Taylor, Barney (Oral history)

British NCO served with 1st Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in West Germany, GB, Korea, Hong Kong, GB and Cyprus, 1947-1956; served as instructor at RNR Depot, Britannia Barracks, GB, 1956-1958; served with 1st Bn, RNR/East Anglian Regt in West Germany, 1958-1961; served as instructor at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, GB, 1961-1964; served with 1st Bn, Royal Anglian Regt in Aden and West Germany, 1964-1968; served as camp sergeant major at various military camps in Netherlands, Cyprus and Belgium, 1968-1976

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Witherqate and Bargate, 1928-1946: family circumstances and father's military service; education; football activities; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; training with Army Cadets and Home Guard, 1942-1945, including siring spigot mortar, exercises, bugle and weapons training; question of German air raids and rationing; following progress of war; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; work as toolmaker's apprentice, 1942-1946; background to volunteering and procedure on enlistment at Norwich. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during basic training at Royal Norfolk Regt Depot, Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 8/1946-10/1946: reception and kitting out; hair cut; barrack room accommodation; preparing for kit inspections; morning routine and cleaning barrack room; food rations; muster parade; drill. REEL 2 Continues: PT; rifle training and cleaning; weapons training including Bren gun, Sten and Stirling machine guns, hand grenades, 2" mortar, PIAT and bayonet; physical endurance tests and assault course; field craft, night exercises and map reading; preparing kit for next day; NAAFI canteen. REEL 3 Continues: recreational visits to Norwich; relationship with recruits and instructors; assessment. Recollections of advanced training at Depot of Anglian Bde, Meanee Barracks, Colchester, 10/1946-11/1946: squad training; platoon exercises including preparing defensive positions, advance to contact and night exercises. Recollections of period with Mortar Platoon, Support Coy, 1st Bn, RNR at Neuhaus and Sennelager Camps, West Germany, 1947: voyage out to Cuxhaven; period in transit camp; escorting prisoner with VD to hospital; receptionl detachment on training with 3" mortar to Sennelager Traiining Ground. REEL 4 Continues: acting as demonstration platoon in exercises for VIPs; driving Bren carrier used to carry mortar; participation with colour party laying up colours at Sandringham Church; memories of Sergeants Bland and Seakins; story of soldier accidentally firing German rocket launcher memories of Colonel Peter Barclay. Period at Dettmold Camp, ca 1947-1948: routine and guard duties; attitude to promotion to corporal; duties as orderly corporal. Period at Wavell Barracks, Spandau, Berlin, ca 1948-1949: passing through Soviet Zone on train; nature of German barrack accommodation; opinion of National Servicemen; relationship with German civilians and learning German. REEL 5 Continues: training on 17 pdr Anti-Tank gun; guard duties; exercises and firing practice; relationship with Soviet troops; attitude of German civilians to Soviet troops; effects of Berlin Airlift Crisis, 1948, including extra guard duties and arrival of extra British battalion; guard duties on Spandau Prison; unloading aircraft during airlift, 1948; story of guarding crashed Soviet aircraft; dispute over border zone sign; story of escorting train carrying damaged military vehiclkes to Oldenberg, currency exchange problems and hospitality of US troops at Lubeck; battalion training at Sennelager Training Ground; Soviet checks on numbers when travelling by lorry through Soviet Zone; escorting prisoner feigning mental illness; flight to Dusseldorf. Period at Llanelli Barracks, Hubbelrath, Dusseldorf, ca 1949-1950: routine duties; trials of new patterns of overcoats and combat uniforms. REEL 6 Continues: trials of new patterns of combat uniforms and boots; return to GB. Recollections of periods at Dover Castle Barracks and Crowborough Camp, ca 1950-1951: hut accommodation; routine duties; reaction to news of Korea posting; necessity for reinforcements from other units; firing exercise; medicals and vaccinations; memories of various officers and NCOs including Major Tim Creacy, Major Macarthur, Regimental Sergeant Major Gilchrist, Company Sergeant Majors Bert Fitt, Davis and Moore, Corporals John Denny, Geoff Taylor, Mike Freeman, Osborne and Sergeant 'Dutch' Holland; nature of corporals' mess and drinking habits. REEL 7 Continues: embarkation packing and leave. Voyage aboard Empire Orwell to Pusan, South Korea, 8/1951-9/1951: conditions; training; recreations; visits ashore en route; briefings on Korea. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine behind in Kowang San sector, 10/1951-11/1951: journey up to front; terrain; nature of trenches, nature of dugouts including makeshift bunks and heating; wiring parties and barbed wire defences; nature of mortar platoon position including mortar pits and defensive fire plan zones; moving into forward mortar positions for harassing fire; stand to; issue of salt and anti-malaria tablets. REEL 8 Continues: compo rations and cooking arrangements using hexamine burners; water rations; tea; US 'C' food rations; cigarette ration; washing and shaving; question of lice problem; attacks of ring worm; latrines; importance of cleaning weapons; training on mortars; inspecting mortar section and position; opinion of Lieutenant Bill Dellar; 'O' Groups; memories of Sergeant Wilding; reactions to heavy shellfire and view of Chinese attack on 1st Bn, King's Own Scottish Borderers on Hill 217, 4/11/1951-5/11/1951; firing in support and of counter-attack by 1st Bn, Leicestershire Regt on Hill 217, 5/11/1951. REEL 9 Continues: role organising sentry rota and duties; 'O' Groups; night routine; positions following withdrawal. Period in reserve in Paekhak Reservoir sector, 11/1952: inspecting and replacing uniforms and kit; recreational leave in Tokyo, Japan, including use of US facilities, visit to Hiroshima and relationship with Japanese civilians; mortar training. Recollections of period in Sami-Chon Valley, 11/1951-3/1952: condition of former French-Canadian trenches and dugouts; digging new personal dugout; preference for using F-C mortar ammunition; effects of cold conditions including inadequate uniform, problems with vehicles freezing and makeshift heaters; state of morale; letter and parcel contact with GB; moving into advanced mortar positions to fire in support of patrols; tank support at night; neighbouring US unit. REEL 10 Period in reserve in Paekhak Reservoir sector, 3/1952-4/1952. Recollections of period in line in Kowang Sang sector, 3/1952-8/1952: terrain; effects of monsoon rains; swimming in Imjin River; story of loss of patrol led by Lieutenant Wormald and supplying covering smoke bomb screen for second attempted rescue patrol led by Lieutenant Tony Towell, 29/5/1952; story of out of control tank recovery vehicle; role of South Korean porters and servants; story of drunk US NCOs firing personal weapons; visits to neighbouring South Korean unit; vulnerability of US defensive positions and illustrations of US attitude to war; harassing shoots in forward mortar positions; attachment to A Coy; US chapel; case of South Korean deserter; situation and move into reserve; question of origin of shellfire falling in reserve area; relief. Recollections of period at Norwegian Farm and Dill's Corner Camps, New Territories, Hong Kong, 9/1952-: state of unit; occupying defensive positions; role of Chinese civilians in occupying trenches; role on promotion to sergeant; nature of sergeants' mess. REEL 11 Continues: nature of sergeants' mess including drinking habits and guest nights; question of dismissal of Regimental Sergeant Major Gilchrist; opinion of RSM Tim Chatting; opinion of various NCOs; relationship with ORs; relationship with platoon commanders including Lieutenants Neil Pullen and Macdonough; attending 3" mortar course at Netheravon; decision to extend term of service; mortar training; opinion of NS; move to Dill's Corner Camp, 9/1953; weekend visits to Kowloon. REEL 12 Continues: preparations for massed ceremonial parades; riverbank patrols hunting illegal Chinese immigrants; relationship with Chinese civilians; voyage back to GB, 9/1954. Recollections of period at Roman Way Camp, Colchester, 1954-1955: leave; question of civilian attitude to soldiers; posting as platoon sergeant to B Coy; relationship with Lieutenant Herbert; relationship with Colonels Turner-Cave and Bill Brinkley; relationship with platoon NCOs; weapons and tactics course at Small Arms Course, Hythe including opinion of .5 Browning gun and question of new tactics. Recollections of period at Nicosia and Polymedia Camp, Limasol, 1955-1956: emergency mobilisation and flight out; tented camp outside Nicosia; prior briefing and situation; night street patrols to enforce Cypriot civilian curfew. REEL 13 Continues: daily routine; duties as battalion orderly sergeant; disciplinary offences; nature of camp site; escorting train carrying explosives; assisting police in collection of weapons from Cypriot civilians; relationship with Cypriot civilians; move to Polymedia Camp; explosion of mine under truck carrying guard from duty at television studio; search for Cypriot insurgents at Phakna; duty guarding police stations at Pharna and Tymbou; use of road blocks and sweep into hill country; casualties in forest fire; success in capturing Greek Cypriot insurgents; searching buses carrying Greek Cypriot civilians; activities of Greek Cypriot journalist; internal security role dispersing Cypriot crowds; street searches after bomb explosion in camp; military police support role in Limosol; opinion of General John Harding. REEL 14 Recollections of period as instructor at RRNR Depot, Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1956-1958: organisation of recruit platoons; daily routine and training programme; question of 'spit and polish' and discipline; competitive approach to training; memories of RSM Bert Fitt, Major Brian Dillon, Training Officer Tim Creacy; treatment and behaviour of 'teddy boy' NS recruits; question of amalgamation of RNR with Suffolk Regt as 1st Bn, East Anglian Regt. Recollections of period as platoon sergeant with B Coy, 1st Bn, RNR in Iserlohn Barracks, Dusseldorf, West Germany, 5/1958-1/1960: state of unit; attending drill course at Guards Depot, Pirbright; opinion of SLR rifle. REEL 15 Continues: upgrading of weapons and opinion of new Light Machine Gun; developments in tactics; atomic bomb exercises and anti-radiation suits; gas masks and drill; army exercises and question of compensation to German civilians for damage; Stalwart vehicle and MT; relationship with German civilians; married quarters; family's acclimatisation to military lifestyle; opinion of Major Tim Creacy and Company Sergeant Major Ted Holden; role carrying colour at last RNR trooping of colour ceremony; amalgamation parade and policy of forming mixed RNR and SR companies on formation of 1st EAR, 29/8/1959; success of amalgamation and problems encountered in amalgamation of Essex Regt and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt on formation of 2nd Bn, EAR. REEL 16 Period at Montgomery Barracks, Kladow, Berlin, 11/1960-5/1961: mechanisation and equipment with armoured personal carriers; proximity of East German border; story of winning inter-battalion competitive tactical exercise in Grunevald Forest Training area. Period as instructor at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, 1961-1964: prior training course; nature of training; opinion of cadets; promotion to staff sergeant in charge of company stores; exercises. Recollections of period with 1st Bn, Royal Anglian Regt in Aden, 1964-1965: background to posting to command 3 Platoon, A Coy stationed on Yemen border; nature of fighting patrols including briefing, selection of soldiers, weapons carried; method of laying ambushes on tracks, formations employed, story of opening fire and debriefing; opinion of Major Bill Deller; contact with Arab Federal National Army and question of them accidentally mortaring positions. REEL 17 Continues: move into Aden; duties on posting as Company Quartermaster Sergeant of B Coy; night patrol to enforce civilian curfew in Malla sector; barracks accommodation; married quarters in Crater and Kumaxa sector; relationship with Aden civilians; flight back to GB, 9/1965. Recollections of period at Celle, West Germany, 10/1965-2/1968: role with advanced party assessing damage bills prior to taking over married quarters and stores from 1st Bn, Royal Irish Fusiliers; married quarters; arrival of unit, 12/1965; re-equipment with Mark III APCs and Stalwarts; role as CQMS and cooperation with tanks during exercises; cleaning and checking equipment after exercises; responsibility for training NCO cadre on promotion to Company Sergeant Major; background to request for extended service. Period as camp sergeant major at Tepijn Camp, Headquarters Allied Forces Central Europe, Maastrich, Netherlands, 2/1968-9/1971: background to posting; multi-national composition of camp and attached recreational clubs. REEL 18 Continues: duties including administration of recreational clubs; wife's role running camp shop; relationship with Dutch civilians and staff; lifestyle; further extension of service. Period with British Support Unit, Headquarters, Near East Land Forces, Episkopi, Cyprus, 1971-1974: journey out; camp staff; responsibility for accommodation and stores; shooting competitions; effect on family of army lifestyle; recruitment of son into army; role in establishing and running Greek Cypriot refugee camp following Turkish invasion of Cyprus, 1974; water supply problem; necessity of providing accommodation in married quarters for Greek Cypriot refugees; minimal contact with Turks. Period with British Support Unit, Supreme Headquarter, Allied Forces Europe at Mons, Belgium, 1974-1976: multi national composition of camp. REEL 19 Continues: personnel establishment of camp; introduction of military exercises for camp staff; routine duties; return to GB, 8/1976. Period at Aldershot, 1976. Demobilisation, 12/1976. Post-service career: settling in Sussex; period as works supervisor with district council; question of value of military experience; period as works supervisor on building projects and oil pipeline warehouse in Saudia Arabia, 1980-1986; return to GB, 1986; van courier work, 1986-1989; move to Norwich area, 1996; membership and activities of Royal Norfolk Regimental Assoc and Korean Veterans Assoc.