Interview with Thomas Nowell

Sound: © IWM

18009442
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102257" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
1351360881
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102258" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
1989850736
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102259" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
127714555
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102260" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
35316537
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102261" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
1354102025
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80020218&media_id=102262" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Description

Object description

British NCO served as sniper with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 8/1952-10/1953; served with 1st Bn York and Lancaster Regt during Operation Musketeer at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956

Content description

REEL 1 Recollections of period as civilian living in Goldthorpe, GB, 1922-1948: family; education; employment as miner; membership of 45th (Doncaster) Bn West Riding Home Guard at Thurnscoe; sight of German parachutists during German Air Force attacks; German Air Force bombs which fell in Goldthorpe area; mining disputes; amusing story of miners lifting car onto pavement in Doncaster; victory celebrations, 1945. Aspects of enlistment and training as private and NCO with Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in GB and Germany, 1948-1952: background to enlistment in British Army, 11/1948; basic training; role as instructor at Strensall Barracks, York; handling National Service conscripts; formation of shooting team. REEL 2 Continues: quality of his marksmanship; sniper training. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding), 61st Lorried Infantry Bde in Germany, 12/1951-8/1952: move to Germany, 12/1951; duties at Minden, 12/1951-8/1952; relations with German civilians; shooting team activities. Recollections of operations as sniper NCO with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Ridin), 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 9/1952-10/1953: voyage with advance party aboard HMT Empire Orwell from GB to Pusan, South, 8/1952; reception at Pusan, 8/1952; train journey from Pusan; nature of terrain; joining 1st Bn Welch Regt with advance party at Yong Dong Po; description of four types of patrol; role as sniper; reconnaissance of ground at Yong Dong Po; composition of sniper team; War Office edict on drummers hampering sniping work; pairing up with Philip Seymour; initial introduction to Chinese People's Volunteer Army fire; arrival of main body of battalion, 9/1952; fate of regimental sergeant-major's tent. REEL 3 Continues: battalion's settling into front-line; degree of initial fighting taking place; move to Nakchong area; observing Chinese People's Volunteer Army tunnelers at work; account of patrol with Lieutenant Ian Orr to observe tunnels at Chinese People's Volunteer Army position codenamed 'Eden', 23/11/1952; fighting patrol to Chinese People's Volunteer Army tunnel, 24/12/1952; final attempt by unit to deal with Chinese People's Volunteer Army tunnel during Operation Full Moon, 24/1/1953. REEL 4 Continues: support available for operation, 24/1/1953; Chinese People's Volunteer Army prisoner of war captured during Operation Full Moon; move to The Hook; importance of The Hook; assisting Major Rudolf Austin 25/5/1953-26/5/1953; experiences during The Battle of The Hook, 27/5/1953-29/5/1953; battalion morale, 5/1953; Chinese People's Volunteer Army propaganda material and its lack of effect on unit members; question of the politics of the Korean War; question of reporting sniping kills; role of sniper. REEL 5 Continues: sniping operation at position codenamed 'Pheasant'; concealment and camouflage; equipment used; working in pairs; aiming shots and ballistics; operating against Chinese People's Volunteer Army snipers; looking after ammunition; planning and executing a move from concealed position; retracting from position to front line; opinion of North Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops. REEL 6 Continues: question of how snipers were regarded by both sides; attitude to having served with 1st Bn Duke of Wellington's Regt (West Riding) in Korea War. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn York and Lancaster Regt during Operation Musketeer at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956: lack of sniper/intelligence section in unit; advance from Port Said to Kantara; reaction to United Nations' ceasefire; degree of fighting in former Canal Zone.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Nowell, Thomas (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2001-03-14
Dimensions: whole: Duration 165, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 21064

Object associations

Our collections information

We have over 1.7 million object records online, and we are adding to this all the time. Our records are never finished. Sometimes we discover new information that changes what we know about an object, such as who made it or used it. Sometimes we change how an object is interpreted. We sometimes make mistakes in our spelling, transcription or categorisation, or miss information out of our records.

Read more about our collections and the information we hold. Developing our collections information

If you have concerns about the language in this record, or you have information to improve it, please share your feedback.

We receive a lot of comments and can't respond to each one, but we do read them all and will respond where we can.

Interview with Thomas Nowell

Description

Object description

Content description

Object Details

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Associated places

Associated keywords

Associated themes

Our collections information