Interview with John Robert Stokes

British NCO served with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th and 70th Infantry Divs in GB, Egypt, Middle East, Ceylon and India, 1940-1944 and with 99 Headquarters Column, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry Div during Second Chindit Expedition in Burma, 2/1944-3/1944

REEL 1 Background in Wokingham, GB, 1917-1940: family; education; employment; attitude to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as private with Queen's Royal Regiment Regimental Depot (West Surrey), The Barracks, Kingston upon Thames in GB, 3/1940-5/1940: attitude towards call-up for military service, 3/1940; basic training, 3/1940; reaction to military life and discipline; embarkation leave and marriage; further training and posting to 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 5/1940; period in and daily routine at holding camp in Liverpool; voyage from Liverpool, GB and arrival in Cape Town, South Africa, 8/1940. Recollections of operations with 2nd Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 16th Infantry Bde, 6th and 70th Infantry Divs in Egypt, Middle East, Ceylon and India, 9/1940-10/1943: arrival in Egypt and opinion of camp near Dead Sea, Palestine, 9/1940; move to front line trench system and description of operations against Italians near Mersa Matru, Egypt; reaction to first experience of battle; memories of Christmas, 25/12/1940; opinion of Australian Army troops; burial of dead; transfer to camp in Canal Zone, Egypt; daily routine; leave in Cairo, Egypt and attitude to use of brothels; drill practise and training for proposed attack on Rhodes Island, Greece. REEL 2 Continues: attempted voyage to Crete, Greece and return after Axis air attacks, 22/5/1941; move to French Syria; situation around Golan Heights, French Syria; comparison of mountain and desert warfare; unit casualties; hospitalisation for nervous anxiety in Jerusalem, Palestine; transfer to convalescent camp; problem of malaria and jaundice; story of attending christening, 12/1941; move to Ceylon; duties as officer's batman in Colombo, Ceylon, 3/1942. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with 99 Headquarters Column, 16th Infantry Bde, 3rd Indian Infantry during Second Chindit Expedition, Operation Thursday in Burma, 2/1944-3/1944: nature of duties whilst attached to Chindits; jungle training in India, 10/1943-1/1944; opinion of Imperial Japanese Army; organisation of brigade and role as sergeant in charge of signals section; problem of heat; uniform; smoking pipe to combat mosquitoes; period of leave after operation and question of repatriation; posting to rest camp at Deolali, India; return to GB, 8/1944-10/1944; Christmas, 25/12/1944; attitude of civilian population to troops returning from Far East. Aspects of service with British Army in GB and Germany, 1944-1946: further training as cipher operator; memories of VE Day, 8/5/1945. REEL 4 Continues: attitude to media reporting of desert war; attachment to 7th Armoured Div in Berlin, Germany, 8/1945; life in Berlin, Germany and opinion of effectiveness of role; demobilisation and return to GB, 4/1946; problem of adjusting to civilian life; employment with General Post Office; reflections on period of military service; membership of Burma Star Association.