Interview with John Walker Wright

British officer served with Royal Engineers in GB, 1940-1941; served with 2nd Field Coy, King George V's Sappers and Miners Group, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Western Desert, 7/1942-12/1942; civilian engineer in Federation of Malaya, 1951-1964

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1922-1939: family; nature of military instruction during education; expectations of coming war, late 1930s. Aspects of period training as sapper with Royal Engineers in GB, 1940-1941: syllabus on Cambridge short course; manning pillboxes in Cambridge area, summer 1940; posting to 3rd Training Bn at Ripon; reasons for being placed on charge and subsequent fatigues; daily routine; example of NCO humour; method of lifting material; emphasis on physical training. REEL 2 Continues: off duty recreational activities in Ripon area. Aspects of period as officer cadet with No 142 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Royal Engineers at Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1940-1941: start of officer training at Aldershot; incident when recruit injured himself during training; training syllabus; wet bridging exercises including route march; discipline in at unit; punishment for failing to polish instep of boots; story of rebelling against authority during run; character of officers; nature of training and system of assessment; sporting activities; question of posting and opting for secondment to British Indian Army; reasons for boycotting passing out parade. REEL 3 Continues: impressions of officers; move to Aldershot Command on passing out; passes provided by corporal clerk; move to Royal Engineers Depot in Halifax prior to embarkation. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Durban Castle from GB to India, 1941-1942: amusing story of embarking; accommodation on board; recreation; reaction to hearing news of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, United States of America, 7/12/1941 and sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, 10/12/1941; naval action in Indian Ocean. Recollections of period as officer with King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group Regimental Depot, Rookee, India, 1/1942-6/1942: arrival in Bombay; move to Rookee to join regimental depot; introductory course for new officers; polo playing; impressions of Rookee; accommodation and social life. REEL 4 Continues: supervising recruits and parades; learning Urdu language; opinion of subhadar who held McGregor Medal; religious background of recruits; nature of recruit training; sources of recruits. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Field Coy, King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group, 161st Indian Infantry, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Western Desert, Egypt, 7/1942-12/1942: story of incident with Shi'ite Moslem soldier prior to Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942; background to posting to Egypt; sight of General Harold Alexander in Cairo; sight of sunken Royal Navy ships in Alexandria Harbour; joining unit at Ruweisat Ridge; Axis shelling of division; training in mine clearance; detection of mines; methods of mine laying; characteristics of Anti-Tank Mine Egyptian Pattern Mk II and German Teller Mine. REEL 5 Continues: method of dealing with German Teller Mine; opinion of Italian mines; length of time taken to lay mine; variation of pattern of minefield; distance from front line on Ruweisat Ridge; bomb disposal duties; character of German Molotov Bread Basket and Butterfly Bomb (SD2) ; dealing with German Butterfly Bombs (SD2); construction of advanced headquarters; relations with unit second in command; story of being blown up in minefield whilst searching for lost brigadier's jeep; preference for working with infantry; surveying work carried out; amusing story of advice given to senior officer; living conditions on Ruweisat Ridge; night time activities; demonstration of Bangalore Torpedo. REEL 6 Continues: reasons for move to Alam Halfa; story of meeting with General Bernard Montgomery in desert; method of passing on information to NCOs; discovery he had been smoking cannabis; sources of information; sappers interest in general situation; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery; impressions of German General Erwin Rommel; use of mine detectors; encounter with Italian straggler with Lieutenant-Colonel John Blundell; sight of Axis prisoners of war; character of German S-mine; effect of walking into minefield; dealing with booby-traps; German device to disable flail tanks; clearing Axis minefield called 'Devil's Garden'; reaction to 4th Indian Infantry Div being placed on salvage duties after Battle of El Alamein, 11/1942-12/1942. REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of period as 2nd Field Coy, King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group 5th Indian Div with PAI Force in Iraq, 1/1943-7/1943: reasons for move to Iraq; route taken to Iraq; treatment by Iraqis after road accident; rejoining unit after hospitalisation; booby-trapping entrance to camp against thieves; response of sheikh; story of aircraft damaging his Willys Jeep; further details of road journey from Egypt to Iraq; accommodation and heating system; visit from King of Iraq. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Field Coy, King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group, 5th Indian Div in Arakan, Burma, 12/1943-4/1944: reaction to news of deployment to Burma and fighting Japanese forces; reaction to photographs of Japanese atrocities; story of treatment of civilian collaborator by British Indian Army troops; attitude towards Germans and Japanese. REEL 8 Continues: prior recollection of calling down artillery on Deutsches Afrika Korps troops on Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, 7/1944; bunker busting training at Ranchi, India prior to deployment to Arakan, Burma; characteristics of Imperial Japanese Army defensive bunkers; occasion when Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft gun was used against Imperial Japanese Army bunker; construction of mule tracks; use of mules; construction of powered raft on estuary at Bawli Bazar; story of visit by Lord Louis Mountbatten; loading capacity and operating of raft; road maintenance duties; story of catching road labour gang idling; numbers employed on labour road gang; attachment to 4/7th Bn Rajput Regt. REEL 9 Continues: patrolling on Hill 124, 26/12/1943; attack on Hill 124, 1/1/1944; role providing duckboards across chaung; construction of bridge across chaung; character of Hill 124; artillery and air support for A Coy, 4/7th Bn Rajput Regt attack on Hill 124; construction of Imperial Japanese Army bunkers; creation of fougasse; characteristics of Imperial Japanese Army bunkers; Imperial Japanese Army wiring of Hill 124; patrol to find route for tanks to Razabil; terrain at Razabil; effect of United States Army Air Force bombing of Razabil; failed attempt to kill vultures with pistol. REEL 10 Continues: use of anti-personal mines; mess facilities in the field; style of British forces' positions; amusing contact with White Russian officer; question of overhead cover on British positions; repairing demolished bridge near The Tunnels, 3/1944; incident of Imperial Japanese Army party getting into brigade box. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Field Coy, King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group attached to 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 4th Indian Infantry Div at Kohima, India, 4/1944-6/1944: joining 4th Indian Infantry Div at Dimapur, 4/1944; contradictor orders to move to Kohima; size of perimeter at Kohima; reasons for disembarking from vehicles short of disembarkation point; treatment of soldier who went missing; comparison between 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kents and 4/7th Bn Rajput Regt; digging of battalion headquarters and aid post. REEL 11 Continues: character of aid post; use of engineer shovels; digging by numbers; section of defensive perimeter to hold; nature of Imperial Japanese Army artillery and mortar fire; first casualty; degree of unit casualties; effect of destruction of hut full of flour; blowing hole in side of bakery occupied by Imperial Japanese Army troops; unit's covering of Imperial Japanese Army troops escaping from bakery; size of demolition parties; use of Japanese carbine to fire at fleeing Imperial Japanese Army troops; further details of Imperial Japanese Army artillery and mortar fire; presence of Indian National Army; nature of Japanese attacks; wounding in hands; handling of wounded; casualty fatally wounded by Imperial Japanese Army mortaring of ambulance; rations available; effects of sleep deprivation. REEL 12 Continues: psychological effects of situation on one of his NCOs; view from positions at Kohima; reasons for moving at night; reasons for lack of barbed wire; visits to battalion headquarters; attempt to produce incendiary change; duties; sanitary measures taken; start of relief operations; meeting with company commander; sharing his trench with orderly; organisation of company; encounter with Eric Wilson VC; amusing story of encounter with lunatic on Assam Mail during leave; return to Kohima; repairing blown bridge in monsoon conditions. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Field Coy, George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group, 4th Indian Div in Burma, 1944-1945: attachment to 1/1st Bn Punjab Regt on Tiddim Road; effect of company commander attempt to cross river in monsoon conditions; installing ferry. REEL 13 Continues: incident with elephant; clearing landslides; disposal of dead elephant; character of Tiddim Road; encounter with Chin hill people during reconnaissance patrol; nature of Imperial Japanese Army mines; Imperial Japanese Army use of punjis sticks; construction of airstrip, 12/1944; design and creation of memorial for 161st Indian Infantry Bde at Kohima; move to Pegu area, 1945; operating railway using jeeps; return to Roorkee as instructor on Imperial Japanese Army booby-traps. Aspects of return to GB on Python leave, 1945: in transit at Deolali; troop train from Southampton to Halifax. REEL 14 Continues: mail received on active service; physical condition on return home; state of health on active service; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945. Aspects of post-war military career: posting to Germany, 9/1945; relations with German civilians; joining Territorial Army, 1949. Aspects of period as civilian engineer in Federation of Malaya, 1951-1964: duties as state engineer in Johore including lifestyle; ambush on police boat he was travelling in; ambushed on his jeep during road journey; role as special constable; contract work for security forces; precautions taken during road travel.