Interview with Frederick Walter Chester

British private and NCO served with Dorsetshire Regiment Regimental Depot at Dorchester in GB, 1938-1940; officer cadet served with No 170 Officer Cadet Training Unit in Aldershot, GB, 1940; officer served with Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Regimental Depot, Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne in GB, 1940; served with 70th Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 1940-1941; served with 2nd (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Home Forces and 4th Infantry Div in GB, 1941-1943; served with 2nd (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 46th (North Midlands) Infantry Div in North Africa, 1943; served with No 3 Independent Machine Gun Company, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe and Germany, 1944-1946; served with School of Administration, British Army of the Rhine in Germany, 1946-1948; served with Headquarters, 7th Armoured Div in Germany, 1948-1949; served with Demonstration Bn at School of Infantry, Warminster, GB, 1949-1950; served with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 29th British Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 11/1950-10/1951; served with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong, 11/1951-9/1952; served as instructor with Vistry School, Netheravon, GB, 1952; student with Royal Military College of Science in GB, 1952-1954; served with 5th Bn Malay Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1954-1956; served with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in GB and Hong Kong, 1956-1965; served with Army Apprentices College, Arborsfield, GB, 1965-1968; served with Royal Military College in Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, 1968-1970

REEL 1 Background in India and GB, 1920-1938: military background of family; education in India and at Dover, GB. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Dorsetshire Regiment Regimental Depot, Depot Barracks, Dorchester in GB, 1938-1940: joining British Army, 1938; reception on arrival at Weymouth; relations with and origins of recruits; pattern of training; degree of knowledge of approaching war; discipline including cleaning of equipment; inspection prior to being allowed out of camp; memories of NCOs; accommodation; rations; recreational and sporting activities; weapons training including Boys Anti-Tank Rifle; posting to 2nd Battalion at Aldershot Garrison; recreational activities and end to working day; exercises; return to regimental depot as NCO instructor; training recruits; reasons for making application for commission. Aspects of period as officer cadet with No 170 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Aldershot in GB, 1940: pattern of training; memories of fellow officer cadets; opinion of training; earlier contact with troops returning from Dunkirk Evacuation; choice of regiment on commissioning. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Regimental Depot, Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne, GB, 1940: posting to regimental depot; reception from fellow officers on arrival. REEL 2 Continues: awaiting posting; situation in GB, 1940. Aspects of period as officer with 70th Bn Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 1940-1941: joining battalion at RAF West Raynham; airfield defences including battalion weapons; story of invasion alert; memories of station commander Wing Commander Percy Bernard; activities in officers' mess; story of embarkation party for Royal Air Force squadron; visit from Prime Minister Winston Churchill; period with demonstration platoon at Small Arms School at Netheravon; opinion of Vickers Machine Gun; use of mortars. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd (Machine Gun) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Home Forces and 4th Infantry Div in GB, 1941-1943: postings and accommodation in Scotland; fitness training; setting up of battle course at Selkirk; firing exercises; changes to battalion and news of posting to North Africa; arrival of new recruits. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of operations as officer with 2nd (Machine Gun) Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, 46th Infantry Div in North Africa, 1943: voyage from GB to Algiers, French Algeria; march to campsite on arrival; mountain training; accidental wounding during and infection of wounds. Aspects of hospitalisation in GB, 1943-1944: medical treatment received during hospitalisation in Chester; opinion of Royal Army Medical Corps. Aspects of operations as officer with 3rd Independent Machine Gun Company, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 9/1944-5/1945: voyage from GB to Normandy, France, 8/1944; period in holding camp in Normandy, France, 8/1944; character and role of company; nature of advance into Belgium, Netherlands and Germany; in action at Schilberg, Netherlands; degree of contact with civilians; story of taking collaborator prisoner; treatment of collaborators. REEL 4 Continues: unit casualties; stories of artillery shelling; duties and batmen; attack on s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 10/1944; supply of rations; degree of knowledge of Holocaust and contact with Displaced Persons; attitude towards German forces including opposition faced during crossing of Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany; use of machine guns during advance to Hamburg, Germany, 4/1945-5/1945; opinion of German Army troops and uniform; capture of German Army soldiers in village; in action against Waffen-SS on outskirts of Hamburg, Germany, 5/1945; opinion of German weapons; contact with Allied troops of other nations. REEL 5 Continues: final action and surrender of Hamburg, Germany, 5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with 3rd Independent Machine Gun Coy, 7th Armoured Div in Germany, 1945-1946: processing and attitude of surrendering German Army troops; impression of German civilians; accommodation in and state of Hamburg; period in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; concerns about potential German resistance, 5/1945; VE Day celebrations in Hamburg, 8/5/1945; journey to Berlin including problems encountered on border Soviet Zone of Occupation, Germany, 7/1945; state of Berlin and civilians; description of barracks; preparations for and description of Victory Parade in Berlin, 9/1945; relations with Soviet Army troops; recreational activities in Berlin; weapons carried; rations and supplementing them on visit to Copenhagen, Denmark; mail; war service of family members; story of horse outside barracks; posting in village outside Hamburg; decision to continue service with British Army; rank and duties; disbandment of unit, 1946. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with School of Administration, British Army of the Rhine at Bad Lippspringe, Germany, 1946-1948: role and courses run by school; composition of staff; teaching of accounting; troubleshooting visit to units in GB; length of posting. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 7th Armoured Div in Germany, 1948-1949: involvement in and nature of courts of enquiry; duties with court martial; nature of court martial cases involved in; frequency of postings. Aspects of period as officer with Demonstration Bn, School of Infantry in Warminster, GB, 1949-1950: role of Demonstration Bn; accommodation; story of concealment demonstration. REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 1950: period with battalion in Gibraltar, 1949-1950; training for deployment to South Korea in Norfolk; background of troops; opinions of National Service conscripts; expectation of participation in Korean War on return from Gibraltar; expected role in Korean War; embarkation at Southampton; nature of voyage from Southampton to Pusan, South Korea. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 29th British Infantry Bde Group in South and North Korea, 11/1950-10/1951: arrival at Pusan, South Korea; journey to Kaesong with transport; degree of knowledge of Communist opposition; accommodation; split of battalion; preparations for expected attack on Kaesong; arrival of company commander; story of United States Army officer; items bought with pay; washing facilities; story of civilian attached to 29th British Infantry Bde Group; battalion casualties; preparations for withdrawal; conditions in camp at Seoul, South Korea; items obtained from Americans forces; defences dug outside Seoul, South Korea; attack by Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops and battalion casualties; period in position established on hill; Chinese People's Volunteer Army withdrawal; details of withdrawal south; winter conditions. REEL 8 Continues: situation in South Korea; opinion of American forces organisation; preparations for possible evacuation from South Korea; memories of General Matthew Ridgway; winter conditions in trenches; sleeping arrangements; story relating to fearful soldier; incidents of Koreans shooting prisoners of war; use of Korean porters; living conditions for Korean civilians; withdrawal southwards via Seoul, South Korea; events following withdrawal; condition of United States Army positions taken over in central South Korea; climate throughout year; nature of treatment of British prisoners of war; posting to Hong Kong. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong, 11/1951-9/1952: move to Hong Kong, 10/1951; expectation of invasion of colony by People's Republic of China; role and activities in New Territories; items available in Hong Kong; opinion of likelihood of invasion; leisure activities. REEL 9 Continues: involvement in move to GB, 9/1952. Aspects of period as instruction with Vistry School, Netheravon, GB, 1952: posting to school as instructor; pamphlet written on concealment; composition of school; role in exercises; lectures given; use of sound; uses of ideas in action; length of posting; later downscaling of Vistry School. Aspects period as student at Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham, GB, 1952-1954: technical staff course undertaken. Recollections of operations as officer with 5th Bn Malay Regt, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1954-1956: reason for posting to Federation of Malaya; flight to Federation of Malaya; initial impressions of Federation of Malaya; journey to Port Dickson; joining of battalion at Muar; reunion with Korean War veteran; problems with wildlife during interview with commanding officer; deployment of battalion on rubber estates; communication with troops; searches for Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; activities of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; attitude to posting to battalion; learning about fauna. REEL 10 Continues: run-up to Independence; relations with civilians; activities of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents north of Kuala Lumpur; battalion attack on Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; method of keeping civilians separated from Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents during planned ambush; recreational activities; conditions for families including visits of cinema and rations; conditions for civilians; story of captured python; description of patrolling; religion of battalion troops; character of Malay troops; story of discussion about rations; Independence celebrations; departure from Federation of Malaya including story of monkey collecting ex-officer. REEL 11 Continues: details of barracks at Muar; story of departure from Muar; details of voyage to GB. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers in GB and Hong Kong, 1956-1965: role bringing battalion from Münster, West Germany to GB; period at Barnard Castle; activities of battalion in Hong Kong including married quarters and accommodation in different areas; leisure activities; guard duties; riot control exercises in Kowloon, Hong Kong; education of children; facilities in barracks. Aspects of period as officer with Army Apprentices College, Arborfield, GB, 1965-1968: role and nature of college; duties including details of training given to apprentices; sporting activities; story of ill-disciplined apprentice. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Military College at Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1968-1970: background to posting to college; knowledge of Malay language; expansion of Malaysian Army and reunion with old colleagues; British personnel serving in Malaysia; training given to students and staff at college. REEL 12 Continues: lecturing on overthrow of government; passing out parades; story of obtaining new training ground; change to role and duties; role and history of college; memories of General Sir Gerald Templer; death of wife; short period at Army School of Transport on return to GB; army medical care given to family; leaving British Army, 1970. Aspects of post-service life and employment in GB: reasons for becoming teacher; employment as teacher; retirement. Recollections of operations as officer with 3rd Independent Machine Gun Coy, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe and Germany, 1944-1946: relations with Soviet Army personnel in Berlin, Germany including during takeover of Wedding area; opinion of Soviet Army's aims in 1945; discussion of personal morale among troops and fatigue during Second World War; firing of Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT). REEL 13 Continues: story of soldier being afraid to fire Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT); nature of officer selection; opinion role of army chaplains during North West Europe campaign; examples of ill discipline in Germany dealt with including incident of troops concealing illicit vehicles; story of chaplain's tent; religion among troops; opinion and activities of Corps of Military Police; later casualties from accidents in Korean War; discussion of issue of awards for bravery; character of Other Ranks; visit to museum and other opportunities for looting, Berlin, Germany; requisitioning of property in Germany; story of discovery of Van Dyck painting in artillery depot in Berlin, Germany; military court system. REEL 14 Continues: details of court martial cases involved in whilst serving with Headquarters, 7th Armoured Div; bartering with civilians in Germany; process of demobilisation; details of pension; reflections on military career; story of relieving stress problems; story of Royal Engineer laying land lines in Hong Kong; events following suicide of civilian worker in Hong Kong; importance of commanding officer and regimental sergeant-major.