Description
Object description
British private served with General Service Corps at Colchester Garrison, GB, 1944; served as signaller with 8th Bn Suffolk Regt in GB and Jamaica, 1946-1947; NCO served with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde in GB, Greece and Federation of Malaya, 1948-1953; served with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 24th Infantry Bde in Free Territory of Trieste, 1953-1954; served with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 6th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1954-1956; served with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt and 1st Bn East Anglian Regt, 6th Infantry Bde in Cyprus, 1956-1959; served as permanent staff instructor with Cambridgeshire Regiment in GB, 1959-1964; served with 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regt, Aden Bde in Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1964-1966; served with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Regiment in GB, 1966-1969
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Bristol and Forest of Dean, GB, 1926-1944: family; education; employment; lack of anticipation of participation in Second World War. Recollections of enlistment and training as private with General Service Corps at Colchester Garrison, GB, 1944: call-up for military service, 9/1944; reception on arrival at Colchester; description of barracks; issue of uniform; inspections and level of cleanliness in barracks; standard of appearance required; cleaning boots; sharing cleaning duties; origins of recruits; drilling and church parade; instruction with rifle; weapons training including Bren Gun, Ordnance SBML 2 Inch Mortar and hand grenades.
REEL 2 Continues: passing out parade and leave; route marches during training; field training; section tactics; degree of physical fitness; bayonet training; lack of bullying; firing Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT); use of spare time; opinion of rations; degree of fatigue; account of daily routine; use of assault course; lack of injuries; treatment of blisters; barrack life.
REEL 3 Continues: posting to Netherlands, 1945. Aspects of period as private with Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) in GB, 1945: return to GB and posting to unit; light infantry training at Crowborough; character of jungle training including signals used for communication on patrol; disbanding of unit; attitude to changing units. Recollections of period as private with 8th Bn Suffolk Regt in GB and Jamaica, 1946-1947: reformation of unit; allocation to signals platoon; types of signal equipment trained on; pattern of signals training; use of No 18 Wireless Set; nature of radio procedure; carrying No 18 Wireless Set on back; distribution of wireless operator's kit; use of aerial with No 18 Wireless Set; location of signaller on move; use of notepad.
REEL 4 Continues: reliability of No 18 Wireless Set; tuning in; repeating call signs; methods of improving reception; pattern of signal instruction in battalion; Morse Code training; reasons for not taking Morse Key on patrol; method of preparing cables for telephone exchange; operating telephone exchange; climbing telephone poles; dealing with breaks in telephone cables; character of telephone exchanges; organisation of signals platoon; role of signals platoon officer and signals sergeant.
REEL 5 Continues: voyage from GB to Jamaica aboard troopship; arrival in Jamaica; climate in Jamaica; distribution of battalion; barrack accommodation and rations; daily routine; clothing worn; sporting activities; recreational activities; reasons for civil unrest in Jamaica; route marches; attitude to service in Jamaica; adjusting to army life; return to GB; work on flood relief in East Anglia; duties preparing barracks for arrival of Royal Army Pay Corps; leaving British Army and decision to return to Suffolk Regiment. Aspects of period as NCO with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde in GB and Greece, 1948-1949: return to unit at Colchester; introduction of new signal equipment; origins of unit members.
REEL 6 Continues: move to Greece; preparations for move to Federation of Malaya; role of unit; exercises; problems climbing mountain with radio set; character of jungle training in Greece; relations with Greek civilians. Recollections of operations as NCO with Signal Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1949-1952: move to Federation of Malaya; role with advanced party; insurgent threat to trains; story of being guard commander on train that was shot at by insurgents; start of operations; problems for signallers operating radio sets in Federation of Malaya; setting up aerial in trees.
REEL 7 Continues: role of Sakai tracker aiding signaller; need for signaller when patrol encountered action; incident when blood trail was followed into jungle; incident where dead insurgents were brought out of jungle on poles; method of identifying insurgents; character of Iban trackers; clothing worn and equipment carried; sharing the carrying of rations; role of signaller on patrol; conditions on patrol; health precautions; amusing story of patrol member carrying his radio; description of jungle in Federation of Malaya.
REEL 8 Continues: relations with Malay civilians; living quarters in camp; balancing home life with jungle operations; attachment to 2nd Bn Scots Guards; taking anti-malarial tablets and salt tablets; reasons for success of battalion against Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents. Aspects of period as NCO on Signal Instructor Course at Hythe and with Junior Leaders Regiment at Tuxford, GB, 1952-1953: teaching instruction; interest in the course; duration of course; instructors; posting to Junior Leaders Regiment; keenness of Junior Leaders; character of signallers; attitude towards being a signaller.
REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with Signals Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 24th Infantry Bde in Free Territory of Trieste, 1953-1954: posting to Rossetti Barracks, Free Territory of Trieste; promotion to sergeant; effects of promotion to sergeant on relations with the officers; role of regimental sergeant major; additional duties on promotion to sergeant; situation in Free Territory of Trieste; reasons for removal of unit from territory; life in Freet Territory of Trieste. Aspects of period as NCO with Signals Platoon, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Wuppertal, West Germany, 1954-1956: move to Germany; preparations for presentation of new colours by Princess Margaret; role with old colour party; signals exercise on North German Plain; introduction of L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle; contact and relations with German civilians.
REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt and Ist Bn East Anglian Regt, 6th Infantry Bde in Cyprus, 1956-1959: posting to Cyprus; accommodation; situation in Cyprus and type of operations carried out outside of urban areas; operations in Cyprus; role accompanying commanding officer; accommodation in Nicosia; story of his wife Peggy appearing on television with reporter walking into market in Nicosia; degree of threat in Cyprus; discovery of cache of dynamite and subsequent disposal; promotion to regimental sergeant-major; blowing up of car containing dynamite; obtaining chicken from Cypriot civilian; overseeing returning patrols.
REEL 11 Continues: attitude in unit towards amalgamations to form East Anglian Regiment. Recollections of period as permanent staff instructor with Cambridgeshire Regiment in GB, 1959-1964: keeping pace with change in unit; organisation of unit over different drill halls; attendance at drill hall; exercises; opinion of Territorial Army; use of bar in drill hall; annual camps; use of car; attitude towards service with Territorial Army. Aspects of operations as regimental quartermaster sergeant major with 1st Bn Royal Anglian Regt, Aden Bde, Aden, Federation of South Arabia, 1964-1966: posting to Aden; role and duties; character of camp; accommodation.
REEL 12 Continues: situation in Aden; deployment of unit in Radfan and organising tented camp; construction of runway; method used by Royal Engineers to keep dust down; growth of camp in Radfan. Aspects of period as regimental sergeant major with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Regiment in Ipswich, GB, 1966-1969: duties; additional roles as regimental sergeant-major; leaving British Army, 1969; attitude to having served with Suffolk Regiment.