Chesson, Kenneth John (Oral history)

British private served with 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in India and Burma, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Otham and Hambledon, 1924-1942: family; education; employment; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; membership of Hambledon Home Guard; hobbies and social activities; training with Home Guard; reaction to attending crashed German aircraft; brother's military experiences; contact with Canadian troops. REEL 2 Continues: construction of Australian hospital. Enlistment and basic training with Royal Berkshire Regt, 1942: volunteering at Guildford, 27/4/1942; character of basic training with 17th Infantry Training Centre at Reading; reaction of family to his volunteering; background of recruits; issue of uniform and equipment; quality of rations; nature of accommodation; adjusting to army life; move to Colchester; question of quality of NCOs and officers; incident of soldier who went absent without leave; adjusting to army life. REEL 3 Continues: posting to 9th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt; attitude towards parades; transfer to 6th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt; attitude of Italian POWs to unit; move to Dover; conditions in Dover; leave in Ashford; memories of Ted Knock; hospitalisation for chest complaint; embarkation leave, c12/1943. REEL 4 Continues: Voyage from GB to India aboard Stratheden, 1944: accommodation; availability of white bread; sights of Port Said; contact with US troops on board; unloading at Bombay, 3/1944. Period of training with 20th Bn, Royal Fusiliers and 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in India, 1944: on draft at Deolali; character of jungle training; issue of jungle green uniform; description of solar topee; story relating to comrade's sense of humour; posting to Madras area to join 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regt; training course at Indian Army Service Corps Animal Training Centre. REEL 5 Continues: re-joining unit as muleteer; mule equipment; importance of mules; jungle training during monsoon; health problems of troops; question of reaction of mules in action; lack of knowledge of progress of war and location; move to Indian-Burma frontier, 9/1944; arrival at Milestone 116, 10/1944. Recollections of operations with 2nd Royal Berkshire Regt in Burma, 1944-1945: route into central Burma; character of fighting in Mandalay, 3/1945; rest period in Maymyo; memories of General Pete Rees. REEL 6 Continues: character of operations on advance southwards; encounter with water buffalo; problems of crossing river with mules on swing bridge and moving through thick jungle in monsoon; state of health; method of removing leeches; relations with Indian and Gurkha muleteers; role of brigade veterinarian; opinion of US K-rations; bartering with Burmese for eggs; obtaining fruit and vegetables; receiving mail from GB and India. REEL 7 Continues: reaction to initial action against Japanese; role of muleteers in action; Japanese jittering tactics; Japanese use of 2 inch mortars; guard duties in night perimeter; reaction to Japanese shell-fire; mules behaviour under shell-fire; size of mules used; fate of Japanese casualties; skirmishes with Japanese stragglers in Burmese villages, 1945; physical state of retreating Japanese troops encountered, 1945; role of Madras Sappers and Miners; character of jungle conditions during monsoon, 1945; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs; opinion of unit officers. REEL 8 Continues: opinion of Captain Rose. Aspects of period with 2nd Bn Royal Berkshire Regt in Burma and India, 1945-1946: use of Japanese POWs to build camp; reaction to going on leave after service in Burma; leave in Simla; loss of goods bought in Simla; sight of Indians carrying goods in Simla; Christmas celebrations, 1945; return to India, 1946; riot duty in Calcutta, 1946. REEL 9 Continues: attitude of Indian rioters; procedure for getting boats back to GB; in transit camp awaiting return to GB; bartering with Japanese POW for drawings; lack of knowledge of fate of British POWs in Japanese hands; medical checks; return to GB from India aboard Reina Del Pacifico. Demobilisation at Woking, 6/1945. Attitude to having served in British Army. Reasons for refusing promotion in army. Attitude towards Japanese.