Interview with Reginald Best

British private and NCO served as signaller with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Signals in GB and North West Europe, 9/1939-5/1945; NCO served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to XXXIV Indian Corps in India and Malaya, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Croydon and Salisbury, GB, 1921-1939: family; education; employment with Southern Railway and Cunard. Recollections of period as signaller with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Signals in GB, 9/1939-6/1944: enlistment and declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; opinion of Lee Enfield Rifle; clothing issued; leave; opinion of rations; memories of cook in Mere; discipline; punishments received; sports including involvement with hockey team; position as signaller in route marches; background to posting in Bulford Camp; visits home and reasons for being placed on charge; composition of unit; memories of Brigadier Frederick Browning; physical test introduced by Major-General Bernard Montgomery and problem with fingers; communications. REEL 2 Continues: description and staff of signals wireless vehicle; memories of intelligence officer Major John Foot; opinion of officers and NCOs; later commanding of section in Normandy Campaign; preparations for posting to Norway and reason for not going; section colleagues; posting to Dover Castle; nature of German artillery fire received at Dover fired from Calais, France; recreational activities during leave in London and Salisbury; story of seeing 'The Crazy Gang' in London; attending physical training course at Aldershot Garrison; signals NCO training courses; formation of new Signals Section; incident of late return to camp; meeting future wife; question of contact with Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park. REEL 3 Continues: story of selection for Northern Command cross-country team; accommodation in Hastings; involvement with hockey team; posting to Rye; use of motorcycle including journey to East India Docks, London to await embarkation; night out in London and concerns about embarkation and obtaining lift to East India Docks. Recollections of operations as NCO with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Signals in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: voyage from London, GB to Normandy, France, 6/1944; landing on beaches and move inland; visit to Bayeux; work with Royal Engineers; involvement in moving Major General Ivo Thomas's divisional headquarters; knowledge of events at Hill 112; composition of Headquarters, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div; duties including transport used; story of motorcycle breakdown; scenes from Mont Pinçon and in Falaise Gap; story of lifting mine during advance to River Seine. REEL 4 Continues: sight of German Army casualties; nature of bridging of River Seine at Vernon including opposition faced; advance from River Seine; activities during period at Vernon. Recollections of operations as NCO with Corps of Signals attached to 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Signals in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: flags attached to motorcycle; reception from civilians in Brussels, Belgium 9/1944; signals transport; move to Bourg-Leopold, Belgium; Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; air activity; reception from civilians in Eindhoven, Netherlands; nature of advance to Nijmegen, Netherlands including road accident and night spent with Dutch civilians; situation on arrival at Nijmegen, Netherlands, including problems with communications; making radio communication with 1st Airborne Div troops in Arnhem, Netherlands, 9/1944; story of Royal Engineers captured during attempt at evacuation of airborne troops from Oosterbeek Perimeter, Netherlands; arrival of Polish airborne reinforcements. REEL 5 Continues: problems with wireless truck; evacuation of troops from from Oosterbeek Perimeter, Netherlands; nature of German opposition faced during period in Nijmegen, Netherlands including attempt to blow-up Nijmegen Bridge [Short Reel]. REEL 6 Continues: discussion of Operation Market Garden's successes; withdrawal and role in Nijmegen, Netherlands; problems with communications; leave in Brussels, Brussels including story of night spent with Belgian civilians; move Brunssum, Netherlands; accommodation and relations with civilians; degree of participation in Battle of the Bulge; Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944-1/1945; visit from and opinion of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; advance to River Rhine, Germany; change of transport; nature of crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; advance into Germany, 4/1945-5/1945. REEL 7 Continues: story of soldier refusing medical treatment; liberation of towns in Netherlands; sight of liberated prisoners of war and forced labourers; troops visiting Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany, 4/1945; story of intelligence officer looting; dealing with rapist in section; loot obtained; state of road during journey to Bremerhaven, Germany, 4/1945-5/1945; news of German surrender and subsequent celebrations, 8/5/1945; news of posting to Far East; description of journey to GB including visits to Oldenburg, Germany, Nijmegen, Netherlands and Bruges, Belgium. Aspects of voyage from GB to India, 6/1945-7/1945: embarkation leave; reaction to posting in Far East; reaction to hearing result of General Election during voyage from GB to Bombay, India, 7/1945. REEL 8 Continues: details of inoculations during military service. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Corps of Signals attached to XXXIV Indian Corps in India and Malaya, 1945-1946: posting to Deolali; news of role; interviews with commanding officer and posting to XXXIV Indian Corps at Poona; interview on arrival; voyage from India to Malaya, 8/1945 including morning procedures of British Indian Army troops and state of latrines; problems on landing including earlier news of Japanese surrender and celebrations, 15/8/1945; end to blackout during voyage; waterproofing of equipment; boarding of landing craft; landing on beach; state of troops during march inland; problems from crabs and treatment; contact with civilians in jungle; reaction to situation; story of accidental visit to brothel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya; contact with Japanese prisoners of war; contact with Force 136, Special Operations Executive in Kajang, Malaya; opinion of later Malayan Emergency; role and set-up in Ipoh, Malaya; sports; problems with ants; reception from civilians; details of amusement park. REEL 9 Continues: rations; story of tyre theft; leisure activities; Christmas 12/1945 including singing of Chief of the Royal Engineers song; activities of unit; return voyage to GB via Singapore, Malaya; demobilisation in Reading, GB, 1946. Post-war life and employment: return home; reflections on military service including sporting activities; post-war contact with wartime comrades.