Bingley, Richard (Oral history)

British NCO served with 1/8th Bn Middlesex Regt in France and Belgium, 1940; served with 2nd Parachute Commando and 11th Special Air Service in GB, 1940-1942; officer served with 1st Bn Parachute Regt in Sicily, GB and Arnhem, Netherlands, 1943-1944; POW in Germany, 1944-1945; served with 1st Bn Welch Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 3/1952-6/1952

REEL 1 Background in London and Staines, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; employment; reasons for joining Territorial Army, 1938. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 1/8th Bn Middlesex Regt in GB, 1939-1940: background to promotion to sergeant; move to France; role digging anti-tank defences; stationing in Lille area. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1/8th Bn Middlesex Regt in Belgium and France, 5/1940: start of German offensive, 10/5/1940; unit casualties during move into Belgium; role of 3rd Div; move to Brussels area; sighting of Vickers machine guns; problems of obtaining transport; withdrawal towards Albert Canal; holding bridges over Albert Canal; wounding by German mortar-fire; evacuation to hospital to Lille; evacuation by ambulance to Dunkirk. REEL 2 Continues: arrival at Dunkirk; evacuation aboard hospital ship to GB. Hospitalisation for wounds in GB, 1940: treatment on hospital train; arrival at Axminister; hearing of doctor's behaviour towards mortally wounded comrade. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Parachute Commando and 11th Bn Special Air Service in GB, 1940-1942: use of Gammon bombs; change of unit name from 2nd Parachute Commando to 11th Special Air Service; role testing defences of at stations in GB; reasons for disbandment of unit and conversion to 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 10/1942. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Parachute Regt in Sicily, 1943: background to officer training and move to North Africa; problems with US pilot during parachute drop on Primasole Bridge; ambushing patrol at Primasole Bridge; destruction and capture of pillboxes; wounding in hand; capture of bridge. REEL 3 Continues: destruction of German petrol convoy; reaction of company commander to lack of POWs; question of inefficiency of US Air Force; German counter-attack on his depleted battalion; arrival of relieving forces; evacuation to North Africa, then GB with wounds. Story of problems of parachute training with wounded hand in GB, 1943-1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 6 Platoon, S Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt at Arnhem, Netherlands, 9/1944: question of sighting of drop zones; mustering on coloured smoke; question of German preparedness for British paratroopers. REEL 4 Continues: move towards Arnhem; problems with wirelesses; unit officer casualties; German ambush on paratrooper column; destruction of German machine gun positions; loss of Bren gun crews; action near Arnhem Prison and Elizabeth Hospital; method of crossing roads; destruction of Bren-gun carriers; role locating stragglers; hand to hand fighting with German SS NCO; techniques for clearing German machine gun positions; wounding by sniper; house to house fighting. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1944-1945: transport into Germany; behaviour of German captors; arrest for throwing coffee on Germans who had urinated in POWs' coffee; meeting with David Stirling. REEL 5 Continues: behaviour by SS in German Air Force correction centre, 2/1945; character of treatment by SS and post-war effects. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Welch Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 3/1952- 6/1952: background to volunteering for Korea; role as draft control officer on voyage from GB to Korea; transfer to unit; move into front-line at Hill 355; question of only junior officers patrolling; meeting with Korean agents on River Samichon. REEL 6 Continues: finding Chinese positions on three day patrol; amusing banter after crossing fertilised Korean paddy fields; discovery of Chinese observation post on Hill 227; reasons for failure on subsequent raid on Chinese observation post; wounding during attack on Hill 227; fate of Chinese POWs; evacuation by helicopter to US hospital; opinion of Chinese troops. REEL 7 Continues: Question of differing motivations for service in Second World War and Korean War. Physical effects of service. Historical background to Korean conflict. Attitude towards use of flame- throwers and phosphorus grenades. Story of training with 11th Special Air Service in Scotland, c10/1940-11/1940. Character of train journey as POW from Arnhem, Netherlands into Germany, 1944.