Interview with Alan Gordon Sandland

British NCO served with 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 6/1952-4/1953

REEL 1 Background in Lanchester, Durham and Dunstable, GB, 1931-1951: family; education; German Air Force attack on Dunstable, 1943; presence of Allied troops in Dunstable; victory celebrations, 1945. Aspects of training with British Army in GB, Hong Kong and Japan, 1951-1952: call-up for National Service, 12/1951; basic training at Northampton; opinion of physical training instructors; continuation training at Bury St Edmunds; training at Stamford Battle Area; move to Hong Kong and training with 1st Bn Middlesex Regt (Duke of Cambridge's Own); preparations for move to South Korea, 5/1952; searches for illegal immigrants; attitude towards posting to South Korea; character of battle training at Commonwealth Division Battle School, Haramura, Japan; disciplinary methods employed by Lieutenant-Colonel M R Lonsdale; reaction to allocation to 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt). Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 6/1952-4/1952: initial impressions of South Korea; road construction; allocation to 12 Platoon, D Coy; move into front line at Hill 210; stand-to procedures; organisation of listening patrols; fighting patrol he was a member of in which platoon commander was wounded in artillery barrage, 7/1952. REEL 2 Continues: question of why accident occurred; introduction to 'The Hook' position; attitude towards United States Marine Corps' method of defence; wounds he received during patrol with United States Marine Corps, 2/11/1952; character of American constructed trenches on 'The Hook'; United States Marine Corps personnel amazement at how battalion proposed to hold 'The Hook'; nature of wounds he received; reaction to return to 'The Hook' after hospitalisation; transfer to B Coy, 12/1952; patrols he commanded, 1/1953; propaganda war in front line; sight of Chinese People's Volunteer Army prisoner of war's attempt to escape and shooting; opinion of Chinese People's Volunteer Army's equipment; attitude to having served in Korean War; return to GB, 4/1953.