Walker-Brown, Robert John (Oral history)

British officer served with 5 Platoon, B Coy, Highland Light Infantry in North and East Africa, 1940-1942; POW in Italy 1942-1943; escaped and evaded capture in Italy, 1943; served with 2nd Special Air Service in France and Italy, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Dallas, 1919-1939: family; education. Recollections of operations as officer with 5 Platoon, B Coy, 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry in North and East Africa, 1940-1942: posting to unit after commissioning in Egypt; period as Mersa Matruh; equipment and composition of his platoon; behaviour of Italian POWs in Western Desert, 1940-1941; move to East Africa; attack at Keren, 1941; return to Western Desert; role as brigade navigator at Gazala Line, 6/1942; leading 10 Bde, 4th Indian Div through minefield gap; wounding by German artillery airburst. Aspects of capture and period as POW in North Africa, 1942: capture by Germans after wounding, 5/6/1942; second wounding by British artillery fire; theft of his silver cigarette case; medical treatment for wounds; transfer from Derna to Italy. Recollections of period as POW in Italy, 1942-1943: attitude of Italian civilians to POWs at Lucca; conditions in nunnery; operation for his wound; beneficial effect of maggots on his wound; move to POW Camp PG21 at Chieti. REEL 2 Continues: living conditions in PG 21; descriptions of building escape tunnel; attitude of Allies to POWs escaping in Italy, 1942-1943; German take over of PG 21, 9/1943; escape using tunnel from German custody at Chieti. Period evading capture in Italy, 1943: attempt to reach Allied lines; re-capture by German paratroopers; liberation by Northamptonshire Regt and reaction of 36th Div to his report of German dispositions. Story of how he was recruited to 2nd Special Air Service. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Special Air Service during Operation Hardy in France, summer 1944: parachute drop with re-inforcement troop east of Rennes; landing in Forest of Chatillion; attack on Germans at Chatillion; ambush on German vehicles on Route Nationale 74; extrication of unit from ambush; loss of officer in US Air Force airstrike; co-operation with OSS group; attack on Langes; use of civilian car as mortar vehicle; briefing Free French forces about German forces in Langes; question of how force should have been used. Recollections of operations as troop commander with 3 Sqdn, 2nd Special Air Service during Operation Galia in Italy, 1944- 1945: objective of unit, 12/1944; problems with parachute landing. REEL 4 Continues: destruction of large number of German vehicles; push towards Pontremoli; ambush on German horsed artillery; fate of unit's equipment; evading Axis search and destroy operation; information gleaned from German POWs; re-supply of unit; state of Italian population; extrication of force; capture of German officer; threat of Hitler order to execute special forces. Period as officer with Malay Regt in Malaya, 1948-1952: opinion of Malay soldiers in jungle warfare; attack on Hill 761 at Pahang. Aspects of career, 1948- 1956: pattern of service, 1952-1956; calling off of 21st Special Air Service operation at Suez; role with 22nd Special Air Service; job with Jungle Warfare School including ambush on insurgents with student patrol, c1948-1949.