Interview with James Joseph Patrick Kelly

Irish private and NCO served with 10th (Lanarkshire) Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in GB, 1940-1943; NCO served with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India and during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 10/1943-5/1944

REEL 1 Background in Bray, Ireland, 1920-1939: family circumstances; education. Aspects of enlistment and training as private with Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Depot, St Lucia Barracks, Omagh, Northern Ireland, 2/1940-5/1940: reasons for enlistment, 2/2/1940; accommodation in Omagh; basic training; wages; rifle training; relations between NCOs and other ranks; move to Dovercourt, GB, 6/1940. Aspects of period as private and NCO with B Coy, 10th (Lanarkshire) Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in GB, 1940-1943: joining unit at Dovercourt, 6/1940; training with motorcycles; question of lack of equipment, summer 1940; composition of unit; social activities and accommodation at Dovercourt; gas training; coastal defence and guard duties; daily routine; relations between other ranks and officers; training schemes; aerial activity over Dovercourt; move to Newcastle upon Tyne area, 1942. REEL 2 Continues: route marching; work as despatch rider; role instructing drill; meeting wife in Newcastle upon Tyne; coastal defence duties; move to Barrow-in-Furness, 1943; training at Barrow-in-Furness; changing character of battalion. Aspects of voyage from GB to India, summer 1943: question of lack of knowledge of destination; embarkation at Liverpool; accommodation; lectures on board. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div in India, 10/1943-2/1944: initial impressions of India; jungle training; question of usefulness of jungle training; conditions on march over mountains towards Imphal. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition Operation Thursday in Burma, 2/1944-5/1944: glider flight to Broadway Landing Zone; role of unit in setting up roadblocks. REEL 3 Continues: degree of knowledge about battalion joining Second Chindit Expedition; setting up roadblock; first roadblock set up; role of Gurkhas; Imperial Japanese Army casualties at first roadblock; second roadblock; disengaging from Imperial Japanese Army; Japanese prisoners of war; third roadblock; evacuation of casualties; reasons for unit's success against Imperial Japanese Army; officer casualties; air supply drops; rations and water supply; question of shaving in his column; equipment carried; fourth roadblock; ambush by Imperial Japanese Army; wounding by Imperial Japanese Army sniper, 29/5/1944; his stretchering to Kohima, India; question of shooting of wounded. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation in India and GB, 1944-1945: medical treatment at Kohima, India; train journey to Bombay, India; contracting malaria in Bombay, India; return to GB, 1/1945; medical inspection in GB; medical discharge at Farnham, GB. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 111th Indian Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1944-5/1944: impressions of Major-General Orde Wingate; question of expendability of Chindits; lack of equipment; living conditions in jungle; conditions on the march including character of terrain and distance covered each day; bartering with Burmese civilians; medical problems encountered; attitude towards having serving with Chindits; question of unit casualties; question of evacuation of wounded.