Brooks, Joe (Oral history)

British private served with 1st Bn, Middlesex Regt in Hong Kong, 1951; served with 1st Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 1952

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Bethnall Green and Chingford, London, 1932-1950: social circumstances; evacuation to Bury St Edmunds; move to Chingford; effects of war, 1939-1945, including German air raids, Morrison air raid shelter and food rationing; education; football and sporting activities; work as apprentice boilermaker, 1946-1950; background to call up for national service, ca 10/1950. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with Essex Regt Depot, Colchester, ca 10/1950-12/1950: meeting Private Fred Brek; reception; hut accommodation; kitting out; hair cut; morning routine; shaving; food rations; parades; drill; issue and cleaning of rifle; weapons training including rifle, Bren gun, Sten gun, bayonet, 2" mortar and hand grenades. REEL 2 Continues: weapons training including hand grenades, bazooka and revolver; PT and assault course; gas mask training; preparing for kit and room inspections; NAAFI canteen; visits to Colchester; pay; ironing uniform; status of infantry; relationship with recruits, instructors and officers; reactions to army discipline and lifestyle; passing out parade, ca 12/1950; leave, ca 12/1950. Period with C Coy, 1st Bn, Northamptonshire Regt in Trieste, Italy, ca 1/1951-6/1951: kitting out and journey out; reception as NS; guard duties on Royal Navy ammunition dumps; continuation of training; tactical training. REEL 3 Continues: football activities; relaxed discipline; introduction of green webbing; patrols on Yugoslav border, 1/5/1951; recall to GB during exercise in Austrian Alps, 6/1951. Period with 8 Platoon, C Coy, Royal Norfolk Regt in GB, 6/1952-8/1952: opinion of 2nd Lieutenant Tony Towell, Company Sergeant Major H Bell and Major H R Holden; origins of 8 Platoon personnel; ignorance of imminent posting to Korea; nature of training; relationship with drafts from other units; lectures; kitting out with winter and tropical uniforms; concealing news of Korean posting from parents during embarkation leave. Voyage aboard Empire Orwell to Pusan, Korea, 8/1951-9/1951: parents' reactions; messdeck conditions; question of seasickness; nature of training and lectures; visits ashore; issue of ammunition on arrival at Pusan; train journey and move into front line area. REEL 4 Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in Kowang San sector, 10/1951-11/1951: terrain; isolated platoon position; nature of defensive positions and dugouts; evening stand to; sentry duties; climate; US food rations; morning stand to; cleaning weapons; Chinese mortar fire; reconnaissance and listening patrols; latrines; Chinese attack on 1st Bn, King's Own Scottish Borderers on Hills 217 and 317, 4/11/1951-5/11/1951. Recollections of period in Smai Chon sector, 11/1951-2/1952: story of opening fire on Chinese bridge building party and capture of wounded Chinese soldier; role on Bren gun; cold conditions and special winter uniform; mobile showers; shortage of uniform; question of shaving; delousing; parcels and letter contact with GB; training for night attack during rest period at Paekhak Reservoir. REEL 5Continues: platoon success in winning battalion football cup whilst in reserve at Paehhak Reservoir; story of rescue by sapper after patrol had entered a minefield; nature of patrols including briefing, weapons carried, camouflage, moving into No Man's Land in single file, accidental clashes with other Allied patrols and return to front line; story of accompanying sapper officer to check suitability of river bank for possible tanks crossing, clash with Chinese troops and retreat back across river; local leave in Pusan; opinion of Lieutenant Tony Towell and Sergeant Freestone. Period in reserve at Paekhak Reservoir, 2/1952-4/1952: Period in Kowang San area, 4/1952-5/1952: activities of Machine Gun Platoon and Chinese retaliation; dugouts; account of patrol towards Tombstone feature, 29/5/1952, including move into No Man's Land, establishing Firm Base 2, Chinese fire on Pioneer Platoon advance party, move forward up hill, escorting stretchered evacuation of wounded man, return of Lieutenant Tony Towell and his subsequent attempt to locate survivors; personal morale. REEL 6 Continues: monsoon conditions; mosquito problem; cigarette, beer and rum rations; faunae; attempts to take Chinese prisoners for interrogation; question of demobilisation; leaving unit, 9/1952. Voyage aboard Empire Orwell to GB, 9/1952-11/1952: prior period in transit camp at Pusan; presence of unit aboard ship until disembarkation at Hong Kong; personal morale; conditions and minimal duties; reception and passing through customs at Southampton; reception on leave. Demobilisation at Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 11/1952. Post-service career: acceptance of status as reservist with Middlesex Regt rather than period in Territorial Army; return to work as boilermaker and difficulty acclimatising to factory work; football trials and question of becoming professional footballer; machine work for British Oxygen and as semi-professional footballer; work as builder; effects of military service; contact with old comrades of 8 Platoon, C Coy, 1st Bn, RNR.