Wigham, Robert Keith (Oral history)

British gunner served with 294 Bty, 2/74th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1939; served as NCO with A Bty, 125th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, India and Singapore, 1940-1942; sunk when aboard Empress of Asia off Singapore, 4/2/1942; POW in Singapore and Thailand, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in South Hylton, Sunderland, GB, 1921-1939: family background and father's military service, 1914-1918; social circumstances; education and recreations; work as engineering apprentice with shipbuilding and engineering firm, 1937-1939; background to recruitment into 2/74th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 3/1939. REEL 2 Continues: work as engineering apprentice with shipbuilding and engineering firm, 1937-1939; importance of trade union; question of Boy Scouts activities. Recollections of service with 294 Bty, 2/74th Field Regt, Royal Artillery and A Bty, 125th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery at Green Drill Hall, Sunderland, 5/1939-9/1939: background to recruitment, 3/1939; medical; call up with key party, 8/1939; drill night training and kitting out; annual camp at Whitby. 8/1939; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; memories of Colonel Dean and various officers; origins of recruits; basic drill night training; family reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; question of father seeking his discharge from army to join family engineering firm. REEL 3 Continues: question of father seeking his discharge from army to join family engineering firm. Initial period in Sunderland area, 9/1939-6/1940: air raid warning and false alarm of German parachutists; coastal defence role on Sunderland seafront; dispositions and billets; posting on unit reorganisation to A Bty, 125 Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery; nature of training; requisitioned MT; story of lecture on cardboard German tanks; opinion of tactics employed. Periods in Norwich area and Thornhills, 6/1940-3/1941: opinion of 2pdr anti-tank gun; training on 2pdr AT gun; attachment to 18th Div; tent accommodation at Catton Park; food rations; washing; nature of territorial discipline; unit dispositions. REEL 4 Continues: training on 2pdr AT gun; PT; move into billets at Eastwood House; story of building target in marshes; story of attempt to get 2pdr AT gun into badly designed pillbox; story of guarding crash landed Blenheim; role on promotion to lance sergeant; role of crew on 2pdr AT gun; organisation of unit; gun towers; small arms weapons; drive in convoy via Duns to Thornhills, 1/1941. REEL 5 Continues: reactions to posting overseas. Period awaiting formation of convoy aboard Strathaird off Gourock, 3/1941: lectures; return to port after collision. Periods in Glasgow and Stockport and Liverpool, 3/1941-10/1941: question of survivors' leave; billets; move to Stockport; fire watching on warehouses during German air raids on Liverpool; bomb casualties; billets in Huyton; story of fire in tallow factory; state of civilian morale; fighting heath fire; move to billets in Middlewich; preparations for embarkation; send off on leaving Middlewich. Voyage aboard Oronsay and Joseph T Dickman to Bombay, India, 10/1941-12/1941: conditions; US escort to convoy; transfer to US ship Joseph T Dickman at Halifax, Canada; voyage in convoy; route via Trinidad. REEL 6 Continues: submarine threat and effects of sea swell off Capetown, South Africa; South African hospitality during visit ashore at Capetown; question of destination. Period at Ahmednagar, 1/1942. Voyage aboard Empress of Asia to Singapore, 1/1942: state of ship; route; falling behind convoy following first attack by Japanese aircraft, 4/2/1942; situation below decks when ship caught fire following second attack by Japanese aircraft, 5/2/1942; abandoning ship and swimming towards Raffles Lighthouse; rescue by naval cutter from HMS Exeter; landing at Raffles Lighthouse; story of reception from officer on rejoining unit at Branksome Road; casualties; background to award of DSO to Colonel Dean. REEL 7 Recollections of operations in infantry role at Singapore, 2/1941: situation and Japanese bombing raids; billets in Branksome Road and re-equipment with kit and rifles; move into positions at Serangoum Creek; story of firefly illustrating inexperience and nerves overnight; move to inner perimeter; example of Captain John Watts; casualties from British shells landing short; story of Japanese bombing during reconnaissance with Captain John Watts; situation and lack of briefing; move to slit trenches on Flagstaff Hill; food rations and water supply; close escapes from Japanese sniper; question of washing and latrines; humid climate; reactions to surrender, 15/2/1942; scavenging for personal kit during march to Changi, 16/2/1942. REEL 8 Recollections of period at Roberts Barracks, Changi, 1942: nature of barracks used as hospital; collecting stores from city; rumours of Japanese atrocity at Alexander Hospital; background to military situation, surrender and reactions to captivity; accommodation in former married quarters; food; maintenance of unit in captivity; units present; lectures; working parties clearing up bomb damage based at River Valley Camp; hospitalisation with attack of bronchitis; formation of working parties for Thailand; treatment by renegade Sikh guards; minimal contact with Japanese guards. Recollections of journey into Thailand, 1942: formation of working party and prior rumours; conditions, latrine arrangements and cocoa during cattle truck train journey to Bampong transit camp; lorry journey to Chunkai; method of building bamboo huts at Chunkai. REEL 9 Continues: building bamboo huts at various camps alongside river. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle during period at Wanlung and various work camps along Burma-Thailand railway, 1942-1945: nature of camps; food; pay and buying food from Thai village; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1942; daily routine on working parties making embankment for railway including ruses to sabotage progress and inspections by Japanese engineers; evening recreations and subsequent concert parties on completion of railway; state of health and development of enteritis; relationship with Japanese and Korean guard including Japanese Commandant Kocabu; British discipline and case of stealing dealt. REEL 10 Continues: question of prevalence of stealing; clothes worn and uniform; movements between camps; evacuation of Colonel Dean and opinion of replacement by Major Wylie; state of health; move to Wampoa South POW Camp; building wood viaduct railway bridge around cliff including method of moving timbers, accelerated working and extension of shifts; effects of beri-beri; food; state of health; language problems in working as assistant to Japanese joiner; story of falling behind and consequent lift on lorry during 10 day march through jungle to Takadun Camp; reduced food; volunteering to go forward to 211 Kilometre Camp after rumours of improved food; state of camp; reduced food. REEL 11 Continues: reduced food and tea on working parties; effects of beri-beri on legs; effects of cholera outbreak and monsoon; completion of railway line; barge journey back to Tarsoa; flat truck train journey; story of food provided by Thai villagers whilst attempting to locate Tamakhan Camp; improved food; nature of Tamakhan Camp; role of Colonel Twose; state of morale; story of death of dysentery victim; move back to Chunkai Camp; nature of Chunkai Camp; activities of Thai trader and his illicit supply of various supplies including batteries; delayed news from illicit camp wireless; hospitalisation with beri-beri and success of special soya milk diet. REEL 12 Continues: hospitalisation with beri-beri and success of special soya milk diet; story of letters with news of death of father; letter contact with GB; improved conditions on move to hospital camp; volunteering for work as medical orderly; nature of medical duties including washing dressings, illustrations of cases, surgery performed and daily routine; segregation of officer into separate camp; recreations and concert parties; question of contact with nearby Thai town; relationship with Japanese guards; effects of low-flying Allied bombers. Period at Bangkok, 1945: working parties and building defences based in harbour; story of Japanese air leaflet drop over Bangkok and reactions to news of end of war, 8/1945. REEL 13 Continues: state of health and morale; reaction to news of imminent liberation; situation of Japanese guards; state of retreating Japanese troops; posting to act as quartermaster to Oriental Hotel acting as officers' billet; story of encounter with Japanese officer illustrating change in status; duties as quartermaster; treatment of Japanese working parties; dispute with officer over early flight back to GB; question of war damage; tense relationship between Chinese and Thai civilians; flight to Rangoon, ca 9/1945. Period in Rangoon, 9/1945: hospitalisation; story of meeting friend. Voyage aboard Orduna to GB, 9/1945-10/1945: prior speech by Mountbatten over ship conditions; reception on visit to Columbo, Ceylon; visit ashore at Port Tewfik, Egypt; route; issue of beer ration as vitamin supplement; friendship with civilian internee. REEL 14 Continues: reception on arrival at Liverpool. Period on leave prior to demobilisation, 10/1945-1/1946: reception from family on arrival home at Sunderland; effects of death of friends in action; demobilisation. Post-war career: disability pension payment; status as reservist; return to work as engineering apprentice with shipbuilding and engineering firm; stories illustrating mental effects of POW experiences; attitude to Japanese and question of use of atomic bomb on Japan.