Cox, Bill (Oral history)

British sapper served with Royal Engineers in GB, France, India and Burma, 1940-1946

REEL 1 Background in Aldershot, 1916-1940: family; story of soldiers billeted in family house; education; employment in building trade; recreational activities including membership of Scouts; memories of joining army, 1/1940; medical examination and problems with eyesight; attitude to outbreak of war. Recollections of period as sapper with Royal Engineers in GB and France, 1940-1941: initial training at Butlin's camp in Clacton and posting to France, 2/1940: description of duties as Engineer Clerk building airfields; evacuation from Calais after fall of France, 6/1940; arrival at Dover and transfer to military camp at Blackwater as part of 664 Engineer General Construction Company; transfer to Air Component Royal Engineers section and posting to RAF Benson, Oxfordshire; nature of duties; posting to Royal Engineers training establishment in Halifax; description of training and exams; promotion to Staff Sergeant and surveying mine-works in Wales; further memories of camp in Clacton including issue of uniform and kit REEL 2 Continues: description of uniform; drilling; opinion of accommodation and messing arrangements; attitude to army life and discipline; kit inspection; discipline less strict for non-combatants; recreational activities; further memories of journey to France; operation for appendicitis in casualty clearing station and recuperation. Recollections of period as sapper with Royal Engineers in India and Burma, 1941-1946: description of journey from Liverpool; Urdu lessons while aboard ship; grandfather's advice to take quinine and cinnamon tablets; arrival in Bombay; type of clothing worn; posting to Calcutta to construct anti-aircraft positions; posting to 110th Commander Royal Engineers Line of Communications Unit at railhead at Dimapur building camp and roads; journey from reinforcement camp into jungle and construction of base. REEL 3 Continues: further memories of Bombay and Calcutta; story of incident between British officer and American serviceman; description of 110th CRE unit and nature of duties; attempts to find unit; description of building accommodation at jungle camp and methods of road making; clearing jungle and making food storage depot; chain of command; problems of working in jungle; opinion of location of depot; importance of road and railhead; erection of TG (Temporary Garage) shedding along road. REEL 4 Continues: description of stores building and methods of construction; delivery and nature of rations kept in store depot; problem of cutting down trees; description of buildings at depot; petrol storage depots for Burma Oil; base hospital; communications HQ; reinforcement and reception camp in old cemetery with large phallic symbols; engineer and medical stores depots; problem with elephants and other wild animals; memory of finding giant spider in helmet; problem of leeches and flies and methods of dealing with them; unhealthy environment and problem of disease; taking cinnamon and quinine tablets; description and opinion of work gangs including working conditions and language problems; distribution of food and pay; nature of duties and attitude to level of responsibility. REEL 5 Continues: daily routine; opinion of accommodation and messing arrangements; washing facilities; further description of methods of road building and materials used; problem with storms and flooding; role of 'coolies' in road building; methods of transporting stones; attitude to native 'coolies'; lack of female company; racial mix at depot; problem of isolation and gambling; attitude to role in war effort; communication with family; memory of fall of Singapore; improving method of loading stones onto lorries; application for commission and officer training, 5/1943. REEL 6 Continues: nature of training; further six months of engineering training with Bengal Sappers and Miners; amusing story of bridge building exercise; short posting to Bengal Sappers as Training Adjutant in Lahore; posting to 713 Indian Mechanical Equipment Section as Field Officer in Arakan area, 5/1943, and description of building air fields; problem of fuel delivery; methods of construction and materials; problem of damage caused by large planes; receiving rehabilitation papers and return to GB, 8/1946. The word “coolie” was used as a term for an unskilled labourer in India, China, and some other Asian countries. It is now considered derogatory.