Interview with Keith Nutter

British private served as signaller with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 10/1951-7/1952

REEL 1 Background in Rushden, GB, 1932-1950: social circumstances; education; memories of United States Army Air Force airfields and aircraft crashes; rationing; German Air Force raids and use of concrete air raid shelter; impact of death of grandfather prior to D-Day, 6/6/1944; VE and VJ Day celebrations, 1945; attending engineering course at technical school, 1945-1947; employment in engineering factory, 1947-1948; employment with father's milk round business, 1948-1950; church youth club and football activities. Recollections of training as private with Northamptonshire Regiment, East Anglian Bde at Meanee Barracks, Colchester Garrison, GB, 9/1950-11/1950: call-up for National Service, 9/1950; reception and kitting out; barrack room; reveille; rations. REEL 2 Continues: preparation for barrack room and kit inspections; drill; lectures; question of homesickness; weapons training including rifle, bayonet, Bren Gun, hand grenades and SMBL 2 Inch Mortar; tactical training; route marches; physical training; canteen; call-up of reservists from Z Reserve. REEL 3 Continues: relations with fellow recruits, instructors and officers; inspections prior to guard duty and fire pickets; recreational visits to Colchester; leave; passing out parade. background to volunteering for Parachute Regiment. Aspects of period training with Parachute Regiment in GB, 11/1950-1/1951: background to volunteering for Parachute Regiment; attending pre-selection course for Parachute Regiment at Aldershot Garrison, 11/1950-12/1950 including reception, competitive atmosphere, forced marches and runs, trimnasium, assault course tunnels, log race and boxing 'milling'; move to No 1 Parachute Training School, RAF at RAF Abingdon, 12/1950-1/1951; familiarisation flights in Douglas Dakota aircraft; fan descent; landing method; procedure on parachute jumps from balloon and Handley Page HP.67 Hastings aircraft. REEL 4 Continues: parachute descent; background to delays in completing course and decision to return to unit. Aspects of training with Roya Norfolk Regiment in GB, 1/1951-3/1951: joining holding company at Colchester Garrison, 1/1951; continuation training with Royal Norfolk Regiment at Colchester Garrison, 2/1951-3/1951. Recollections of period as signaller with Signal Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt at Dover Castle and Crowborough Camp, GB, 4/1951-8/1951: reception and selection for signals training; opinion of Signal Officer Captain Brian Emsden; Morse Code training; training on No 62 Wireless Set; wireless procedure and operation of wireless net; course at Signal Wing, School of Infantry at Hythe including laying field telephone lines, use of Nos 88 and 31 Wireless Sets; opinion of NCOs; importance of communications; relations with Other Ranks; nature of tunnels at Dover; move to Crowborough Camp; arrival of drafts of National Service conscripts from other units; reaction to posting to South Korea; preparations for posting to South Korea; embarkation leave. REEL 5 Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Empire Orwell from GB to Pusan, South Korea, 8/1951-9/1951: leaving Crowborough, GB; age of National Service conscripts; embarkation at Southampton, GB, 30/8/1951; messdecks; seasickness; impressions of 'bumboats' and visit ashore at Port Said, Egypt; training; posting as signaller to C Coy; impressions of visits ashore at Aden, Aden Protectorate, Colombo, Ceylon, Singapore, Federation of Malaya and Hong Kong; disembarkation at Pusan, South Korea, 30/9/1951; removal of steel helmets; train journey to Britannia Camp, 1/10/1951-2/10/1951 including sight of Korean refugees and use of American rations. Recollections of operations as signaller with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 10/1951-6/1952: truck journey to front line at Kowang-San; digging headquarter dugout and Korean grave; relieving 1st Bn Royal Ulster Rifles; situation on taking up positions on Hill 355; setting up No 62 Wireless Set and checking telephone lines; night patrol led by Lieutenant John Fitzgerald to occupy Chinese People's Volunteer Army trenches; Bren Gun post and signallers' dugout; use of No 62 Wireless Set to pick up music stations. REEL 6 Continues: operational use of No 31 Wireless Set on battalion net; telephone system; use of portable No 88 Wireless Set; weapons and contents of small pack; sleeping bags; nature of Chinese People's Volunteer Army attack on 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers' positions, 4/11/1951-6/11/1951, including artillery fire, importance of barbed wire defences and counter-attack by 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt; story of being attacked by United States Air Force North American F-86 Sabre aircraft despite aircraft recognition panels whilst repairing of telephone line; shell shocked NCO; attachment to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on Hill 210, 16/11/1951-22/11/1951, including French Canadians speaking on wireless net, digging defensive positions and experiencing air burst artillery fire; situation; period in Samichon Valley, 11/1954-4/1952; terrain; use of Korean porters; signallers dugout at Headquarters, C Coy; petrol heating system; winter uniform; lice problem; beds; food rations. REEL 7 Continues: latrines; question of washing; head injury and refusal to go sick; shaving; opinion of Major Hubert Holden; story of digging Kansas Line reserve positions, 1/1952; story of sympathetic response of Major Hubert Holden after accidental shooting incident; stories illustrating relations with Company Sergeant-Major H Bell including being forced to carry wireless set on patrol despite severe sunburn; stand to; work improving defensive positions; mobile showers; laundry; recreational activities; parcels and letter contact with GB; nature of reconnaissance patrol with Major Hubert Holden and Lieutenant-Colonel John Orlebar, 3/1952; weapons carried on patrol and helpless position of signallers wearing headphones; leave in Tokyo, Japan. REEL 8 Continues: story of buying wrong whisky for friend during leave in Tokyo, Japan, 3/1952; football matches and anti-guerilla patrol during rest period, 3/1952-4/1952; return to front line at : football matches; anti-guerrilla patrols; return to front line at at Kowang-San, 4/1952; circumstances Major Hubert Holden breaking his leg; opinion of Private Peter O'Neill batman to Major Hubert Holden; wet conditions and digging of defensive positions as reserve company. 19/4/1952; signallers dugout; opinion of Major John Ashton and story of his birthday celebrations at rear of C Coy positions; rubbish disposal; importance of barbed wire defences. Account of fighting patrol as signaller with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, onto Tombstone Spur of Hill 217, South Korea, 29/5/1952-30/5/1952: terrain and situation; prior patrol with Lieutenant Thomas Henson, 28/5/1952; absence of other signaller giving evidence at court martial of Private Peter O'Neill over case of self-inflicted wound; Officer 'O' Group and briefing. REEL 9 Continues: wireless arrangements using No 31 Wireless Set as control set linking to support units and No 88 Wireless Sets of dispersed sections of patrol; plan; preparations; equipment carried including No 31 Wireless Set and Sten Gun; establishing wireless net and wireless silence; composition of Assault Pioneer and 8 Platoons; moving out; dropping off Firm Base 1 on Italy position; single file formation; forming Firm Base 2 and taking up defensive positions at foot of Tombstone Spur; vulnerable position as signaller wearing headphones; Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops opening fire on forward patrol led by Lieutenant Jonathan Wormold of Assault Pioneer Platoon; failed attempt by signaller to transmit on No 88 Wireless Set; orders from Lieutenant Tony Towell to move forward; role bringing down supporting fire from 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards; move up hill; walking wounded; establishing defensive positions and evacuation of wounded; search for survivors; personal morale; question of support from Machine Gun Section; retreat to Firm Base 2 at dawn; remaining in No Man's Land with Bren Gun team and Lieutenant Tony Towell. REEL 10 Continues: taking up positions in trench on Italy position; question of missing patrol members; establishing wireless contact on No 31 Wireless Set using long aerial; retirement under smoke screen generated by 45th Field Regt, Royal Artillery; closure of wireless net; rum ration; second attempt led by Lieutenant Tony Towell to locate survivors; death of stretcher-bearer Private Roy McDonald, 30/5/1952 and subsequent contacts with his family. Recollections of operations as signaller with 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde, 1st Commonwealth Div in South Korea, 6/1952-7/1952: burial of Private Roy McDonald at Pusan, 6/1952; routine patrols; role as wireless operator in assisting B Coy patrol led by Company Sergeant-Major F G W Wilson caught in minefield and their subsequent rescue by A Coy patrol led by Major Ben Chapman, 26/6/1952-27/6/1952; soldier's stomach wound; story of taking unarmed Chinese People's Volunteer Army prisoner of war in Samichon Valley; demobilisation parties in line, 7/1952; journey back to Pusan. Aspects of voyage from South Korea via Hong Kong to GB, 8/1952: seasickness; evading duties under direction of Corporal Harry Minards. REEL 11 Continues: prior recollection of temporary promotion to corporal and escorting prisoner from 8 Platoon to battalion headquarters at Kowang-San, 7/1952. Aspects of period as signaller with Royal Norfolk Regiment in GB prior to demobilisation, 9/1952: reaction to being Mentioned in Despatches; period at Britannia Barracks, Norwich. Post-service life and employment: employment on milk round and in shoe factory; marriage; question of psychological effects of military service; service as sergeant with 5th Bn Northamptonshire Regt, Territorial Army at Rushden Drill Hall, 1952-1957; membership of British Korean Veterans Association; review of subsidised visit to South Korea, 2000; membership of Royal Norfolk Regiment Association; visit to United Nations Memorial Cemetery at Busan, South Korea, 2000.