Cainey, Arthur (Oral history)

British private with Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1934; private and NCO served with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, India, Middle East, Italy, North West Europe, Germany, 1934- 1948; served with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt in Germany and Hong Kong, 1948- 1952; served with Wiltshire Bde in GB, 1952-1954; officer served with 23rd Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, 1954-1958; served with 4th Bn King's African Rifles in Uganda, 1961-1967

REEL 1 Background in Whitley, GB, 1915-1934: service and death of father in First World War; later visit to father's memorial; education; reasons for leaving school; civilian work; reasons for joining army. Aspects of period as private with Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1934: wait for squad; membership of Territorial Army and decision about religion on joining army; accommodation at Devizes; rations during morning breaks; background of recruits; treatment from NCOs; memories of fellow recruits; opinion of training; details of pay; weapons training; firing on ranges; visits home including details of family home; settling into army life; tea; length of basic training; background of recruits; posting to Aldershot. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1934-1936: posting as driver; involvement with running team; uncle's service at Aldershot; pattern of training including role as scout; desire for posting abroad; preparations for posting in Palestine; voyage to Palestine including details of prior inoculations. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in Palestine, 1936-1938: care taken with rifles in camp at Sarafand including story of lost rifle; training for promotion to lance corporal at Aldershot. REEL 2 Continues: desire for promotion; army education; church parades and subsequent activities; story of help from colleagues in preparation for kit inspection; involvement with running team; relationship with civilians in Palestine; details of patrols in hills; story of dealing with Arab riflemen at Lydda including problems with tin hat; problems with drivers; relationship with civilians; accommodation in different places; problems with bugs and debugging parades; rations; details of parades; contact with other units; story of soldier's death in Jaffa; relationship with Jewish civilians from Europe; opinion of and contact with Palestine Police Force; details of train escort duties; casualties; return to GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1938- 1939: story of dealing with complaint about tea at Catterick. REEL 3 Continues: details of Catterick camp; duties training reserve; army education; promotion to sergeant; running against civilians including meeting of future wife; details of mess activities and further details of involvement in running; further details of training reserves; details of 5th Division and 13th Brigade; voyage to France. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in France, 1939-1940: details of duties with conscientious objectors in Nantes docks; details of brothels including related duties; accommodation; role; equipment situation; posting in Armentieres; Christmas 1939; memories of commanding officers; duties with advance party in Linselles; details of sergeants' mess. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wilshire Regt in Belgium and France, 1940: advance into Belgium, 10/5/1939; knowledge of situation; details of actions against German Army in Belgium including on Escaut River. REEL 4 Continues: air activity; rations; use of anti-tank rifle; positions occupied; organisation of unit; details of position taken on canal in Belgium; capitulation of Belgians; destruction of equipment; withdrawal and re- assembly of unit; singing during marches; morale of troops; orders for final 13th Brigade attack; activities of 5th Division; rations during period in woods; question of fear among troops and in self; details of mortar platoon; withdrawal to coast; scenes on beaches at La Panne, 31/5/1940; decision to sleep on beach; wait for and boarding of Maid of Orleans; opinion of Royal Air Force at time; opinion of destination; arrival in Dover. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB and Northern Ireland, 1940-1942: events at Dover; train journey to and reaction on arrival in Wales; activities in camp including reaction to picture printed in newspaper; reactions to situation; letter sent home from Dover; leave. REEL 5 Continues: re-establishment of battalion in Huntly; leisure activities; postings in Lossiemouth and Liverpool; training given to dockers and farmers including impressions of them; role in Northern Ireland; details of Caledon; accommodation with wife including rations and water supply; story of smell on farm; latrines; pattern of training; story of pike; contact with local police; wife's visits to Republic of Ireland; details of pay and mortar platoon sergeant courses undertaken; posting to Oxted; promotion to colour sergeant; issue of khaki drill and rumours of destination; boarding of ship. Aspects of voyage from Glasgow, GB, to Bombay, India, aboard the SS Franconia, 1942: population of ship; knowledge of destination; discipline during voyage; physical training; details of convoy; news of posting to Madagascar; scenes on arrival at Durban; role in battalion; period on Madagascar. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in India and Middle East, 1942-1943: reactions to posting; period in isolation at Ahmednagar; details of camp. REEL 6 Continues: details of pay clerks; further details of period in isolation; civilian workers in camp; reason for posting to Middle East; details of Shiba Camp in Baghdad including climate and tablets taken; uniform worn out of camp; civilians in Baghdad; posting to Damascus and Qom; winter clothing issued; accommodation; heating; description of stove used by cooks; latrines; details of route marches; scenes of rugs in Kermanshah; impressions of Persian Army; role in Persia; opinion of posting; leave in Tehran; supply of alcohol including work of padres; leave in Beirut; details of mountain warfare school; journey into Egypt; visit from General Montgomery; start of voyage to Sicily; reaction to approaching action; change to role; rations taken from ship; boarding of landing craft; opposition faced during voyage to coast. REEL 7 Continues: plan for landing; scenes on approach to beach. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in Italy, 1943-1944: landing and movement inland; dropping of paratroopers; hospital ship fired on by Germans; opposition faced during advance; arrival of General Montgomery; capture of POWs; reception from civilians; details of pioneer platoon; latrines; opinion of reason for promotion to sergeant major; opinion of Lee Enfield Mks III and IV rifles; actions of Sergeant Maurice Rogers; proximity to action; communications including repair of lines; details of reinforcements; details of landing on mainland Italy; movement inland; details of German mines; attitude of German POWs; opposition faced; winter conditions and clothing; supporting units and crossing of Garigliano River. REEL 8 Continues: further details of crossing the Garigliano River including near miss from mortar shell; reaction to casualties; opposition faced during advance after crossing; opinion of artillery forward officers; story and description of captured German dugout; details of medical post; story of wounded troops; artillery and medical support; casualties from hellfire at Anzio; story of being carried by shell blast; role as sergeant major; memories of commanding officer; wider situation in Italy; landing at Anzio; details of positions taken including location of headquarters; latrines and story of German attack; activities and opinion of US troops in area; details of rest area including sergeants' mess; refusal to barter with US troops; reasons for resentment toward US Army. REEL 9 Continues: arrival in Anzio; role during action; relationship with troops; malaria precautions including resistance from troops; further details of duties including details of frontline positions and opposition faced; casualties suffered; reconnaissance undertaken and results; German propaganda in leaflets and on radio; details of breakout from Anzio including last contact with and actions of Sergeant Maurice Rogers; reflections on breakout; orders against entering Rome; details of visit to Rome; leave in Capua including not thinking about casualties and standard of turnout; stories of mines at Anzio. REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt in Palestine and North West Europe, 1944-1945: period in Palestine including visit from General William Platt and training of artillery reinforcements; promise of return to Europe; return to Italy and journey to Belgium; details of Lockeran; activities of unit; briefing on new technology; news of Belsen concentration camp; attitude to Germans; impressions of Russian troops; details of advance through Germany to Elbe including POWs taken and state of towns; reaction to end of war. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd and 1st Bns Wiltshire Regt in Germany, 1945-1950: promotion to of regimental quarter master sergeant; accommodation in Hanover; details of duties including civilian staff and organisation of rations; learning to ride; commandeering of buildings; leisure activities; relationship with civilians; black market; amalgamation with 1st Battalion, 1948; changes after merger. REEL 11 Continues: story of stores audit; story of order to write own MBE application; handover of accommodation; period in Devizes; voyage to Hong Kong aboard HMS Fowey including knowledge of destination. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt in Hong Kong, 1950-1952: accommodation in camp at Fan Ling; anti- malaria precautions; spread of battalion; supply route and method of gaining extra leave; leisure activities; health of troops; background to leaving battalion. Aspects of period as NCO with Wessex Bde in GB, 1952- 1954: posting and duties in Plasterdown; posting to Exeter; details of classes taken at Exeter University and attempt to join Civil Service; offer of posting with Wiltshire Regiment. Aspects of period as officer with 23rd Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, 1954-1958: details of unit; reasons for accepting post; details of Karatina; availability of newspapers; settling into unit; activities of troops against and details of Mau Mau; accommodation with wife; opinion of troops; story of visit to civilian farm including hunting buffalo. REEL 12 Continues: story of close encounter with rhino; duties supplying troops including visits to Nairobi; story of locating troops in forest and elephant in camp; terrain and wildlife; catching fish for Christmas lunch; Mau Mau activity during period in Kenya; leisure activities; posting to Devizes for creation of Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment; duties; opinion of National Servicemen; problems with boiler in accommodation; posting in Nairobi; duties as quartermaster; learning of Swahili and examinations taken. Aspects of period as officer with 4th Bn King's African Rifles in Uganda, 1962-1967: situation on arrival; role; changes made to rations and administration; involvement in creation of new regiments. REEL 13 Continues: opinion of posting; relationship with Ugandan officers; details of accommodation and messing arrangements; story of last meetings with Idi Amin; story of officers trained in Soviet Union; segregation of tribes within army; story of visit from Defence Minister; organisation of married families in camp; relationship between British and Ugandan wives; safaris; organisation of area on border with Somalia; introduction of Israeli training personnel and changes to training; story of mutiny and arrival of British troops. REEL 14 Continues: details of Jinja Barracks; story of end to mutiny including meeting with Idi Amin and relationship with Ugandan troops; details of camp for civilian prisoners; details of staging points; story of python killed in army camp; story of teaching golf to a Ugandan officer and later news of his death; impressions of Milton Obote; reflections on time with unit; story of farewell party; later contact with colleagues in GB; journey to GB; details of posting with 4th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, 1967-1968, in Winchester including earlier promotion to officer; background to departure from army; farewell party. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1968: details of pension and move to Spain; civilian work in Sierra Leone.