks; provision of spare parts; in reserve at Yairipok; leave; attempt to become glider pilot, 8/1944-9/1944; effect of introduction of communication telephone to back of tank. REEL 8 Continues: importance of Milestone 108. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards, 254th Indian Tank Bde in Burma, 11/1944-5/1945: conditions during advance into Kabaw Valley; arrival at Kalewa; amusing story of meeting with Lord Louis Mountbatten at Kalewa; crossing River Chindwin, 12/1944; character of advance towards Shwebo; loss of Major Mackinder Wright during attack on Japanese roadblock, near Shwebo, 24/12/1944; narrow escape from sniper; emphasis on continuing advance; nature of Japanese road blocks; condition of Japanese troops; entering Shwebo. REEL 9 Continues: conditions of tanks, 1/1945; delayed Christmas celebrations, 1/1945; nature of operations on River Irrawaddy, 1/1945; effect of United States Army Air Force heavy bombing of Burmese village; repairing tank aerial under fire; story of coming under friendly fire from one of unit's tanks; question of importance of identifying targets; sinking Japanese boats on River Irrawaddy, 1/1945; method of fishing with tank aerials and hand grenades; crossing River Irrawaddy, 1/1945. REEL 10 Continues: entering Mandalay, 3/1945; sight of freed internees; firing on Japanese positions in Mandalay, 3/1945; Burmese civilians' unwillingness to take any currency except Japanese; move to Mount Popa; sight of pagodas in Pagan; character of advance towards Rangoon, 4/1945; problems of medical treatment for stomach disorder. Aspects of period with 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) in India, 1945-1946: evacuation by aircraft; hospitalisation at No 3 British General Hospital; in transit to Royal Armoured Corps at Poona; return to unit at Secunderabad; fate of unit's tanks; story of post-war visit to Burma. REEL 11 Continues: transfer to Headquarters Sqdn and promotion to intelligence sergeant; character of camp followers; duties; leave in southern India; reaction to surrender of Japanese; move to North West Frontier; refusal of troops to eat pickled herrings; witnessing communal violence; sight of Afghanistan border guards on North West Frontier, 1946; return to GB as hospital patient aboard HMT Strathaird, 1946; demobilisation, 1946. Reflectons on military service in Second World War: attitude to serving with B Sqdn, 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards); post-war visits to India and Burma. REEL 12 Continues: question of democracy in Burma, 1986; account of visit to Imphal-Kohima area of India, 1988.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production Company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Freer, Arthur Francis (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1999-09-24
Dimensions: whole: Duration 380, Number Of Items 12
Catalogue number: 19822

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Interview with Arthur Francis Freer

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