Interview with Jeffrey Richard Probyn

British officer served with 7th Gurkha Rifles, India, 1941-1942; served with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Middle East, 10/1942-12/1943; served with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy and Greece, 1/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in London, Birmingham and Bristol, GB, 1922-1940: family; education; training with Officer Training Corps; volunteering for military service on outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; membership of Home Guard in Bristol. Aspects of training as private with King's Shropshire Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury, GB, 1940: call-up for military service with King's Shropshire Light Infantry; opinion of accommodation; description of basic training. Aspects of training as officer cadet with No 162 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Bulford Camp, GB, 1940: selection interview; description of officer training; attitude to care of soldiers under command; commissioning as second lieutenant in Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Aspects of period as officer with 2/7th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 182nd Infantry Bde, 61st Infantry Div in Northern Ireland, GB, 1941: posting to Londonderry; amusing story of church parade; tactical exercises; memories of batman; duties as platoon officer; reason for volunteering for service with British Indian Army; posted to Glasgow. Aspects of voyage from GB to India via South Africa, 1941: move to Glasgow; stopover in Durban, South Africa; disembarkation in Bombay, India. Aspects of period as officer with British Indian Army in India, 1941: story of buying gramophone and jazz records; period in transit camp; posting to Bangalore; tactical exercises; learning Urdu language; initial impressions of India; attitude to climate. Aspects of period as officer with 7th Gurkha Rifles in India, 1941-1942: posting to 7th Gurkha Rifles in Assam; terrain; learning Gurkhali language; patrols; reason for nickname 'Pinky'; posting to depot near Lahore; opinion of Gurkhas; organisation; messing arrangements. REEL 2 Continues: age of men; training; tactical exercises; comparison of British and Indian Armies; discipline; social life; memories of Indian servant and Gurkha orderly; mortar course. Aspects of period as officer with 2/7th Bn Gurkha Rifles in Egypt, Palestine, French Syria and Lebanon, 10/1942-12/1943: joining battalion in Egypt, 10/1942; description of Mena Camp, Egypt; opinion of commanding officer; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery; visits to Cairo, Egypt; opinion of Egyptians; move to Palestine; gas training course; visiting Jerusalem, Palestine; move to French Syria; duties guarding trains; nature of training at Mountain Warfare Training School, Lebanon. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/7th Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 1/1944-11/1944: landing at Taranto, 1/1944; uniform; move in buses at night to Monte Cassino area; relieving United States Army troops near Monte Cassino Monastery; reason for carrying out night operations; delivery of rations by mule; casualties. REEL 3 Continues: duties commanding A Coy; organisation of staff; communications; attitude to bombing of Monte Cassino Monastery, 15/2/1944; memories of amusing sign about accuracy of bombing; opinion of German forces; care of wounded; opinion of American and New Zealand forces; story of rum; taking command of D Coy; attitude to casualties; question of religious observances and food in British Indian Army. Aspects of operations as officer with 2/7th Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Greece, 11/1944-5/1945: duties assisting local civilians rebuild homes; reconnaissance missions; move to border of Greece and Albania; setting up headquarters in school; moving headquarters to wine factory in Patras; description of operations against Communist groups; attitude towards Communists; move to Salonika; description of houses painted red and blue to show political loyalties of owners; attitude to fighting guerrilla warfare; home leave in Bristol, GB; return to Kilkis; question of continuing service in British Indian Army.