Interview with Peter Geoffrey Bown Hall

British officer served with 11th Bn Worcestershire Regt, 213th Independent Infantry Bde (Home), 223rd Independent Infantry Bde and 24th (Guards) Independent Infantry Bde in GB, 9/1940-12/1942; served with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 214th Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 9/1943-4/1945; served with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 7/1951-6/1953; served with 2nd Bn Malay Regt and 1st Bn Federation Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 6/1953-9/1956

REEL 1 Background in Weston-super-Mare, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; reasons for joining Territorial Army, 1939. Aspects of period as officer with 15 Platoon, C Coy, 11th Bn Worcestershire Regt, 213th Independent Infantry Bde (Home), 223rd Independent Infantry Bde and 24th (Guards) Independent Infantry Bde in GB, 9/1940-12/1942: commissioning into regiment after attending No 168 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Aldershot Garrison, 14/9/1940; coastal defence in Caister-on-Sea area; role as platoon commander; joining 9th Armoured Div in Northamptonshire; role as lorried infantry and transport marches; reasons for transfer to 24th (Guards) Independent Bde, 1942; relations with guards. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 214th Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 1943-1944: how 11th Bn became 1st Bn; move with 214th Independent Infantry Bde to join 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in East Sussex/Kent, 9/1943; opinion of Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT); entering closed camp at Heathfield, 5/1944; censoring of letters; embarkation procedure. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of operations as officer with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 214th Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry) Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944: smell of dead cattle of battlefield; impressions of Normandy including attitude of French civilians; wounding by British artillery shell during assault on ridge at Mouen, 16/6/1944; evacuation to GB with wounds, 6/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 214th Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry) in North West Europe, 9/1944-4/1945: return to battalion after touring munitions factories in GB, France, 8/1944; role as second in command of B Coy; role of battalion during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; amusing story of arresting Dutch policeman at Eindhoven; traffic chaos at Nijmegen, 9/1944; reconnaissance patrol on The Island; accident he had in barn; character of A Echelon; sound of German frogmen in River Nederrijn attacking Nijmegen Bridge, Netherlands; duties as second in command of company; capture by Germans during reconnaissance patrol and his escape under Royal Air Force attack at Elst, Netherlands. REEL 3 Continues: return to battalion and period in reserve; patrolling in Dekkerswald, Netherlands; amusing story of soldier's encounter with German in Dekkerswald, Netherlands; capture of German prisoners of war; living conditions during winter, 1944-1945; attempt to obtain Dutch pig to supplement rations; escapades during leave in Antwerp, Belgium; role commanding A Coy during attack on autobahn in Millingen-Vehlingen area, Germany, 27/3/1945; problems with supporting tanks, 27/3/1945. REEL 4 Continues: outcome of autobahn attack, 27/3/1945; attacking German forces positions on River Lethe, Germany, 4/1945; German counter-attack at River Lethe, Germany, 4/1945; character of German battle group on River Lethe, Germany, 4/1945; second wounding and treatment by Sir Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead in GB; attitude to having served with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt in Second World War. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 7/1951-6/1954: personal interpretation on politico-strategic situation Malayan Emergency; posting of unit to Kluang, 1951; role commanding A Coy; discomforts of being in jungle; change in attitude towards jungle operations; importance of contact with jungle dwellers. REEL 5 Continues: information obtained from Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEPs); leading ambush against Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; capture of documents; appearance of dead Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; question of success of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; level of battalion casualties; story of Iban tracker who won George Medal; reasons why Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents did not attack unit's camp; co-operation with planters and police. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Malay Regt and 1st Bn Federation Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 6/1953-9/1956: background to posting to 2nd Bn Malay Regt in Perak; opinion of Malay troops; transfer to newly formed 1st Bn Federation Regt at request of General Gerald Templer; discovery of arms dump in Cameron Highlands. REEL 6 Continues: aftermath of arms dump discovery; problems organising a multi-race force; amusing story of Sikh officer's camouflaged head gear; leaving unit; particular characteristics of operating in Perak; attitude towards Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; role in connection with New Village system; unit officers; uniforms worn by Malay Regiment; proximity of service families to unit; memories of General Gerald Templer; attitude towards committee system; opinion of Federation of Malaya Police. REEL 7 Continues: educational provision in Malay Regiment; disposition of troops in jungle on patrol; signals used on jungle patrols.