Interview with John James Mole

British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde in South Korea, 1950-1951; served with 1/2nd Bn King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles), 99th Gurkha Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1953-1957 and during Indonesian Confrontation in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, 1963-1968

REEL 1 Recollections of period as National Service officer in GB and Northern Ireland, 1948-1949: family tradition of military service; membership of Army Cadet Corps at school; call-up for National Service, 1948; basic training at Bury St Edmunds; move to North Irish Brigade Training Centre at Omagh, Northern Ireland; character of training at Omagh, Northern Ireland; selection for officer training; officer training at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Camberley; atmosphere at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; posting to 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles at Ballykinlar, Northern Ireland; character of unit; training snipers; leading Catholic troops to church on St Patrick's Day. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Empire Pride from Liverpool, GB to Pusan, South Korea, 10/1950-11/1950: embarking on board HMT Empire Pride at Liverpool including arrest of deserter taken to South Korea; training on board HMT Empire Pride. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 29th British Infantry Bde in South and North Korea, 11/1950-10/1951 reception in Pusan; train journey to Ujongbu; orders to move north; training at Ujongbu; amusing story about commanding officer's knowledge of aiming lamps; strength of 4 Platoon; problems with army reservists; move to Suwon; impact of Chinese People's Volunteer Army intervention; period in reserve; orders not to sleep in buildings; attitude towards United States Army troops retreating southward; bartering boots for geese; battalion's acting as rearguard in hills south of Pyongyang, North Korea; character of clothing; degree of knowledge of Communist forces; move to Happy Valley; taking up positions at Point 195 and disposition of unit; unit defensive positions; layout of sections and platoon headquarters; unit communications; views from platoon position; night-time security measures; patrolling in valley in front of Point 195; standing to and anticipation of Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack. REEL 3 Continues: use of privately purchased sleeping bag; A Coy opening fire on Chinese People's Volunteer Army infiltrators; overrunning of No 3 Section by Chinese People's Volunteer Army infiltrators; Chinese People's Volunteer Army infiltrator's opening fire whilst pretending to surrender; corporal's proposal to charge Chinese People's Volunteer Army; reaction to losing position; burial of dead soldier and withdrawal from Happy Valley; flying in reconnaissance flight over Happy Valley; withdrawal to river in Seoul; reinforcing of unit after action; amusing story of battalion officer's meeting with General Matthew Ridgway; memories of Brigadier Thomas Brodie; organisation of Officer 'O' groups; prior recollection of jeep patrol near Seoul and role in discussions with villagers about evacuation. REEL 4 Continues: impact of General Matthew Ridgway's arrival; role as Mortar Fire Controller; positioning of mortars; co-operation with Royal Artillery mortars; conditions in reserve positions; orders not to enter houses; arrival of reinforcements; move forward to positions on River Imjin; character of positions on River Imjin; use of Ulster Crossing on River Imjin; co-operation with tanks of 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars; opinion of Belgian Battalion of Volunteer Corps for Korea; start of Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack on River Imjin; redeployment of battalion after Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack, 23/4/1951; firing into suspected Chinese People's Volunteer Army forming up points. REEL 5 Continues: deployment and use of machine guns; terrain; nature of attack on unit; deployment and command of companies; question of shaving in field; Chinese People's Volunteer Army tactics; question of options during action; resupply of battalion; orders to withdraw; question of battlefield superstition; providing mortar covering fire for withdrawal; departure of Universal Carriers; leading out large platoon eastwards; danger of retreating on tanks; withdrawal to American positions and onto Main Supply Route; battalion casualties; effect of withdrawal on battalion morale. REEL 6 Continues: reforming B Coy as platoon commander; discovery of booby-trap on reconnaissance patrol; nature of reconnaissance patrol; reaction to withdrawal of unit; leave in Japan. Aspects of period as adjutant with Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Depot at Ballymena, Northern Ireland, 1951-1953: duties as adjutant; recruits from Southern Ireland; reasons for decision to transfer to 1/2nd Bn King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles). Recollections of operations as officer with 1/2nd Bn King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles), 99th Gurkha Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1953-1957: degree of jungle training on posting; discovery of abandoned insurgent camp; reconnaissance patrols on compass bearings; initial reaction to jungle noises at night; leper colony terrorised by insurgents; navigation in jungle; comparison between Gurkhas and Irish troops; importance of Queens Gurkha officers; character of Gurkha soldiers; nature of intelligence received; frequency of patrols and their duration. REEL 7 Continues: degree of threat to company bases; role as intelligence officer in Johore; memories of Lieutenant John Nott; ambush in pepper estate resulting in deaths of two senior insurgents; narrow escape from ambush in Ferret Scout Car; story of awkward British officer and female Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEP); compiling of evening situation reports; communications; plan to carpet bomb insurgent camps; question of effectiveness of carpet bombing; insurgent threat and importance of General Gerald Templer's policies; protected New Villages; situation on leaving Federation of Malaya. Recollections of operations as company commander with 1/2nd Bn King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (Sirmoor Rifles), 99th Gurkha Bde during Indonesian Confrontation in Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, 1963-1968: areas of operations; helicopter support; accommodation in long houses; strength of company; character of base in jungle. REEL 8 Continues: role of company to stop Indonesian incursions; contact with Dyaks; operation to attack Indonesian infiltrators; evacuation of wounded soldier by helicopter; visit by General Walter Walker; limited use of Dyak trackers; reaction to taking dead Indonesians back in boats; nature of the Long Jawai incident and its aftermath; ambush of Indonesians by forward platoon; strength of Indonesian force; question of policy of leaving isolated detachments; patrolling on border; use of longboats; opinion of helicopter pilots; problems of operating helicopters in jungle; Gurkha experience in jungle; return to civilian life.