description
Object description
British NCO served with Royal Army Education Corps in Korea and Malaya, 1953-1955
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Caerphilly and Bristol, 1934-1952: family; education; memories of German Air Force attacks on Bristol; evacuation to Rhondda Valley; change in family circumstances during Second World War. Aspects of period as National Serviceman in GB, 1952-1953: attitude to call up for National Service, 16/10/1952; reasons why he signed on for three years; character of basic training at Guildford; training at Royal Army Education Corps Depot, Wilton Park at Beaconsfield; promotion to sergeant and its disadvantages; attitude to overseas postings; volunteering for service in Korea. Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Army Education Corps, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 1953-1954: arrival in Kure, Japan, 9/1953; voyage aboard Empire Trooper, 9/1943 including teaching children; background to move to Korea.
REEL 2 Continues: story of comrade who stayed in Kure and got to know local Japanese prostitutes; role with army newspaper Crown News; posting to 1st Bn North Staffordshire Regt on River Imjin; work drawing panoramas of ceasefire line; work teaching National Servicemen; memories of physical training sergeant; coping with climate; dangers to health; conditions for Korean civilians; contact with ROK personnel; his Korean servant; accidents which occurred to troops; plight of his servant.
REEL 3 Continues: leave in Tokyo; attitude to serving in Korea. Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Army Education Corps in Malaya, 1954- 1955: journey to Malaya; attachment to 1st Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers at Kroh in Perak; physical condition of troops after returning from patrol; Burns Night in the mess; reasons for lack of contacts with insurgents in Kroh area; contact with snake; his trained reaction to potential road ambush; teasing of new arrivals with chilis; reaction in mess to criticism of Scots; army's attitude to troops marrying civilians; posting to 1st Federation Regt at Butterworth; multi-racial character of 1st Federation Regt; appearance of Ibans he taught at Butterworth; reasons for Ibans being superior to tracker dogs.
REEL 4 Continues: quality of Iban trackers; morale in 1st Federation Regt; question of why 1st Federation Regt failed; his attitude towards multiculturalism in Malaya after independence; relations between soldiers and civilians; lack of sense of danger in Malaya. Attitude towards having done National Service, 1952-1955. Resuming career on return to GB after 1955. Question of reasons why people belong to veteran associations.
