Scott, John Wotherspoon (Oral history)

British private trained at Borden Light Infantry Training Centre, GB in 1951; private and NCO served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, Germany and Korea, 1951-1953; served with 871 Movement Light Battery Centre, Royal Artillery, GB, 1953-1957

REEL 1 Background in Thornaby, GB, 1930-1951: birth in High Bonnybridge; move of family to Thornaby; moves around Thornaby; problems faced because from Scotland; education; air raids; story of unexploded bomb in house; fire watching; service of brother in Merchant Navy; conscientious objectors and exemption of father; story of brother joining army; family; church; involvement with Youth Club; leisure activities; time in St John's Ambulance; soldier returning from Dunkirk; work as apprentice in forge at Stockton; pay and working week; accident at forge; story of driving locomotive at works; blackout of forge; story of being caught playing cards in lifeboat; details of extra work taken on; holidays in Scotland; work at British Titan Chemical Works; first job as window cleaner. REEL 2 Continues: exemption from National Service; call- up and medical; reactions of parents; request to join Black Watch; trade test for Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; posting to Infantry Training Centre at Borden. Aspects of period as recruit at Infantry Training Centre in GB, 1951: reception from Corporal Smailes at Borden; arrival in accommodation; uniform issued and adjustments made; equipment issued; description of camp; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; storage of equipment; heating and furniture; quick building of comradeship; cleaning of room; room and kit inspections; loss of equipment; relationship with other troops in hut; morning procedures; breakfast; learning of drill; morning break; lectures; smartening up of battle dress; lunch; firing weapons on range. REEL 3 Continues: physical training and offer of position as instructor; rifle drill; cleaning of rifle; accidents with rifle; bayonet issued; tea; evening activities; details of pay; cleaning equipment bought and items cleaned; opinion and background of NCOs; contact with officers; inspections before being let out of camp; visits into Borden; work and free time at weekends; passing out parade; posting to Durham Light Infantry; leave. Aspects of period as private with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1951: reception at Brancepeth; section joined; accommodation; lectures on regiment; preparations for draft to Berlin; weapons trained with; opinion of bren gun; reinforcements from Cornwall; make-up of draft; journey to Berlin via Southampton; journey through Russian Sector. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as private and NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1951-1952: accommodation in Spandau; latrines; The Corner Café; signs of Cold War; stories of nearly wandering into Russian sector; visits to NAAFI; memories of American troops; story of football match in Hanover; memories of French troops; duties of detachment in Wilmersdorf including reasons for completing last will and testament first; story of shot fired outside Spandau prison; German lessons; exercises; shooting competitions; manoeuvres with other units; sector border in forest; Sennelager training area; digging of slit trenches; funeral procession for King George VI; guards at Opera; story of guard at General Hardinge's villa; standard of turnout and opinion of Regimemy Sergeant Major Harrison Thomasson; memories of Captain Grant and Major P Donaghue; boxing with "Batter" Edwards; NCOs in A Company; make-up of platoon; troops in section; promotion to Lance Corporal; details of pay; transport of bren gun. REEL 5 Continues: black market; relationship with Berlin artist; pie machines; relationship with civilians; duties on May Day; opinion of dance band; summary of training; sports; rumours of destination; troops going on Python leave; reinforcements from Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; reaction to posting in Korea; return to GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1952: accommodation at Bellerby; reason for missing training; booklet issued about Korea; Cornish friends taken home on leave; embarkation leave; reaction of mother to posting in Korea; parade in Durham; inoculations; journey to Southampton. Aspects of journey from Southampton, GB, to Pusan, Korea, aboard HMT Empire Trooper, 1952: description of ship; sleeping arrangements; conditions onboard; bren gun practice; lifeboat drill; cookhouse duties; route taken; route march in Aden; shore leave in Colombo; rations; leisure activities including story of being hypnotised; canteen; flying fish; stops made en route; lectures on Korea; shore leave in Hong Kong; arrival in Pusan. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Korea, 1952-1953: concerns on arrival; rumours of opposing troops; reception from American band; conditions on train journey to front; description of Britannia Camp; relief of Australians in line; reasons for not remembering much about Britannia Camp; equipment carried into line. REEL 6 Continues: move into line; greeting from Chinese; description of positions; terrain around positions; proximity to Chinese troops; settling into and improving positions; description of trenches including defences and support from Australian machine gunners; sleeping arrangements; heating; Chinese accuracy with mortars; rats in trenches; rations; start of winter; Company Headquarters; terrain in different parts of line; description of hootchies; destruction of trees; discipline; latrines; cleanliness; storage of ammunition and grenades; reason for not using phosphorus grenades; wiring in front of positions; observation during day; activities during night; care of weapons; inspections; wounding of Lieutenant Constantine; memories of Major Donaghue and Colonel Peter Jeffreys in Korea; opinions of officers in battalion; evacuation of wounded and Regimental Aid Post; church built; money lent by Lieutenant Constantine; supply of meals; frozen beer; NAAFI; Stand To and Stand Down; support from static tank; problems with sten gun. REEL 7 Continues: 2" mortars in position; supporting units; air activity and use of napalm; helicopters used to evacuate wounded; platoon stretcher; comradeship; types of patrols; details of standing patrols; story of first patrol; dangers of Chinese troops finding marking tape; accidents in minefield; Christmas cards from Chinese; movement on patrol; role of fighting patrols; noises on patrol; length of patrols; problems with cold; debriefing after patrol; contact with Chinese patrols; rumours of Chinese activity; reconnaissance before Operation Blaydon; practice before operation; crossing of No Man's Land; plan for blinding Chinese troops; launching of star shells; advance onto Chinese positions; disappearance of Chinese; confusion in dark; use of stun grenades; return to trenches; story of Ron Moore bringing Brian Donovan out of No Man's Land; start of raid; description of Chinese positions; discussion of successes of Commonwealth Brigade; withdrawal to trenches; weapons check on return and payment for lost magazine; complaint about troops in Hong Kong receiving a hardship allowance; reactions following raid; rest camp; NAAFI; training; checks on Korean porters for North Korean and Chinese infiltrators. REEL 8 Continues: conditions in rest areas; American guard with six guns and a Stetson; superior 9mm gun of Australians; standard of turnout in rest area; scenes from guard on Pintail Bridge; sweeps of villages; visits to Seoul; entertainments in rest camp; winter clothing issued; presence of Salvation and Church Armies; watching Hell Below Zero; more on entertainments; mail; parcels from Whitley Bay Women's Institute; rota between line and rest areas; bodies found on second position; positions moved into; winter conditions and clothing; more on Christmas cards from Chinese and their effect; other Chinese uses of propaganda; thoughts around Christmas time; nature of war for him and other units; time and conditions in Camp Casey; flight to Japan in a Dakota; scenes from train to Tokyo; activities on leave; warnings about VD and opinions on tattoos; contact with civilians; Asahi beer in Korea; different nationalities in Korea; regrets about giving Commonwealth patch away. REEL 9 Continues: return journey from leave; return to line; news of demobilisation; reluctance to leave friends; events in last position; opinion of weapons; memories of Korean porters; opinion of Commonwealth Division; contact with company commanders; memories of Lieutenant Hennessey; background of officers; organisation of papers and interview with Peter Jeffries; journey to Kure via Pusan; activities in Kure. Aspects of journey from Kure, Japan, to Southampton, GB, aboard the HMT Dilwara in 1953: description of ship and accommodation; orders to remove stripe; other units on ship; work in galley; contact with Black Watch troops; seasickness; duties onboard; entertainment in cabins; alert on journey through Suez Canal; arrival in Southampton; journey to Brancepeth Camp to find it shut down; journey home; posted to Territorial Army in Middlesbrough. Aspects of period with Royal Artillery 871 Movement Light Battery Centre, 1953-1957: work as bren gun instructor; details of National Service; drill nights; pay credits never received; return to civilian work; journey to Territorial Camp at Salisbury; best and worst aspects of war in Korea; visit of Australian major; contact with American troops.