Towell, Ton (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in West Germany, GB, Korea and Hong Kong, 1950-1955

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Canterbury, GB, 1931-1948: family circumstances; approach of war; education at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School, 1939-1942; education at King's School, 1942-1948, including daily routine, fagging system, discipline, sports activities, OTC training and school uniform; issue of gasmasks on outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; view of aerial dogfights and visits to sites of crash landings to collect souvenirs; attacks by German aircraft whilst in Canterbury Cathedral grounds; memories of Dean Howlett Jones; German night air raids including air raid shelters and blackout; fire watching against incendiaries on cathedral. REEL 2 Continues: V1 attacks; food and clothes rationing; news of progress of war; evacuation of school to Cornwall, 1944; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; makeshift ink bottle hand grenade; return to Canterbury, 1945. Recruitment into Essex Regt at Meanee Barracks, Colchester, 1948: background to decision to enlist; question of status as private; reception; conditions of service and training; relationship with recruits and instructors; attending War Office Selection Board. Recollections of attending Mons Officer Training Course at Mons Barracks, Aldershot, 1948-1949: story of kit inspection illustrating high standards; tactical exercises; selection for Sandhurst. Recollections of training with Normandy Coy, Victory College, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, 1/1949-6/1950: high standards; general education; elementary accountancy; military law; learning Russian; drill; riding training; learning to drive; bicycle drill; room accommodation; military history; scope of tactical training with sand tables, TEWTS, working in syndicates and exercises; importance of critical review of exercises; etiqu3ette at officers' mess guest nights; drinking habits; relationship with cadets and NCO instructors; cross country runs. REEL 4 Continues: cross country runs; importance of sporting achievements; PT; examinations and feat of being RTU; practical jokes; expanding syllabus and consequent pressures in last term; examinations; background to commission into Royal Norfolk Regt and prior interview with General Hayes; passing out parade, 5/1950. Recollections of period with D Coy, 1st Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt at Hullebrath, Dusseldorf, West Germany, 6/1950-2/1951: reception from Adjutant Captain Tim Creacy; role as equitation officer; nature of officers' mess including stories illustrating role as messing office, guest nights, regimental traditions, drinking habits, mess games and officers' 'party pieces'. REEL 5 Continues: role as platoon commander; creation of training programme; composition of platoon; exercises relationship with German civilians internal security role in controlling civilian demonstrations in Dusseldorf; importance of competition; opinion of national servicemen; relationship with platoon sergeant; relationship with ORs; question of welfare role; role of Adjutant Captain Tim Creacy; memories of various officers including Majors Hubert Holden, Peter Davis and Lieutenant Brian Emsden. REEL 6 Continues: memories of various officers and senior NCOs including Lieutenant Brian Emsden, Major Gibbon, Regimental Sergeant Major Gilchrist and Company Sergeant Major Bert Fitt. Recollections of period at Dover Castle Barracks, 2/1951-6/1951: nature of barracks; problems of being under-strength and difficulties with NS not eligible for overseas service; problem as messing office; reaction to news of Korea posting. Period at Crowborough Camp, 6/1951-8/1951: continues problem with being under-strength; training exercise at Stanford Training Area, soldiers' rejection for overseas service on medical grounds; issue of personal weapons and weapons training course; vaccinations; embarkation leave; Nissen hut accommodation. Voyage aboard Empire Orwell to Pusan, South Korea, 8/1951-9/1951: conditions; send off and embarkation, 30/8/1951; boat drill. REEL 7 Continues: PT, unarmed combat and rifle training; deck games; concert parties; visit ashore at Port Said, Egypt; conditions for ORs on messdecks; route marches and visits ashore at Aden and Columbo, Aden, Singapore and Hong Kong; lecture on situation in Korea and attitude of troops; reception from US band on disembarkation at Pusan, 30/9/1951. Period at Britannia Camp, 10/1951-11/1951: prior train journey; separation from platoon on posting as intelligence officer; composition of Headquarters Coy; opinion of Colonel H R Orlebar, Major Robert Murdoch and Adjutant Captain Ted Everhardie; composition of Commonwealth Div; role as intelligence officer; story of difficulty with maps during 'O' group prior to attack; liaison with neighbouring units. REEL 8 Continues: sandbag tented dugout; battle headquarters; defensive fire plans and artillery support; role of duty officer monitoring wireless, logging reports and calling for defensive fire from other units; financial accounting between national units for services provided; nature of fighting; reconnaissance, ambush and listening patrols; role of battle adjutant in arranging support and artificial moonlight for night patrols; Korean porters; food rations in officers' mess; replacement by Captain Tom Styles. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 8 Platoon, C Coy, 1st Bn, RNR in Sami-Chon Valley, 11/1951-3/1952: terrain and situation; effects of changes in platoon sergeants; opinion of Sergeant John Denny commanding Vickers Machine Gun Section of Support Coy within platoon perimeter; organisation of defensive positions; nature of bunkers and trenches. REEL 9 Continues: importance of barbed wire defences and wiring parties; paths through wire; scrub vegetation; winter conditions and problems with extreme cold; gasoline heaters; stand to; morning routine; US 'C' food rations; exchanging cigarettes for food; company headquarters; latrines; question of shaving and washing; US mobile bath and laundry units; lice problem; attack of impetigo; cleaning weapons; drink allowance; use of US 45 automatic pistol and carbine; testing weapons and story of platoon ineffectually shooting at deer. REEL 10 Continues: cleaning and inspection of weapons, personal hygiene, kit, defensive positions and dugouts; lunch; afternoon rest for soldiers on night patrols; role of NCOs in organising duty roster; reactions under Chinese shellfire; treatment and evacuation of wounded; personal morale and importance of humour; trench repairs; 'O' Groups; nature of listening patrols including organisation, function, use of wireless, method of withdrawal and debriefing; nature of reconnaissance patrols including function, occupying positions in daylight, reports of Chinese activity, composition, importance of silent movement and camouflaged uniform. REEL 11 Continues: nature of reconnaissance patrols including approach to observe Chinese positions and withdrawal; story of reconnaissance patrols to check suitability of ford for tank crossing over Sani-Chon River; nature of fighting patrols including prior battalion and company 'O' Groups, plans, composition and question of calling for volunteers, briefing, establishment of 'firm bases' in No Mans Land, camouflaged uniform, weapons, plans, use of hand signals, laying ambushes across paths, importance of ability of 'freeze' movement, risk of losing control of men and laying booby traps. REEL 12 Continues: nature of fighting patrols including question of crossing Sani-Chon River, laying ambushes across paths across paddy fields and question of 'smell' of Chinese troops; story of ambushing Chinese patrol, bayonet charge to clear withdrawal route and capture of wounded North Korean officer; Chinese success in removing corpses; cold weather conditions; story of taking fighting patrol into Sami-Chon village and problems caused by artillery fire; wireless communications; importance of communicating with individual soldiers during evening stand to; sleeping in command post dugout; fatigue; relationship with NCOs and ORs; letter contact with GB and question of censorship; officers' code to be employed in letters if POW; parcels from GB; welfare role and liaison with Padre Wild. REEL 13 Continues: welfare role and liaison with RNR Regimental Assoc in GB; question of 'Dear John' letters; beer and whisky ration; section parties and drinking games; contacts with neighbouring units; passwords; static nature of fighting; supplementing food rations; question of casualties. Period in reserve in Paekhak Reservoir sector, 3/1952-4/1952: Chinese shellfire; activities of North Korean guerrillas behind lines; conditions of service; period of local leave in Tokyo, Japan; medical problems and precautions; sports activities; damage to bridges caused by floating ice flows in Imjin River; concert parties; platoon drinking parties. REEL 14 Recollections of period in Kowang San sector, 4/1952-8/1952: terrain around Hill 355; positions near Hill 238; role attached to 1st Bn, Welch Regt on forward slope of Hill 355; Chinese shell fire; situation; Chinese propaganda leaflets left on barbed wire; Centurion tanks on reserve slope of Hill 355; reconnaissance flights over Chinese lines; calling down defensive artillery fire; Chinese shell fire; importance of maintaining fitness; escorting Korean porters; water ration; looking after feet; maintaining cleanliness of defensive positions including latrines, corpses, rubbish disposal and dugouts; medical problems and question of malingering; reporting Chinese shellfire and consequent artillery retaliation; patrol activity and story of successfully ambushing Chinese troops on Hill 118; question of deaths of Chinese and North Korean wounded POWs; story of python on patrol; listening post; rejoining unit on Hill 238, 5/1952; memories of RSM Gilchrist; role in reserve positions; nigh harassing fire of Bofors guns. REEL 15 Continues: use of camouflage netting screens; 'cab rank' system of Sabre aircraft ground attack support; account of fighting patrol towards Hill 317, 29/5/1952-30/5/1952, including necessity of taking prisoner, role of Lieutenant Jonathan Wermold and Pioneer Platoon, terrain, role establishing Firm Base II, wireless communication, role of Firm Base I under Lieutenant Tom Henson, use of radioscope night vision, establishing FB I, nature of scrub and terrain, establishment of FB II, memories of Wermold, situation, advance and ambush of Wermold's patrol, calling for artillery support, Chinese mortar fire, lack of information, opening fire on Chinese troops, advance leading party further up hill, discovery and evacuation of wounded via FB I, calling down artillery support and situation. REEL 16 Continues: account of fighting patrol towards Hill 317, 29/5/1952-30/5/1952, including withdrawal to FB II, use of Bren gun to cover retirement to FB I, return to front line, leading follow up patrol with Medical Officer Trevor Hart to search for Wermold, Chinese fire, covering smoke barrage during advance towards Chinese trenches, failure to find Wermold and decision to withdraw; award of MC; memories of Lieutenant John Berney; circumstances of death of Berney during fighting patrol onto Hill 118, 24/7/1952; situation during ceasefire negotiations. Period in rear reserve positions, 8/1952-9/1952. Memorial service at Pusan, 27/9/1952. Recollections of periods at Norwegian Farm and Dills Corner Camps, New Territories, Hong Kong, 9/1952-9/1954: posting to machine Gun Platoon, Support Coy; Vickers machine gun training and competitive exercises; method of setting up and firing Vickers. REEL 17 Continues: opinion of Captain Alec Parr and Sergeant John Denny; view of Chinese border guards; duties at Lu Wu observation post; role providing back up to border police stations; story of meeting future wife and purchasing car to visit her on Hong Kong island; digging machine gun posts; ceremonial guards at Government House; training programme; tense nature of relationship with China; Coronation parades, 1952; sporting activities; opinion of Colonel G R Turner-Cain including stories of inspections and his refusal of permission to get married; question of dismissal of RSM Gilchrist; return to GB. Period at Roman Way Camp, Colchester, 10/1954-8/1955: initial dispersal of unit on leave and courses; role running butts during shooting competition at Bisley Camp; story of soldier's death in lightning strike on tent; relationship with civilians. Attending machine gun course at Support Weapons Wing, School of Infantry, Netheravon, 1954: opinion of Colonel John Frost; passing course and posting as instructor. REEL 18 Continues: reactions to posting as instructor; marriage, 30/7/1955. Period as instructor at SWW, SoI, Netheravon, 8/1955-12/1957: role of course leader sergeant majors of Small Arms Corps; duties administering courses, tests and exercises; live firing exercise on students inside bunker; demonstrations; foreign students including Arabs and Israelis; exercises on Salisbury Plain; question of married quarters; fishing and game shooting; background to leaving army at instigation of wife; development work on new Belgian machine gun and comparison with Wickers; background to decision to leave army; securing offer of employment with Royal Dutch Shell; resignation after seeking advice from Frost, 12/1957. Post-service career: acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle. REEL 19 Continues: value of military training and experience in business career with RDS; review of business career with various oil companies; membership of Royal Norfolk Regt Assoc, 1997-2002.