Interview with Arthur John Redfern

British officer served with 2/6th Bn East Surrey Regt, 37th Infantry Bde, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Div in GB and France, 9/1939-5/1940; served with served with 2/6th Bn East Surrey Regt, 1st Armoured Div in France, 5/1940-6/1940; served with 2/6th East Surrey Regt in GB, 7/1940-1/1942; served with 9th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Depot, Dehra Dun and 13th Bn King's Regt (Liverpool) in India, 1942-1943; served with 1/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy and Greece, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Background in Uttoxeter and Richmond, GB, 1918-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with 2/6th Bn East Surrey Regt, 37th Infantry Bde, 12th (Eastern) Infantry Div in GB and France, 1939-1940: background to joining Territorial Army, 1939; mobilisation, 8/1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; move to France, 3/1940; billeting and training in Le Havre area, France. Recollections of operations as officer with 7 Platoon, A Coy, 2/6th Bn East Surrey Regt, 1st Armoured Div in France, 5/1940-6/1940: orders to join 1st Armoured Bde; degree of equipment available; quality of men; taking up positions at Le Tréport; withdrawal to Dieppe; sight of German Air Force attacking hospital ships marked with Red Cross; move to Rouen; shortage of ammunition; positions at Aumale; start of action at Aumale. REEL 2 Continues: argument with French Army officer who countermanded his orders to attack; opening fire against German Army attack; refusal to surrender to German Army troops; petering out of German Army attack on position; decision to withdraw; accidental clash with British Army troops. Recollections of wounding and evacuation to GB, 6/1940: wounding in the leg by grenade; encounter with French Army troops; discovery that German Army armoured forces had got behind his troops; move to hospital at Évreux; medical treatment received; embarkation aboard hospital ship at Saint-Nazaire; arrival in Southampton, GB; recovery from wounds. Aspects of period as officer with 2/6th East Surrey Regt in GB, 7/1940-1/1942: rejoining unit for airfield defence in Norfolk, . REEL 3 Continues: story of persuading Royal Air Force officer not to use army incendiary bombs on operation to Germany; battalion's briefly joining 3rd Infantry Div at Henley-on-Thames, winter 1941-1942; hearing of award of Military Cross and Mentioned in Despatches; mishaps with gas bombs at Bedford, 1940-1941; background to posting to British Indian Army. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Straithaird in Convoy WS 16 from GB to India, 16/2/1942-4/8/1942: character of men under his control; method of handling his draft; impression on seeing HMT Queen Mary. Aspects of period as officer with 9th Gurkha Rifles Regimental Centre at Dehra Dun and with 13th Bn King's Regt (Liverpool) in India, 1942-1943: reception received from British Indian Army officer at Dehra Dun prior to posting to 9th Gurkha Rifles; handling Gurkha recruits; suicides amongst lower caste recruits; orders to umpire exercise in central India; memories of meeting with Brigadier Orde Wingate. REEL 4 Continues: his attachment to 13th Bn King's Regt (Liverpool) assigned to First Chindit Expedition, 1943; contracting dysentery; recuperating at Mussoorie; posting to 1/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Egypt. Recollections of operations as company commander of B Coy with 1/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 1/1944-11/1944: arrival in Taranto; move into front line; capture of patrol from 4th Bn Royal Sussex Regt; reaction to sight of Monte Cassino, 2/1944; finding lucky charm; refusal of United States Army drivers to transport Gurkhas; mortaring of unit; contracting pneumonia and recovery at Caserta and Barletta; ash which showered Bari from eruption of Mount Vesuvius. REEL 5 Continues: return to battalion; audience with the Pope Pius XII in Vatican; motivation of Gurkha troops; role commanding reserve platoon; story of encounter with General Bernard Montgomery; type of cigarettes preferred by Gurkhas. Recollections of operations as officer with 1/9th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Greece, 1944-1946: role as battalion liaison officer; reconnaissance at Piraeus, 12/1944; restoring utilities in Piraeus,12/1944; move to Volos at time of armistice with Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS), 1/1945; aid Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) received from civilians; Gurkha house clearance in Piraeus; opinion of General Officer Commanding (GOC) countermanding order; sight of Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) troops marching to Trikala, 1/1945; arrangements for released British prisoners of war held by Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS); treatment of prisoners of war held by Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). REEL 6 Continues: move to Albanian-Yugoslavian-Greek border; problems with malaria; reasons for need for troops on border; fate of United States Army soldier with relatives in Albania at hands of thieves; story of ignoring Yugoslav Partisan; move to Veria; meeting with his future wife Maria Chionidou in Veria; arrangements for plebiscite on return of King George II of Greece, 1946; attempted interference of Greek Army in plebiscite; characteristics of Greek Democracy after 1945.