Description
Object description
British drummer served with 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in Kenya, 1954-1955
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Ashington, 1932-1953: family background and social circumstances; education; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; contacts with Home Guard; Morrison shelter; stories of German air raids; relationship with soldiers billeted in area; story of uncle's medals; rationing; story of Bevan Boys billeted on family.
REEL 2 Continues: importance of workingmen's clubs; stories illustrating father's character; following progress of war; underage service with Army Cadets attached to Northumberland Fusiliers, ca 1945, including training programme, learning to play drums and bugle, VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945, Victory parade and uniform; desire to join army; work as apprentice industrial painter, 1945; family attitude to prospect of working in mines or joining army; work as apprentice painter and decorator, 1949-1950; question of deferment of call up to 21. Recollections of training with 7th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers, Ashington Drill Hall, 1951-1953: background to recruitment; drill nights.
REEL 3 Continues: value of Army Cadet experience; composition of unit; rifle training and cleaning; Bren gun; Inerga rifle grenade; hand grenades; Sten gun; PIAT; 2" mortar; annual camps at Humbleton Camp, Barnard Castle including role in advance party, presence of 'Z' reservists, full equipment, tactical exercises and training with tanks, live firing, close escape from "2 mortar fire during exercise and canteens.
REEL 4 Continues: annual camp and 50 Div exercises on Salisbury Plain, 8/1953, including isolated situation, lack of rations, successful demonstration of section attack and visit to London. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 'Y' Squad, Northumberland Fusiliers Depot, Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne, 9/1953-12/1953: call up; reception; assisting raw recruit; checking territorial uniform and kit; necessity of buying cleaning equipment; question of value of previous experience; barrack layout; nature of barrack room and attacked recreation room; stealing problem; cleaning barracks room for inspection; story of demotion as squad leader; preparing for kit inspection including cleaning boots and blancoing kit.
REEL 5 Continues: food rations; drill and weapons training; lectures including VD warnings; PT and boxing; importance of instilling aggression and pride in personal appearance; guard duties and 'stick man'; relationship with recruits and instructors; story of reporting sick and dispute with NCO; stories of cross country runs and route marches; vaccinations; NAAFI canteen; visits to Newcastle pubs.
REEL 6 Continues: visits to Newcastle pubs; pay and allotment to mother; story of soldier in guardhouse charged with cowardice in Korea; embarkation leave, 12/1953. Voyage out with draft aboard Empire Windrush to Mombasa, Kenya, 12/1953-1/1954: messdeck conditions; seasickness; cigarettes; route; sunrise in Red Sea; first impressions of Mombasa. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine as drummer with Headquarters Platoon, 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers in Mwimgo Gate Camp, Nanyuki, 1/1954-4/1954: train journey; reception; tents and sleeping arrangements; question of joining Pioneer Platoon; background to posting to Corps of Drums and role as Defence Platoon; composition of COD; role of duty bugler and bugle calls.
REEL 7 Continues: COD practices and qualification as drummer; role of duty bugler; fatigues; erecting barbed wire around camp; night guard duty; stand to; infantry role as drummer; disposition of British units in Kenya; nature of Mau Mau Emergency; reception on joining unit; night patrol to set ambush in bush; Defence Platoon sweeps through bush accompanied by Kenyan Police; olive green uniform and kit; condoning off and searching Kenyan villages; setting ambushes; food rations.
REEL 8 Continues: water supply; relationship with African workers and civilians; detachments to 'beat retreat' in Nairobi; problems with various insects, snakes and faunae; relationship with ORs; question lack of briefing prior to operations; opinion of various including Company Sergeant Majors George and Tom Connelly, Regimental Sergeant Major Frank Bingham and Drum Major 'Red' Ainsworth; relationship with officers; camp cinema; NAAFI canteen; question of sporting activities; accidental shooting cases.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of periods at Agricultural Show Ground and Muthaya Polo Ground, Nairobi, 4/1954-10/1954: background to Operation Anvil to clear area of Mau Mau; prior concentration of battalion at Gil Gil; drumhead service; move into Nairobi, 24/4/1954; method of operating cordon and identification of Mau Mau suspects; tent accommodation and bedding arrangements; lice problem; story of arresting Mau Mau suspect; guard duties on Mau Mau prison camps; escorting Mau Mau prisoners to McKinnon Road Prison Camp; prevalence of thefts from Mau Mau prisoners and consequent courts martial; clearance of African villages to secure sectors from Mau Mau; story illustrating brutality of treatment of African civilians by African police; question of behavioural standards of British troops; relationship with European civilians; leave periods acting as guards on isolated farms; overall success of Operation Anvil; move to Polo Ground, 8/1954; water supply; compo food rations; self heating cans.
REEL 10 Continues: story of operations to capture Mau Mau group operating in Dundara Swamp; alarm over possible attack on Polo Ground; monsoon rains; routine cordon operations. Period at Ndragwaga Camp and Air Strip Camp, Nanyuki, 10/1954-8/1954: nature of Air Strip Camp; comparison of conditions of service with visiting party from Royal Navy; story of coming under fire during mobile land rover patrol to Untalali Saw Mills; story of repelling Mau Mau attack on police post; setting ambushes in forest; nature of Ndragwaga Camp; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1954; story of African war dance; air drops during attachment to X Coy for Operation First Flute to clear Mau Mau from Mount Kenya area.
REEL 11 Continues: attachment to X Coy for Operation First Flute to clear Mau Mau from Mount Kenya area including terrain, faunae, acting as wireless operator on 22 set, use of petrol burner cookers, gramophone, patrols, minimal contact with Mau Mau and story of not opening fire on African; Mau Mau weapons; question of casualties; suspension of operations and return to routine training; role with rear party, 8/1955; kit inspections; fitness of troops after operations on Mount Kenya. Period at Kenton Camp, Nairobi, 8/1955-8/1955: hospitality of ex-serviceman; duty driving officers; troops state of health and VD problem. Flight back to GB, 9/1955.
REEL 12 Continues: Period at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne, 9/1955: reception and home leave; guard duty and question of precautions due to IRA threat; demobilisation and introduction to 7th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers. Post-service career: return to work as painter and decorator; marriage, 12/1955; failed application to join Rhodesian Army; attending annual camp with 7th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 1955-1957; review of service with various territorial units 1958-1969; work as hospital porter; period on detachment to 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in Aden, 11/1966, including grenade attack on land rover and story of patrolling streets in Crater; reason for leaving territorials, 1969; effects of military service.