Interview with Alfred Frederick Ernest Clapton

British private served with Gloucestershire Regiment Regimental Depot at Horfield Barracks, Bristol, GB, 1936-1937; served with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1937-1939; served with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, Rangoon Area Bde, Burma Command in Burma, 1939-1942; served with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, Line of Communications Troops, Burma Command in Burma, 2/1942-5/1942; served with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 17th Indian Infantry Div in India, 7/1942-7/1943; served as driver with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 10/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Cheltenham, GB, 1920-1936: family; education; employment; reasons for joining British Army; process of enlistment. Aspects of period as private with Gloucestershire Regiment Regimental Depot, Horfield Barracks, Bristol, GB, 1936-1937: initial period at regimental depot; members of Inkerman Squad; accommodation; uniform issued; treatment from NCOs; pay and attempt of mother to take him home; physical training and rations; squad NCOs and reason for having an extra sergeant; examples of ill discipline and punishments; background of and relations with fellow recruits; sporting activities; opinion of military life; weapons training; army education. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 2nd Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1937-1939: background to posting as driver to battalion at Plymouth; training; duties as company commander's driver; posting to platoon; details of Seaton Barracks; sleeping arrangements; cleaning of barrack room and fatigues; army education; Sunday and leisure activities; inspection prior to leaving barracks; treatment from NCOs; relations with Royal Navy personnel in Plymouth; gambling; use of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI); opinion of military life; learning to drive. REEL 2 Continues: wait for overseas posting and desire to serve abroad. Aspects of from Liverpool, GB, to Bombay, India, 1939: character of HMT Dunera; issue of tropical kit; knowledge of destination; stop in Port Said, Egypt. Aspects of journey from Bombay, India to Mingaladon, Burma, 1939: train journey from Bombay to Madras including impressions of India; free time on Thursdays; reception on arrival in Rangoon; impressions of Rangoon; journey to Mingaladon. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, Rangoon Bde Area, Burma Command in Burma, 1939-1942: nature of barracks including presence of civilian workers; role of battalion; period as lance corporal including reason for reversion to private, duties and attending NCO cadre; leisure activities; later loss of possessions; signals training; terrain; question of safety; relations with civilians; involvement in boxing; relations with comrades and duties in Rangoon; climate; return visit to Myanmar, 1998. REEL 3 Continues: involvement in camp radio station; news of war including influx of equipment following Fall of Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942; training for war; discussion on withdrawal from Burma and loss of Singapore, Malaya; knowledge of Japanese approach; departure from Mingalodon, 3/1942; Imperial Japanese Army Air Service air raids and change of accommodation, 12/1941; driving duties and requisition of spare parts; civilian withdrawal; loss of possessions; reaction to situation. Recollections of operations as private with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, Line of Communications Troops, Burma Command in Burma, 3/1942-6/1942: joining of convoy in Rangoon; first action against Imperial Japanese Army roadblock at Taukkyan, 7/3/1942-8/3/1942; opinion of value of training; nature of withdrawal northwards; reception on return to column and reaction to situation; activity of battalion within column; details of attack on Imperial Japanese Army troops at Letpadan including involvement with signals. REEL 4 Continues: physical state; evacuation of wounded following actions at Paungde; action against Imperial Japanese Army at Shwedaung including Japanese 'jitter' tactics and loss of truck; nature of withdrawal through jungle; return to main body of battalion and artillery fire received; changes to organisation of withdrawal; journey to and beyond Mandalay; return toward Mandalay; separation from platoon; crossing of River Chindwin; nature of road constructed through Northern Burma. REEL 5 Continues: character of march through Northern Burma including lift obtained on motorcycle and help received from Gurkha soldier; obtaining rations and sleep Royal Engineers outpost at Palel; withdrawal to Dimapur, India, 6/1942. Aspects of hospitalisation in India, 1942: physical state including loss of weight; further details of last part of march through Burma including rations, night-time activities and climate; problems with legs and treatment at Poona; story illustrating success of medical treatment. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Gloucestershire Regt, 17th Indian Infantry Div in India, 1942-1943: reception on return to battalion at Kohima; size of battalion; testing of anti-malaria precautions; collapse from malaria and description of evacuation; anti-malaria precautions; hospitalisation and convalescence in Calcutta; battalion move at Milestone 46 near Imphal; withdrawal to Fort William in Calcutta, 7/1943. Aspects of period of leave in GB, 1944: voyage from India to GB, 1944; impressions of GB. REEL 6 Continues: reaction to changes in GB; reception received from family; talking about experiences; return from leave; relations with wife and marriage. Aspects of operations as driver with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: posting as driver to Louvain, Belgium, 10/1944; involvement with mixed unit in Ardennes, Belgium; duties with Special Weasel Transport Platoon in Nijmegen, including driving through flood water and patrol at Elst, Netherlands; story of dealing with mine; wife's war work; accommodation in Nijmegen, Netherlands; story of German V1 Flying Bomb attack; crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945. REEL 7 Continues: artillery bombardment prior to crossing of River Rhine, 3/1945; advance into Germany including state of towns; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in Germany, 1945-1946: relations with German civilians; state of Münster; reflections on service and withdrawal from Burma; nature of duties including contact with Soviet forces; desire to leave British Army; nickname of 49th (West Riding) Div; leaving party; return journey to GB including train journey over River Rhine; process of demobilisation including discovery of transfer to Essex Regiment. Post-war life and employment: settling into civilian life; employment. Reflections on military service: psychological effects of military service including return visit to Myanmar, 1998; reunion with Corporal Roberts. REEL 8 Continues: attending at Corporal Roberts's funeral; physical effects of military service; lessons learned from military service; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army troops; story of Japanese artillery fire during withdrawal across river from Shwedaung, Burma; opinion of German Army and United States Army troops; contact with chaplain during withdrawal from Burma; opinion of training received; mail; military personnel suffering from psychological stress; option of posting to 10th Bn Gloucestershire Regt whilst in India, 1943-1944; family; reading of poetry written about wartime experiences