Description
Object description
British NCO and officer served with Women's Auxiliary Service Burma in India, Burma and Japan, 1942-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of family background. Recollections of life in GB and India, 1920s & 1942: attending boarding school in GB; father's service with army on North West Frontier, India; languages spoken; lifestyle in India; social customs; attitude towards life at boarding school, GB; return to India, 1939; obtaining job at Army HQ.
REEL 2 Continues: work with Army; working as PA to Resident in Hyderabad; attitude towards social life; move to Quetta; meeting Freya Stark. Recollections of period with Women's Auxiliary Service Burma, India and Burma, 1942-1946: hearing of WASB; joining WASB; journey to Shillong; work of Nin Taylor and Lois St John; attachment of WASB to 14th Army; uniform; living conditions; food supplies and rations; system of rank; relationship with troops; morale of troops; work of Mountbatten.
REEL 3 Continues: Mountbatten's speech to troops; accommodation in Imphal; evacuation from Imphal during Japanese advance; work at Milestone 82 during battle of Kohima; cooking dead mule's liver; memories of Chindits; posting to Cox's Bazaar; receiving visit from Lady Mountbatten; move to Akyab; Japanese bombing of area; living conditions; Japanese bombing; attitude of Allied troops towards American troops; role of Naga hill tribes and other local peoples.
REEL 4 Continues: coping with Monsoon; description of canteen vehicles; goods supplied to troops; keeping accounts; tiring nature of work; drivers of mobile canteens; social life; ENSA concerts in area; popularity of Gert and Daisy; attitude towards Vera Lyn; attitude of troops towards ENSA performers; relations between troops and WASB women; news of wars progress; deaths of two WASB women; visits from Nin Taylor; attitude of Generals Silm, Scoones and Stopford towards WASB.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude towards war in Europe; question of whether war in far east 'forgotten'; move to Rangoon; work with POWs of Japanese returning from camps; condition of former POWs; distributing clothing to former POWs; caution in feeding former POWs; attitude of troops towards former POWs; story of how Burmese sold possessions left by British after evacuation back to British post-war; attending handing over of swords ceremony; attitude towards new WASBs recruited towards end of war; decision to continue serving with WASB post war. Recollections of period with WASB in Japan, 1946: journey to Japan.
REEL 6 Continues: attitude of British troops towards Japanese; running canteen for troops of 2nd bn Dorset Regt, Matsui; impressions of Japanese society and culture; attitude towards Japanese women; accommodation in Japanese home; attitude towards Japanese; Japanese attitude towards defeat; visit to Hiroshima; sight of devastation in Hiroshima; attitude towards dropping of atomic bombs; lack of knowledge of radiation; searching through rubble; devastation of Hiroshima; attitude of Japanese towards WASB women; strike by Japanese dockers at Kure.
REEL 7 Continues: canteen at Kure; demobilisation, 8/1946. Aspects of life post-war: return to GB; difficulties adjusting to civilian life; maintaining contact with former WASBs; receiving mention in dispatches; attitude of authorities and troops towards WASB role during war; attitude towards work with WASB; clothes rationing post-war.