Description
Object description
British telegraphist served with Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces Signal Sqdn, Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, 17th Gurkha Div in Federation of Malaya, 11/1957-2/1958; trained with Far East Parachute School, RAF Changi, Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 2/1958-4/1958; NCO served with Royal Corps of Signals attached 22nd Special Air Service Regt in Federation of Malaya, 2/1958-3/1959; served with Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces Signal Sqdn, Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, 17th Gurkha Div in Federation of Malaya, 3/1959-8/1959
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Eckington, Aston and Dinnington, GB, 1937-1956: father's military service in Second World War; parents' divorce, 1951; social circumstances; death of school friend's father in Burma during Second World War; attitude as schoolchild to Second World War; sight of massed Allied air formations and preparations for D-Day; victory celebrations, 1945; education and sporting activities; employment as coal miner, 1951-1956; question of exemption as miner from conscription; mother's remarriage; breaking thumb in mining accident. Recollections of enlistment and training with Royal Corps of Signals at Gallowgate Camp, Richmond, GB, 10/1956-12/1956: enlistment and medical examination to join Royal Corps of Signals, 10/1956; comradeship with recruits on train; reception and kitting out; ban on leaving camp and restrictions on wearing civilian clothes; hutted accommodation and cleaning room; story of officer falling over during room inspection.
REEL 2 Continues: personal cutlery and tea mug; value of prior training with Army Cadet Force, 1949-1951; drill and humour employed by instructors; physical training; question of removal of inadequate recruits; aptitude tests; rifle, Sten Gun and bayonet training; opinion of Sergeant Peter Swan; preparing for kit inspections; question of bullying; forced bathing of dirty recruits; relations with recruits and nicknames; competitive approach to training; passing out parades; relations with instructors and officers.
REEL 3 Continues: use of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) canteen and drinking habits. Aspects of training as wireless and teleprinter operator at Sobraon Barracks, Lincoln, GB, 12/1956-9/1957: combined function as wireless and teleprinter operator; learning to touch type; operation of Creed 7B Teleprinter; Morse Code training; message classifications and codes; learning Russian language alphabet and role monitoring Soviet wireless traffic; lectures in aerials and wireless frequencies; operation of Nos 19 and 53 Wireless Sets; exercises with territorial units; trade tests; story of punishment of using scissors to cut football pitch grass after water fight in hut.
REEL 4 Continues: fights with American service personnel in Lincoln; earning money by cleaning soldiers' kit; relations with instructors; punishment for walking on parade square; preparations for and reaction to posting to Federation of Malaya including briefings, issue of tropical kit and inoculations. Recollections of operations as telegraphist with Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces Signal Sqdn, Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, 17th Gurkha Div at Seremban, Federation of Malaya, 11/1957-2/1958: voyage aboard HMT Empire Orwell from to Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 9/1957-11/1957; initial impressions of Nee Soon Camp, Singapore; train journey escorted by adapted Ferret Scout Car to Kuala Lumpur; personal morale; banana leaf hutted accommodation; anti-malaria precautions; insect and snake problems; role and payment of Malayan servants; acclimatisation to humid climate and question of sunburn.
REEL 5 Continues: role in teleprinter room of communications centre; problems with local power supply and use of generator at night; wireless room duty; security classification of messages; shift system; operation of teleprinters including receiving situation reports, Australian newsletters and football results; prevalence of 'Dear John' letters from soldiers' girlfriends; escorting mail delivered by jeep to outlying posts; fatigue duties; recreational activities; background to Malayan Emergency; visits to bars and drinking habits; question of military venereal disease problem and treatment of victims.
REEL 6 Continues: relations with Malaysian civilians and military personnel; relations with Other Ranks, NCOs and officers; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1957. Recollections of period of parachute training with Far East Parachute School, RAF Changi, Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 2/1958-4/1958: background to volunteering for Special Air Service; comparison of conditions of service in Royal Air Force and British Army; status of Special Air Service; strict physical training regime to raise standards of fitness; method of practicing rapid parachute release; fan descent training in hangar; risk of injury during training; practising landing techniques; familiarisation flight and first static line parachute jump form Vickers Valetta aircraft; method of parachute steering and landing; subsequent parachute drops; equipment carried in bag and webbing arrangements.
REEL 7 Continues: method of parachute landing in sea and rescue; method of parachute landing in jungle; personal morale and question of accidents; instruction from Royal Air Force Regiment personnel; charity sale of doll mascot taken on jumps during course; volunteering for attachment to Special Air Service after passing course. Recollections of period as signaller attached to Headquarters Sqdn, 22nd Special Air Service Regt in Federation of Malaya, 4/1958-3/1959: reception; reputation of Special Air Service; role receiving wireless messages from jungle patrols; question of jungle training; role accompanying jungle patrols including preparations, use of portable A510 Wireless Set, weapons, night stops, policy of shooting on sight, absence of Malayan civilians in jungle area, question of laying ambushes, problems operating in jungle, leeches and sweat rashes; ineffectual ambush by Malayan National Liberation Army; use of Iban tracker; discovery of deserted Malayan National Liberation Army camps and mail boxes; return of 22nd Special Air Service Regt to GB, 3/1959. Aspects of period as NCO with Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces Signal Sqdn, Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, 17th Gurkha Div at Seremban, Federation of Malaya, 3/1959-8/1959: prior promotion to corporal; story of false alarms in billets.
REEL 8 Continues: question of wedding arrangements; question of demobilisation. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Empire Fowey from Singapore, Federation of Malaya to GB, 8/1959: confusion over role in charge of baggage party; conditions on board; demobilisation procedure, 9/9/1959. Post-service life and career: marriage; initial employment in cutlery factory; career as policeman with Derbyshire Constabulary, 1961-1985; comparison of different nature of comradeship in police and military; story of policeman's bicycle stolen by prisoner of war during Second World War; period as caseworker with Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association, 1985-2002. Aspects of period as welfare secretary and branch secretary of Chesterfield Branch, Royal British Legion, Haig House, Chesterfield, GB, 1995-2002: illustrations of welfare grants; problems with veterans not claiming benefits; grants to accelerate provision of social services.
REEL 9 Continues: question of ageing and declining membership; administration of Haig House; organisation of Poppy Appeal and street collections; disposal of donations and money raised; enjoyment of role as caseworker with Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association and Royal British Legion; question of fraudulent claims; status of regimental charities.