Interview with Arthur Cainey

British private trained with Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes, GB, 1934; served with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's) at Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1934-1936; NCO served with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), Palestine Command in Palestine, 1936-1938; served with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in GB, France, Belgium, Northern Ireland, French Madagascar, Middle East, Italy and Germany, 1938-1945; served with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 30th and 6th Infantry Bdes in Germany, 1945-1948; served with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 4th Infantry Bde in Germany, 1948-1950; served with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong, 1950-1952; served with Wessex 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: military service and death of father Corporal George Cainey, 25/5/1918; later visit to Soisson Memorial in France containing his father's name; education; reasons for leaving school; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training as private with Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes, GB, 1934: reasons for joining British Army; wait for squad; membership of Territorial Army and decision about religion on enlistment; accommodation at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes; rations during morning breaks; background of fellow recruits and treatment received from NCOs; memories of fellow recruits; opinion of training; pay; weapons training; firing on ranges; visits home to Whitley; settling into military life; tea; duration of basic training; posting to Aldershot Garrison. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's) at Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1934-1936: role as driver; involvement with battalion running team; uncle's service at Aldershot Garrison; pattern of training, including role as scout; desire for overseas posting; preparations for posting in Palestine; voyage from GB to Palestine; prior inoculations. Recollections of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), Palestine Command in Palestine, 1936-1938: care taken with rifles in Sarafand Camp, including incident of lost rifle; prior training for promotion to lance corporal at Aldershot Garrison. REEL 2 Continues: desire for promotion; army education; church parades and subsequent activities; story of help received from comrades in preparation for kit inspection; involvement with running team; relations with civilians in Palestine; patrolling in hills; story of dealing with Arab riflemen at Lydda; problems with drivers; relations with civilians; accommodation in different locations; problems with bugs and debugging parades; rations; parades; contact with other units; story of soldier's death in Jaffa; relations with Jewish civilians from Europe; opinion of Palestine Police Force; train escort duties; casualties; return to GB, 1938. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in GB, 1938-1939: story of dealing with complaint about tea at Catterick Camp. REEL 3 Continues: description of Catterick Camp; duties training Army Reserve; army education; promotion to sergeant; running against civilians and meeting of future wife; sergeants' mess activities and further details of involvement in running; further details of training Army Reserve; division and brigade details; voyage to France. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in France, 9/1939-5/1940: duties supervising conscientious objectors at Nantes; details of brothels including related duties; accommodation; role; equipment situation; posting to Armentieres; Christmas 12/1939; memories of commanding officers; duties with advance party in Linselles; character of sergeants' mess. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wilshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in Belgium and France, 5/1940-6/1940: advance into Belgium, 10/5/1939; degree of knowledge of situation; actions against German Army in Belgium, including on River Escaut. REEL 4 Continues: aerial activity; rations; use of anti-tank rifle; positions occupied; organisation of unit; details of position taken on canal in Belgium; capitulation of Belgian forces; destruction of equipment; withdrawal and re-assembly of battalion; singing during marches; morale of troops; orders for final brigade attack; activities of 5th Infantry Div; rations during period in woods; question of personnel morale amongst troops and in self; mortar platoon; withdrawal to coast; scenes on beaches at La Panne, Belgium, 31/5/1940; decision to sleep on beach; waiting to board Maid of Orleans; opinion of Royal Air Force at time; question of destination; arrival in Dover, GB, 1/6/1940. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt, 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in GB and Northern Ireland, 6/1940-4/1942: events at Dover, 1/6/1940; train journey to Wales; activities in camp, including reaction to picture printed in newspaper; letter sent home from Dover; leave. REEL 5 Continues: reformation of battalion in Huntly; recreational activities; moves to Lossiemouth and Liverpool; training given to dock workers and farmers; 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 aboard HMT Franconia from Glasgow, GB to French Madagascar, 3/1942-5/1942: troopship's population; knowledge of destination; discipline during voyage; physical training; size of convoy; news of posting to Madagascar; arrival at Durban, South Africa; role in battalion in Operation Ironclad; period spent on French Madagascar, 5/5/1942-19/5/1942. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt, 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in India and Middle East, 1942-1943: reaction to posting to India; period in isolation in camp at Ahmednagar, India. REEL 6 Continues: pay clerks; further details of period in isolation; Indian civilian workers in camp; reason for posting to Middle East, 8/1942; period in Shaiba Camp, Baghdad, Iraq, including climate and tablets taken; uniform worn out of camp; civilians in Baghdad, Iraq; posting to Damascus, French Syria and Qum, Iran; winter clothing issued; accommodation; heating; description of stove used by cooks; latrines; route marches; sight of rugs in Kermanshah, Iran; impressions of Iranian Army; opinion of role and posting to Iran; leave in Tehran, Iran; supply of alcohol and work of chaplains; leave in Beirut, Lebanon; attending Mountain Warfare Training School in Lebanon; journey into Egypt, 6/1943; visit from General Bernard Montgomery. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wilshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div during Operation Husky on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: start of voyage to Sicily; reaction to approaching action; change to role; rations taken from ship; boarding of landing craft; Axis opposition faced during approach to coast. REEL 7 Continues: plan for landing; nature of approach to beach; landing and move inland; dropping of airborne forces; hospital ship fired on by German forces; nature of Axis opposition faced during advance; arrival of General Bernard Montgomery; capture of Axis prisoners of war; reception from Italian civilians; 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 land lines; arrival of reinforcements. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wilshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in Italy, 9/1943-7/1944: landing on mainland Italy; move inland; details of German mines; attitude of German prisoners of war; opposition faced; winter conditions and clothing; supporting units; crossing of River Garigliano, 1/1944. REEL 8 Continues: near miss from mortar shell during crossing of River Garigliano, 1/1944; reaction to battalion casualties; opposition faced during advance after crossing of f River Garigliano; opinion of artillery forward observation officers; description of captured German dugout; description of medical post; story of wounded troops; artillery and medical support; casualties from German Army artillery fire at Anzio; story of being carried by artillery shell blast; role as sergeant-major; memories of commanding officer; wider situation in Italy; landing at Anzio, 3/1944; nature of positions taken up and location of headquarters; latrines; story of attack by German forces; opinion of United States Army troops at Anzio; rest area and sergeants' mess; refusal to barter with United States Army troops; reasons for resentment toward United States Army. REEL 9 Continues: arrival in Anzio, 3/1944; role during action; relations with Other Ranks; need for malaria precautions; duties at Anzio; nature of front line positions and German opposition faced; casualties suffered; reconnaissance undertaken and results; German propaganda in leaflets and on radio; breakout from Anzio including last contact with and award winning actions of Sergeant Maurice Rogers, 3/6/1944; reflections on breakout from Anzio; orders against entering Rome; visit to Rome; leave in Capua; German mines at Anzio. REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in Palestine, 7/1944-12/1944: visit from General William Platt; training of reinforcements from Royal Artillery; promise of return to Europe; return to Italy, 1/1945 and onward journey to Belgium, 2/1945. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 13th Infantry Bde, 5th Infantry Div in Germany, 3/1945-5/1945: activities of unit; briefing on new technology; news of discovery of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp; attitude towards Germans; impressions of Soviet Army troops; advance through Germany to River Elbe, including prisoners of war taken and state of towns; reaction to end of Second World War in Europe, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd and 1st Bns Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 30th, 6th and 4th Infantry Bdes in Germany, 1945-1950: promotion to of regimental quartermaster sergeant-major; accommodation in Hanover; duties, including organisation of civilian staff and rations; learning to ride horse; commandeering of buildings; recreational activities; relations with German civilians; black market; amalgamation of 2nd and 1st Bns, 1948; changes after merger. REEL 11 Continues: story of stores audit; story of order to write own Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) application; handover of accommodation; return to Devizes, GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong, 1950-1952: voyage aboard HMT Fowey from GB to Hong Kong, 8/1950-9/1950; accommodation at Fan Ling Camp; anti-malaria precautions; spread of battalion; supply route and method of obtaining extra leave; recreational activities; health of troops; background to leaving battalion. Aspects of period as NCO with Wessex Bde in GB, 1952-1954: posting to and duties at Plaster Down; posting to Exeter; classes taken at University of Exeter and attempt to join Civil Service; offer of posting with Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's). Recollections of period as officer with 23rd Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, 1954-1958: character of battalion; reasons for accepting post; availability of newspapers; settling into battalion; role of battalion against Mau Mau insurgents; accommodation with wife; opinion of troops; story of visit to civilian farm and 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; recreational activities; posting to Devizes in GB for creation of Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire); duties; opinion of National Service conscripts; problems with boiler in accommodation; posting in Nairobi; duties as quartermaster; learning Swahili language and examinations taken. Aspects of period as officer with 4th (Uganda) 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; relations with Ugandan officers; accommodation and messing arrangements; story of last meetings with Idi Amin; story of officers trained in Soviet Union; segregation of tribal groups within Ugandan Army; story of visit from defence minister; organisation of married families in camp; relations between British and Ugandan wives; safaris; organisation of area on border with Somalia; introduction of Israeli Defence Forces training personnel and changes to training; story of mutiny and arrival of British Army 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 military camp; story of teaching golf to a Ugandan officer and later news of his death; impressions of Milton Obote; reflections on time spent with battalion; story of farewell party; later contact with colleagues in GB; journey to GB; posting to 4th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt at Winchester on return to GB, 1967-1968; prior recollection of commissioning as officer; background to departure from British Army; farewell party. Post-service life and employment: details of pension; move to Spain; employment in Sierra Leone.