Morris-Metcalf, Harold Frank "Mick" (Oral history)

British boy soldier served with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1930; boy soldier, private and NCO served with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Egypt, Singapore, India and Burma, 1930-1943; NCO served with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1943; private and NCO served with Royal Military Police in GB, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, 1943-1960

REEL 1 Background in Bristol, GB, 1915-1930: father's return on leave from First World War; singing lessons; civilian work; story of decision to join army; story of joining-up at recruitment centre; train journey to Gravesend. Aspects of period as boy soldier with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1/1930-11/1930: reception and scenes on arrival at Milton Barracks; first meal and evening in army; accommodation; story of first night in army; first run-in with Regiment Sergeant Major; visit to dentist in Chatham; story of message delivered to commanding officer from dentist and subsequent events; selection as drummer and uniform issued; story of fight during second night in army; daily routine including use of mules; army education; story of firing revolver. REEL 2 Continues: treatment from NCOs; Sunday visits to Salvation Army; story of first church parade; sports; interviews with bandmaster and posting to E Flat Bass; story of being sent home on embarkation leave and return home; reactions to posting abroad; story of events on Armistice Day, 1930, including argument with tram conductor; preparations for embarkation; journey to Southampton; conditions during voyage aboard HMT Somsersetshire. Aspects of period as boy soldier with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Egypt, 12/1930-2/1931: arrival in Alexandria including problems with kite hawks; journey to Abyssia Barracks in Cairo; description of camp; climate; routine; memories of Boy Soldier John Jarvis; memories of band leaders; hockey and treatment for grazes; memories of Lance Corporal Kent; visit to dead city including details of archaeological excavation and story of burning bush, 25/12/1930. REEL 3 Continues: meetings with Duke of Gloucester; story of Grenadier parade; story of visit into Cairo including precautions taken and visit to brothel; homosexuals in battalion; voyage aboard HMT Somersetshire to Singapore. Aspects of period as boy soldier with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Singapore, 2/1931-10/1932: arrival in Singapore and journey to barracks; details of Tang Lin Barracks including rations and accommodation; details of pay; reason for initial confinement to barracks; rugby match against Singapore Cricket Club; details of Singapore; discipline of unit; visit to ice cream parlour; membership of Singapore Musical Society; dealing with bedbugs; bicycle rides to Malaya; breaking of voice; concert parties; involvement with dance band. REEL 4 Continues: details of officers' mess including visits with band and memories of Colonel Chapman; story of reunion with old teacher; length of posting; request for extension to posting; farewell service; hospitalisation with septic leg and solution for ridding bugs from beds; relationship with civilians; leisure activities; opinion of posting; question of receiving homosexual approaches; story of Martin Price receiving a beating and reaction of some boy soldiers; attitude to sex; story of catching soldiers having sex. Aspects of period as boy soldier, private and NCO with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in India, 10/1932-11/1938: voyage to and arrival in Bombay; journey to Mhow; details of cantonment barracks including latrines; story of Parsi funeral; details of Mhow including Railway Institute; relationship with civilians including story of hearing King George V's 1932 Christmas message; tremors felt from earthquake at Quetta, 1935; changes to uniform; daily routine; attendance at funerals; inoculations; opinion of posting; changes after entering men's service; storage of kit; trick played by Private Tom Latimer during kit inspections; civilian workers in camp. REEL 5 Continues: sports; daily routine including dog and stick walk; hospitalisation with cartilage problem; map reading training; roles of band on manoeuvres; first aid training; extra rations gained; story of concert played at Rajah of Indoors Palace; story of pet dog including attack on civilian; relationship with Indian and Anglo-Indian civilians; story of singing at Catholic event; poverty in India; Royal Artillery presence; problems with sunburn and wildlife; rations; news of posting to Multan; proficiency with rifle and weapons in battalion; cancellation of posting to Multan; arrival in and details of Madras; initial problems from sea. REEL 6 Continues: details of barracks; swimming; girlfriends in India; journey to Wellington; details of Wellington Barracks and surrounding area; story of concert at local club and singing at Government House; mail; visit from girlfriend; charity concerts including dance with Lady Marjorie Erskine; further details of Madras; details of riot during visit of Mahatma Gandhi; mail from GB; reactions to leave and activities before embarkation; details of leave in GB; reception on return to India; story of boxing tour fighting in All India competition; visit to hospital in Madras. REEL 7 Continues: involvement in sports; posting to Burma; departure from Madras; story of French sailors in Singapore. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Burma, 11/1938-1/1942: scenes on arrival in Rangoon; details of Mingaladon Barracks; story of posting to A Company and promotion to corporal; description of period as machine-gun corporal in A Company; leisure activities; story of concert in Rangoon and return to band as Drum Major; preparations for first parade including learning to use mace; details of first parade; promotion to sergeant; news of outbreak of war and reactions; riot control duties in Rangoon including at Government House; relationship with civilians; death of pet dog; story of pregnancies among lead ladies of Maid of the Mountains. REEL 8 Continues: story of swimming and polo matches against civilians; story of Buddhist monks with weapons; story of Regiment Sergeant Major Pete Niblett's ban on Anglo-Indian girls at dance; discussion of attitudes to Anglo-Indian civilians story of concert in Madras?; details of marriage and honeymoon, 8/5/1940; relationship with civilians; broadcasted concerts from Rangoon; riot control duties; relationship with civilians; events leading to evacuation of families; formation, make-up and training of mortar platoon; story of mortar demonstration given to governor; opinion of mortar; posting to Sale Barracks in Rangoon; arrival of Japanese. Aspects of period in transit from Rangoon, Burma, to Shillong, India, 1942: make-up of civilian convoy including description of road to China. REEL 9 Continues: football; vehicles in mortar platoon; story of Japanese roadblock including actions of mortar platoon and casualties; problems with jungle terrain; rations; actions of carrier driver; supply of petrol; health of troops and rations; duties checking civilians; details of actions against Japanese including at Letpadan and Shwedaung; action at and evacuation of wounded from Paungde; activities at and description of Regimental Aid Post; air activity at Paungde; changeover of vehicles; death of soldier being carried on back during evacuation from Prome; loss of memory; hospitalisation and reunion with battalion in Mandalay; train journey to Minchina. REEL 10 Continues: events at airport; flight to Assam. Aspects of hospitalisation in India, 1942: details of period in Shillong Hospital including details of other patients; knowledge of family; opinion about organisation of evacuation; morale before evacuation; details of train journey to Clifden; contact with families at Clifden and Rangoon. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt in India, 1942-1943: posting to Kohima; exercises; story of flooding; hospitalisation with malaria; duties with advance party; details of period camp outside Imphal; performances at concerts in Imphal; training of reinforcements; story of posting to GB; journey to Bombay; reunion with family. Aspects of voyage from Bombay, India, to Gourock, GB, aboard the Felix Russell, 1943: sailing through cyclone; periods on Mauritius and in Cape Town including babies born on boat. REEL 11 Continues: sinking of German submarine; stops en route to GB including visit from Winston Churchill and Charles De Gaulle; train journey to Bristol; air raids; run-in with Military Police. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1943: problems with hand; treatment received in Winchester; treatment of Burma veterans and departure from regiment. Aspects of period as private with Royal Military Police in GB, 1943-1945: posting in Aldershot; joining of band as private; boxing; posting given and duties; story of concert at Blackdown; Military Police involvement on D-Day; pattern of training; formation and role of Special Investigation Branch; story of singing practice; subsequent escort of prisoners to and singing competition in Bristol; Military Police duties undertaken during visit to Bristol; joining of Special Investigation Branch. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Special Investigation Branch Royal Military Police in GB, 1943-1945: training course undertaken, 1/1945, including examinations. REEL 12 Continues: posting to Newmarket; reception on arrival; accommodation; duties; interview of rape victim; story of petrol theft case including taking plaster cast of vehicle tracks and discovery of petrol; story of investigation into stolen whiskey at train yard; promotions to sergeant; duties as company clerk; reactions to end of war and sports day; collection of new vehicles. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Military Police in Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, 1945- 1953: journey to Bad Oeynhausen including scenes in Munster and relationship with civilians in Bad Salzuflen; posting at Philips factory in Eindhoven with 153 Provost Company; civil organisation in Germany; relationship between Dutch and Germans in Rotterdam; duties; story of organising use of tennis court; details of concerts performed at; civilian morale. REEL 13 Continues: make-up of section; duties in Rotterdam; illicit alcohol sales; rations; duties at Hook of Holland including method of recognising criminals; disbandment of section; background of troops in 90 Section Special Investigations Branch; story of fake officer and unit; story of interviewing suspect; story of arresting soldier in Brussels and his subsequent escape and capture in Antwerp; story of arrest by Belgian police; dealing with officers including story of padre caught out; search for deserters; size of crimes dealt with; posting and events in Iserlohn; relationship with civilian staff; story of rape case investigation. REEL 14 Continues: story of later contact with one of rapists; details of Field Security Section; relationship with civilians including membership of amateur dramatic society; story of seizing Nazi material in Dusseldorf; memories of pathologist, Major Mary Monroe, including story of soldier found dead on railway line; sports in Berlin; reactions to promotion and posting to Dusseldorf; news of posting to Korea; activities during voyage to Pusan. Aspects of period as NCO with Far Eastern Land Forces Special Investigation Branch, Royal Military Police in Korea and Japan, 1953-1954: make-up of staff in Seoul; opinion of Korea; visit to Norfolk Regiment. REEL 15 Continues: contact with 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment; lengths of postings in Korea; posting in Kure; details of camp; opinion of Japanese; reunion with Colonel Fred Carne; make-up of unit; story of arrival with unit and changes to discipline; relationship with civilians including visits to Salvation Army and involvement with choir; rape cases in Kure; story of case following body found in harbour; meeting with Major John Wheater; swimming; posting to Hong Kong and farewell parties. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Military Police in Hong Kong, 1954-1957: posting at Nathan Road Barracks; story of first days; arrival of family; accommodation. REEL 16 Continues: memories of staff; duties; church attended and involvement with choir; spread of unit; leisure activities; visits to leper colony; membership of Hong Kong musical society; fitness tests; sports; leave in Japan including visit to bathhouse and Hiroshima; death of newborn daughter; farewell parties. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Military Police in GB, 1957-1960: buying of family home, 1949; posting in Great Scotland Yard in London; reason for turning down commission; story of train journey from Bristol to London; commanding officers; role of unit; journey to work; relationship with colleagues. REEL 17 Continues: details of offices; accommodation; church; involvement in investigation into murder at YMCA; story of investigating theft of silver from Guards; discussion of homosexuality in army; leisure activities; extension to service; involvement with Queen's Birthday Parades; reactions to retirement including offer of further posting; practical household course undertaken at Aldershot before retirement. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1960: gaining of civilian work; process of demobilisation; story of giving communion in Burma; story of attack on sniper at Shwedaung and reaction; mental effects of war; contact with Americans and Japanese in Rangoon.