Interview with Donald Jeffrey Lear

British officer cadet with Officer Cadet Training Unit at Bangalore and 16th Punjab Regiment Training Centre at Sialkot in India, 1942-1943; served with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 1/1944-11/1944; served with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt in Palestine and India, 1944-1946; served with 2nd Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in India, 1946-1947; served with King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Depot, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed and with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in GB, 1948-1951; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 27th and 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bdes in South Korea, 1951-1952; student at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1952-1953; served as staff officer with 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB, 1953-1955; served with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1955-1957; served with 4th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in GB, 1957-1959; student at Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell, GB, 1959; served with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, Berlin Infantry Bde in Berlin, Germany, 1960-1961; staff officer served as intelligence officer with Headquarters, Singapore District in Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1961-1964; staff officer served as intelligence officer to Director of Military Operations in Borneo, Malaysia, 1964-1965; served with MI11, Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1965-1969; served as Defence Attaché with British Embassy in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, 1969-1972: served with Directorate of Army Security, Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1972-1977; civilian security advisor with South East District in GB, from 1977

REEL 1 Aspects of period as officer cadet with British Indian Army in GB and India, 1941-1942: background to joining British Indian Army before leaving school; membership of school Officer Training Corps; call-up to Ramilles Barracks, Aldershot Garrison, GB; entraining for Glasgow, GB; acceptance of military discipline; accommodation at Ramilles Barracks, Aldershot Garrison, GB; character of rations; weapons training; voyage aboard HMT Stratheden from GB to Indian including conditions on board troopship, travelling in convoy and ashore in Durban, South Africa; initial impressions of Bombay, India; train journey from Bombay to Bangalore, India. Aspects of period as officer cadet at Officer Cadet Training Unit at Bangalore, India, 1942: abuse of position by camp commandant; nature of tactical training; instructors. REEL 2 Continues: language training; process of joining Bangalore Club; Indian cadets; system of assessment and level of failure; reasons for choice of 16th Punjab Regiment; move to 16th Punjab Regiment Training Depot at Sialkot; role as adjutant with training battalion; daily routine; role of Jemadar; ethnic composition of recruits; character of recruits; recruit training; selection of recruits; recruit discipline; Sikh recruits' temperament; hunting with Peshawar Vale Hunt. Recollections of operations as officer with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div at Monte Cassino in Italy, 2/1944-3/1944: posting to unit in Egypt and onto Italy, 1/1944; in transit camp at Taranto, 1/1944; move into front line at Monte Camino, 2/1944. REEL 3 Continues: German forces' mortar attacks on mule supply train; leading standing patrol; terrain and frozen bodies; clothing; problems of lying in shallow scrapes during daylight; use of sangars; company strength and casualties; duties as junior officer; role observing German forces on Monte Cassino; defensive actions carried out by German forces; becoming company commander; British casualties during attacks; German defensive positions; lack of warning of Allied air attacks; casualties from British artillery smoke shells; character of fighting; reaction to Allied bombing of divisional headquarters; psychological effect of accidental bombing; sight of 2nd New Zealand Infantry Div's attack on Cassino town and Hangman's Hill, 3/1944; communications with battalion headquarters; lack of use of mines and wire by Germans; truce to remove casualties; wiring of flank positions; effect of weather on sound. REEL 4 Continues: conduct of withdrawal from positions; question of lack of need for counselling for military personnel; impact of action on nerves; company strength on withdrawal and problems with frostbite; character of Gurkha attack on Monte Cassino Monastery; reasons for failure of 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt's attack; importance of listening; reasons for 4/6th Bn Rajputana Rifles failed attack; German knocking out of tanks supporting 2nd New Zealand Infantry Div attack; use of mortars and problems of accidental short drops; use of grenades; lack of co-ordination in attack after bombing of monastery; effect on German forces of Allied bombing of Monte Cassino Monastery; United States Army Air Force accidental bombing of battalion's positions. Recollections of operations as signals officer with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 3/1944-11/1944: move to east coast; support from Italian Co-Belligerent Army artillery; use of M3 White Half-Track; terrain in sector; ambush by German forces in hill top village; German forces' tactics; opinion of Italian Co-Belligerent Army artillery fire. REEL 5 Continues: problems encountered with communications; use of heliograph; selection of signallers; casualties from snipers; German forces' tactics; German forces' defensive positions in villages; use of tanks for assaults; patrol activity and use of bodyguards; Indian troops relations with tank crews; unit morale during rapid advance; organisation and manning of battalion headquarters; issuing of orders; quality of maps; opinion of unit administration; degree of contact with Italian civilians. Aspects of period as adjutant with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt in Palestine, 1944-1945: move to Palestine for internal security duties; political atmosphere; camp at Haifa; degree of knowledge about insurgents; patrols to protect oil pipeline; guarding Governor's house, Jerusalem; security at King David Hotel, Jerusalem; attitude of new commanding officer. REEL 6 Continues: restoration of battalion discipline; commanding officer's training policy. Aspects of period as adjutant with 4/16th Bn Punjab Regt in India, 1945-1946: impressions of GB during leave; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; joining North West Frontier Bde Group; tactics employed in recapturing police station at Peshawar; imposition of curfew; reasons for unrest in Peshawar; British Indian Army troops attitude to British leaving India; operations on North West Frontier; politics of North West Frontier; invitation to join King's Own Scottish Borderers; distance moved by brigade columns; tank and artillery support. REEL 7 Continues: degree of air support received. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in India, 1946-1947: background to joining 2nd Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers; contrast between British Army and British Indian Army; escort duties during Partition; Australian officer rejected by unit; train travel in India; question of reasons for massacres during Partition; return to GB, 1947. Aspects of period as officer with King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Depot, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed and with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in GB, 1948-1951: training National Service conscripts at regimental depot; opinion of National Service conscripts; contrast between British Indian Army and British Army troops in accepting military discipline; importance of regimental spirit; joining 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers at Troon; role as signals officer and intelligence officer; shortages of officers; proportion of regulars in unit; signals equipment; move to Hong Kong. Recollections of operations as staff officer with Headquarters, 27th and 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bdes in South Korea, 1951-1952: posting to Headquarters, 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde as G3 Operations; situation in South Korea; role as brigade major of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde; brigade headquarters protection by United States Army tank unit; chaotic arrival of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde; nature of Chinese People's Volunteer Army mass attacks and Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops. REEL 8 Continues: construction of defensive positions; extreme weather conditions; contrast in conditions in South Korea and at Monte Cassino, Italy; troop's state of health; reaction to appointment as G3 Operations; duties as G3 Operations; dealing with commanding officer of French Canadian troops; behaviour of one brigadier who was replaced; prior recollections of internal security duties in Hong Kong with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers; lack of premonition of Korean War; joining Headquarters, 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde south of 38th Parallel; vehicles and equipment of brigade headquarters; daily routine; composition of 27th Commonwealth Infantry Bde; method of withdrawing; Chinese People's Volunteer Army tactics of out flanking positions; protection of brigade headquarters; question of American military discipline; comparison between Generals Matthew Ridgway and Douglas MacArthur; contents of brigade operations room truck; method of delivering orders; quality of maps; rear links; national political issues at brigade headquarters; character of orders; dealing with United States Army troops and value of American liaison officer; relations with United States Army Cavalry Division; time required to pack and move; source of intelligence and use of forward air controllers. REEL 9 Continues: artillery forward observation officers; opinion of Royal New Zealand Artillery; terrain characteristics of good defensive positions; reconnaissance of defensive positions; use of 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars' tanks to provide support during withdrawal; engineer support; work as brigade major; quality of Australian Army troops; characteristics of different national contingents; visits to units; sleep and effects of sleep deprivation; importance of air superiority; impact of better communications; importance of keeping troops informed of situation; opinion of Chinese People's Volunteer Army artillery; Chinese People's Volunteer Army mass infantry attacks; impressions of Chinese prisoner of war; opinion of Republic of Korea troops; Chinese People's Volunteer Army defensive positions; importance of long distance patrolling including use of company patrol bases. REEL 10 Continues: prior recollection of period as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Governor of North West Frontier Province, India, 1946; badly handled attack on Italy Position by 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers; removal of brigadier for failed attack; question of counter-insurgency being less demanding than conventional warfare. Aspects of period as student at Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1952-1953: problem from car crash injuries; grenade throwing test; importance of personal contacts; lessons learnt; importance of thinking 'two down'; lessons learnt in Korean War. Aspects of period as staff officer with 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB, 1953-1955: duties; requirements for moving division; divisional order of battle; amphibious training; marriage during divisional exercise. REEL 11 Continues: character of Territorial Army personnel; character of exercises; syllabus at staff college; methods of instruction at staff college; proposed war role of division; work of headquarters; work routine. Recollections of operations as adjutant with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1955-1957: method of embarking; memories of battalion chaplain; voyage from GB to Federation of Malaya; reading and destruction of classified documents; conditions on board troopship; degree of knowledge about Federation of Malaya; use of pamphlets; tactics in contrast with Burma Campaign; situation in Federation of Malaya; patrolling of protected villages. REEL 12 Continues: conditions in jungle; length of time spent waiting in ambush and effect of long ambushes on morale; character of company bases; curfews; scale of ambush force; use of Iban trackers and Chinese Federation of Malaya Police liaison officers; ambush to capture female Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent; motivation for Malayan National Liberation Army activities; character of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; contacts obtained and number of kills; successes of 1st Bn Fiji Infantry Regt; layout of ambush; fields of vision in different types of jungle; weapons carried; opinion of wireless set; supplies and equipment carried on patrol; uniform worn; potential health problems; use of air reconnaissance; liaison with police and civil administration; work of Headquarters Coy; precautions taken against informers. REEL 13 Continues: recreational facilities; morale and welfare; discipline amongst troops; security of main base; amusing story of delivery of maps; contact with civilian population; orders to move to Singapore to quell riots; unreliability of helicopters; patrolling in Singapore; causes of riots; character of Singapore Police Force; role as equerry to Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester during Independence celebrations; impressions of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester; lack of effect of Independence on Communist insurgents; Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent intimidation in villages; effects of monsoon. Aspects of period as officer with 4th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers in GB, 1957-1959: formation of military band; attempts to recruit; shortage of recruits; amusing story relating to Walter Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch; regimental fairs; battalion camp. Aspects of period as student at Royal Air Force Staff College, Bracknell, 1959: difficulties encountered. REEL 14 Continues: lessons learnt at college; syllabus; method of instruction and study. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, Berlin Infantry Bde in Berlin, Germany, 1960-1961: mobilisation to provide demolition for key bridges; company training; visits to East Berlin; guard duties at Spandau Prison; relations with Berliners; character of military quarters; relations with Americans and French military personnel; question of potential invasion by Soviet forces; lack of contact with East Germans. Recollections of period as intelligence officer with Headquarters, Singapore District in Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1961-1964: degree of intelligence knowledge prior to posting; character of training; duties including running eight agents; arrangement for handling cut out agent; origins of strike; role aiding upcoming Independence; reasons for recommending detentions; plans to arrest Lee Kuan Yew; size of intelligence staff. REEL 15 Continues: question of safety of his agents; compromise of agent; nature of Special Branch, Federation of Malaya Police; response to unrest in Brunei, 1962; situation in Brunei. Recollections of operations as intelligence officer on staff of Director of Operations in Borneo, Malaysia, 1964-1965: increase in activities of Indonesian forces under President Sukarno's leadership; President Sukarno's activities during United Nations ceasefire; rules of 'Claret' operations in Borneo; example of 'Claret' operation against Indonesian camps; Gurkha's use of General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG); routine duties; Director's comments on use of helicopters; use of helicopters; sources of intelligence; role of Special Air Service Regt; use of false map to trick Indonesian commandos; Indonesian use of forged papers; degree of sympathy for Indonesians; character of schools in Sarawak; use of different border maps; measures to disarm witnesses to referendum; lack of agents in Brunei on arrival. REEL 16 Continues: sources of American intelligence in South Vietnam; British and Indonesian casualties in Borneo; character of communications in Borneo; importance of intelligence gathered by villagers; General Walter Walker's relations with other senior officers; orders issued to British military personnel in Borneo; opinion of Compo rations; weapons used; use of hovercraft; method by which Sultan of Brunei managed to secure presence of British military forces; performance of ArmaLite AR-15 Assault Rifle; Indonesian weapons; restriction on helicopter usage; comparison between uses of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force helicopters; relations with civil police; relations with Sultan of Brunei and Tunku; General Walter Walker's method of command; impressions of Admiral Varyl Begg; method of planning 'Claret' operations; General Walter Walker's attitude towards signals intelligence; Indonesian signals equipment. REEL 17 Continues: Kalimantan Volunteers; conduct of 'Claret' operations; employment of Australian and New Zealand military personnel; character of his second director General Sir George Lea; brief appointment as GSO MI11; visits by Fred Mulley and Duke of Edinburgh; level of knowledge and attitude of Fred Mulley and Denis Healey. REEL 18 Continues: degree of knowledge of the Duke of Edinburgh; Special Air Service Regiment activities across the border; role of Sarawak Rangers. Recollections of period as officer with MI11 at Ministry of Defence, London, GB, 1965-1969: initial reaction to posting to Ministry of Defence; setting up of Directorate of Army Security; a plan to assassinate Prime Minister of Angola by ex-members of British armed forces; dealing with carelessness of Chief of General Staff; case of official documents sent to East German Embassy; reasons for dismissal of senior officer from Supreme Headquarters Allied Power Europe (SHAPE); incident of Royal Navy officer taking rocket launcher on London Underground; regulation of manufacture and sale of gas guns; contacts with Special Branch and MI5; invitation of join MI5; MI5 personnel; organisation of staff at MI11; espionage threat from Warsaw Pact and concerns about France; emphasis on courses to raise security awareness; document security; limits of value of vetting. REEL 19 Continues: question of subversion; Jehovah's Witnesses subversion of Royal Air Force band in Singapore; attempt to remove left wing army officer; necessity to educate civilian and military staff to threats; efforts to co-ordinated meetings; states of alert; dealing with security staff officers in district headquarters; role of Corps of Royal Military Police and Atomic Energy Authority; character of liaison with security organisations; roles of MI5 and Special Branch; relations between MI5 and Special Branch; role handling blown agents from Northern Ireland; question of vetting of military personnel; contacts with MI6 and Special Branch; opinion of civil rights movement in Northern Ireland; Special Branch relations with Garda Siochana security against eavesdropping. REEL 20 Continues: use of paper rather than telephone; question of classification of 'secret' papers; story of former British members of the armed forces plan to assassinate President of Angola; handling of two security matters relating to senior officers; social contacts with American and French military personnel. Recollections of period as Defence Attaché at British Embassy in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, 1969-1972: background to appointment; Polish language and photography courses; types of cameras used and limitations of telephoto lens; degree of briefing about Polish People's Republic; prospects for arrest and counter-arrest techniques; character of Poles and his domestic staff; theft of items during searches of house; bugging of his house; discretion to act on his own judgement; whom he reported to; monitoring railway lines; incident when he was shot at by sentry at Soviet Air Force airbase. REEL 21 Continues: evasion tactics in woods; specially adapted car; role of Assistant Naval Attaché; incident when he took rolls of film to Polish National Day celebrations; different levels of activity by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation attachés; problems with Turkish attaché; story of shadowing Polish convoy; character of his 'shadowers'; solution to question of where to sleep; incident with number plate; techniques of escaping from tail; car barging of his car; reasons for taking chances to obtain intelligence; areas of particular interest; incident of being found near bridge by Border Protection Troops; relations between Poles and Soviets; demonstration by Polish airborne forces; opinion of Polish armed forces; story of being allowed access to inside of Polish training tank; question of motivation of Soviet Army troops; procedure when arrested; degree to which new items of equipment issued to Soviet and Polish armed forces during his tour. REEL 22 Continues: drills for expulsion; reaction of Soviet Government to expulsion of Soviet agents from GB; attitude of ambassador to intelligence gathering missions; informal conversation with Soviet ambassador; invitation to dinner with Polish official who may have been agent; use of burglaries for intimidation; degree to which he used Polish language; role as liaison officer with neutral defence attaches; method of conveying his reports; riots in Polish seaports; impressions of General Wojciech Jaruzelski. REEL 23 Continues: reaction to Solidarity riots; relations with Polish civilians; role of Roman Catholic Church; story of visit by HMS Ashanti; characteristics of Polish Navy's destroyer ORP Grom; contact with Polish Navy; impressions of Polish Navy; quality of base facilities at Gdynia and coastal defences. Recollections of period as intelligence officer with Directorate of Army Security, Ministry of Defence in London, GB, 1972-1977: role and duties including committees attended; monitoring of extremist organisations in Northern Ireland; no direct contacts with special forces; degree to which left wing groups presented problems; threats from Scottish and Welsh nationalists; question of threats from right wing organisations and animal rights groups. REEL 24 Continues: Adjutant General's investigation into animal rights incidents; increase in Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) activity; attempts to monitor sympathizers; precautionary measures at army facilities; degree of threat from Middle Eastern organisations; question of threat to atomic organisations; measures to protect convoys of nuclear materials; liaising with Ministry of Defence Public Relations Department; encouragement given to Intelligence Section to liaise with American military forces at RAF Leconfield; role as advisor on security of computers; reasons for retirement from army and job offers; introduction of computers in Northern Ireland; question of degree to which computers are secure; question of quality of vetting; defence against disruption. REEL 25 Continues: Recollections of period as civilian security advisor with South East District in GB from 1977: background to obtaining role; area of operations; security arrangements for royal visits; measures to protect North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Committee lunch at Dover Castle; attitude of Duke of Edinburgh to visible security; use of dogs; important to keep soldiers informed on security; measures taken to protect American senior personnel; security at the British Army Equipment Exhibition at Aldershot; meeting of Metropolitan Police Special Branch, Royal Ulster Constabulary Special Branch and Garda Siochana Special Detective Unit disguised as golfing weekend; briefing given to Parachute Regiment on terrain on Falkland Islands; capture of spy serving as NCO in Intelligence Corps; travel during military service. REEL 26 Continues: lack of problems adjusting to civilian life; advantages of military service; contact with King's Own Scottish Borderers.