Interview with Victor John May

British officer served with 17th (Holding) Bn, King's Shropshire Light Infantry and 7th Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry in GB, 2/1940-11/1942; served with 2/1st (Nyasaland) Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, Italian Somaliland and Southern Rhodesia, 3/1943-1/1945; served as intelligence officer with 22nd (East African) Bde, XV Corps in Burma, 2/1945-8/1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1917-1939: family; education; sporting activities; membership of Officer Training Corps (OTC) at University of Reading; employment as teacher; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as officer with King's Shropshire Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury, GB, 10/1939-1/1940: call-up for military service, 10/1939; purchase of uniform; posting to regimental depot; issue of battle dress; basic training; opinion of other officers; drill; further training at Aldershot Garrison. Recollections of period as officer with 17th (Holding) and 7th Bns King's Shropshire Light Infantry in GB, 2/1940-12/1942: joining 17th (Holding) Bn at Denbigh, 2/1940; accommodation and training; duties as signals officer; formation of 7th Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry; role in charge of signals platoon; equipment and training; question of German spies and threat of invasion; exercises with Home Guard; coastal defence duties at Deal, 9/1940; shelling by German naval guns and German Air Force raids. REEL 2 Continues: story of Westland Lysander used by German Air Force; further details of coastal defence duties at Deal; Christmas, 25/12/1940; posting to East Yorkshire on coastal defence duties, 2/1941; promotion to captain and work as brigade intelligence officer; duties including mapping minefields on beach; move to Hartlepool for coastal defence duties, 6/1942; use of decoy devices on beach including dummy pill-boxes; story of trip aboard minesweeper; conversion of 7th Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry to 99th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery, 11/1942; issue of tropical kit; description of journey from GB to Nairobi, Kenya, 1/1943-3/1943. Aspects of period as officer with 2/1st (Nyasaland) Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, Italian Somaliland and Southern Rhodesia, 3/1943-12/1944: background to joining battalion; role as battalion signals officer. REEL 3 Continues: method of recruitment; description of training signallers and equipment; guarding bridge at Victoria Falls, Southern Rhodesia; background to move to Italian Somaliland; problem of locusts; role as battalion intelligence officer. Aspects of operations as brigade intelligence officer with 22nd (East African) Bde, XV Corps in Burma, 2/1945-8/1945: voyage aboard HMT Devonshire from Kenya to Ceylon, 1/1942-2/1942; journey to Ramree Island, 3/1942; nature of operations against Japanese in Arakan; problem of monsoon weather and heat; personal hygiene; sleeping arrangements and encounter with snake; casualties; opinion of African troops; crossing Toungoo Pass, 5/1945; use of paid informers and attitude of local population; Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945. REEL 4 Continues: reflections on role of African troops during Burma campaign; communication with home; return to GB and demobilisation, 2/1946. Aspects of post-war life and employment including teaching posts in Africa and GB.