Description
Object description
British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde Group in South Korea, 11/1950-1/1951; prisoner of war in No 5 Camp, Pyoktong and No 2 Camp, Pinchon-ni, North Korea, 1/1951-8/1953; officer served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 6th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1954-1956; served as adjutant with 1st London Irish Rifles in Chelsea, London, GB, 1956-1958; served with Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Depot at St Patrick's Barracks, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, 1958-1960; served as instructor at Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1960-1961; served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 5th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1961-1964; served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 5th Infantry Bde during Indonesian Confrontation in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, 6/1964-1/1965; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 5th Infantry Bde during Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, Malaysia, 1966
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley in GB, 1947-1948: father's military experiences; background to enlistment in British Army including membership of school cadet force; opinion of training in cadet force; attitude to attending Royal Military College Sandhurst; character of training with 28th Training Regt in Belfast prior to attending college; arrival at college with Intake 1A; accommodation; syllabus of training; tactical training.
REEL 2 Continues: teaching of military history; instructors; learning Russian language; method of assessment; system of cadet government; influence of company sergeant-major; selection for regiments; sporting activities. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles in GB, 1948-1950: posting to battalion at Ballykinlar, Northern Ireland; platoon commander's course at Warminster; reception at battalion; character of troops serving with battalion; shooting activities; pattern of training; age of troops; recreational activities for troops; method of getting to know soldiers in his platoon; move to Colchester Garrison; attending battlefield tour of Normandy, France.
REEL 3 Continues: degree of knowledge of Korean War prior to posting to South Korea; preparations for embarkation for South Korea. Aspects of voyage from GB to South Korea, 1950: man overboard in Bay of Biscay; conditions and activities on board; question of degree of training preparations made prior to arrival in South Korea. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde in South Korea, 10/1950-1/1951: arrival in Pusan; move to Suwon; initial impressions of Korea, Korean civilians and United States Army drivers; digging in at Ujongbu; character of rations; unit deployment at Ujongbu; view forward from positions; communications; road accident; move to Happy Valley, 12/1950.
REEL 4 Continues: advance northwards; problems of digging in; discovery of mass grave; performance of winter clothing; continuing advance northwards, 12/1950; patrol activity; state of troop's health; digging defensive positions, 20/12/1950; field of fire co-ordinates; view forward from platoon headquarters; arrangements for fire support; standing to, 2/1/1951; leading reconnaissance patrol; capture by North Korean People's Army troops. Recollections of period as prisoner of war on trek into North Korea, 1/1951: details of capture, 2/1/1950; disposal of ammunition and marked map; threatening behaviour of North Korean People's Army officer during interrogation; move northwards.
REEL 5 Continues: contact with American prisoners of war; contrast between treatment of British officer and Other Ranks prisoners of war by Chinese and North Korean captors; billeting on march northwards; character of guards; contrast in attitude of North Korean and Chinese guards towards prisoners of war possessions; North Korean precautions taken against air attacks; contrast in uniform and equipment of North Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army; rations during march northwards. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in No 5 Camp, Pyoktong and No 2 Camp, Pinchon-ni, North Korea, 1/1951-8/1953: arrival at No 5 Camp, Pyoktong; interrogation during march; conversation with Soviet guard; size of No 5 Camp, Pyoktong; conditions in No 5 Camp, Pyoktong; problems of escaping; daily routine; lectures on political subjects; system of self-criticism.
REEL 6 Continues: Chinese attitude towards religion and dramatic entertainments; dramatic production of 'My Fair Lady'; sources of news and literature; relations between prisoners of war and guards; behaviour of American prisoners of war; Chinese attempts to divide and influence prisoners of war; character of No 2 Camp, Pinchon-ni including latrines; limited medical facilities; rations available; frequency of mail from GB; coded escape letters; escape preparations; Chinese treatment of prisoners of war; method used by Chinese to release prisoners of war; making chess set; method of repatriation; move to Japan; clothing worn in camps; debriefing process.
REEL 7 Continues: celebrations of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in No 2 Camp, Pinchon-ni, 6/1953; adjusting to normality after period as prisoner of war; visit to battalion serving in Hong Kong on route to GB; physical condition and degree of fitness on release from captivity; restoration of health and strength. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 6th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1954-1956: rejoining battalion at Wuppertal; role as anti-tank platoon commander; strength of anti-tank platoon; secondary role as battalion messing officer; attitude towards German civilians; relations with German civilians; condition of Wuppertal; role of unit; character of exercises; method of towing anti-tank guns and their deployment. Aspects of period as adjutant with 1st London Irish Rifles in Chelsea, London, GB, 1956-1958: posting to unit; strength of battalion; adjusting to methods of Territorial Army; role as adjutant; attitude and morale of Territorial Army soldiers serving with regiment.
REEL 8 Continues: social life of unit; mess night; attending annual camps; mobilisation role of unit; motivation of Territorial Army soldiers; training of officers. Aspects of period as company commander of training company at Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Depot at St Patrick's Barracks, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, 1958-1960: training role with unit; syllabus of basic training; emphasis on good fitness; qualities required of recruits; qualities of good NCOs; daily routine; dealing with minor infringements of discipline; the waiting squad; regimental history. Aspects of period as instructor at Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1960-1961: comparison with training at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Mons Officer Cadet School; role training National Service officers; discipline at school; change in emphasis from infantry training to all arms training; incident when unit needed a lawyer in Iserlohn; instructing in platoon tactics.
REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 5th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1961-1964: role commanding C Coy at Iserlohn; introduction of armoured personnel carriers; pattern of training; character of armoured personnel carriers; tactical implications of introduction of armoured personnel carriers; degree of knowledge about Warsaw Pact forces; importance of river lines and bridgeheads; attending Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) course; relations with German civilians; return to GB and change to air portable role. Recollections of operations as officer commanding C Coy, 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 5th Infantry Bde in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, 6/1964-1/1965: memories of air portable exercise in Australia prior to posting to Borneo; orders to move to Borneo; training in Jungle Warfare School at Kota Tinggi, Malaysia on route.
REEL 10 Continues: jungle skills acquired at Jungle Warfare School, Kota Tinggi; navigation by compass; health hazards in jungle; acclimatisation; jungle clothing and equipment; personnel arms of scouts; basing in 3rd Division area at Sibu, Sarawak; role of C Coy; contrast in behaviour of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force helicopter pilots; practicable movement on foot; accommodation at Sibu, Sarawak; character of local population; sources of intelligence; daily routine; move to 1st Division area; role of battalion stopping infiltration by Indonesian forces; air supply; character of positions; forbidden to cross Indonesian border; strength of patrols; artillery support available; importance of effective liaison; set patrol and ambush schemes; degree of knowledge about insurgents; air superiority and use of helicopters; sight of platoon positions from the air.
REEL 11 Continues: character of defensive positions in comparison to Korean War; incident of negligent discharge of weapon; use of civilian telephone to contact battalion headquarters; character of company headquarters; nature of attack by insurgents; degree of contact with insurgents; lack of unit casualties; use of helicopters; return to GB and duties as staff officer with Headquarters, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 1965. Recollections of operations as staff officer with Headquarters, 5th Infantry Bde in Borneo, Malaysia, 1966: posting to headquarters; liaison role; composition of brigade command post; level of insurgent activity; use of helicopters; local tribes living on border area; character of his brigadier; brigade operational policy; Malaysian taking over operational control of area; impressions of Malaysian forces; opinion of Indonesian forces; intelligence sources; nature of Orders (O) Group at 5th Infantry Bde.
REEL 12 Continues: sources of intelligence; withdrawal of 5th Infantry Bde. Aspects of period as officer with London Irish Rifles and with Royal Ulster Rifles in GB and Northern Ireland, 1967-1969: effects on morale of London Irish Rifles of cuts in Territorial Army, 1967; move to Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Depot at Ballymena, Northern Ireland; effect of amalgamation with Royal Irish Rangers; recruitment in southern Ireland; effect of start of conflict in Northern Ireland, 1968-1969; leaving British Army and adjusting to civilian life; attitude to having served with British Army including prisoner of war experience.
