Description
Object description
British schoolchild in Dagenham, GB, 1939-1945; private trained with Essex Regiment in Colchester Garrison, GB, 1950; served with D Coy, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951; NCO served with Intelligence Section, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1951-1952
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hackney, London, GB, 1931-1939: family; education; family's reaction to prospect of impending war; story of father's attempt to join police force. Recollections of period as schoolchild in Dagenham, GB, 1939-1945: father's employment in a Reserved Occupation; the Phoney War period, 9/1939-5/1940; description of 'Mickey Mouse' Gasmask; reaction to wearing gasmask; character of the blackout; Anderson Shelter in garden; question of being evacuated; German Air Force attacks; narrow escape from German Air Force bomb; effect of war on his education; childhood pastimes; collecting shrapnel; rationing; supplementing rations; listening to radio; presence of troops and Axis prisoners of war in area.
REEL 2 Continues: collections for war effort; role as messenger with Boy Scouts; public morale; national sprit; sight of invasion stripes on passing aircraft, 1944; German V1 Flying Bomb attacks, 1944; sound of German V1 Flying Bomb; German V2 Rocket attacks; victory celebrations, 1945; reaction to end of Second World War, 1945; leaving school, 1945; sporting activities. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1945-1950: employment; sporting activities. Aspects of call-up for National Service in GB, 1949: degree of awareness of National Service; registering for National Service, 12/1949; medical examination; arrival of travel warrant. Recollections of training as private with Essex Regiment in Colchester Garrison, GB, 3/1950-6/1950: train journey from Liverpool Street Railway Station, London to Colchester; arrival at Colchester Garrison.
REEL 3 Continues: introduction to barrack room accommodation; collecting mattress; issue of uniform and equipment; presence of old soldier in barrack hut; purchase of Blanco and Brasso from Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI); need to clean webbing; reception on arrival at cookhouse; explanation received for presence of bromide in tea; NCOs' method of waking recruits; character of breakfast; facilities for washing mugs and eating utensils; toilet facilities; cleaning of barrack room; importance of keeping barrack room clean; laying out kit on bed; degree of polishing in barrack room; preparing and polishing boots.
REEL 4 Continues: haircut; effect of inoculations; visit to military correction establishment; adjusting to military life; question of bullying; treatment by NCOs; army method of bonding unit members together; drilling; forming up and inspection by NCO; language used by drill NCOs; introduction to weapons; cleaning rifle; rifle inspection; breaking down Bren Gun; Bren Gun team; treatment of newly arrived drafts of National Service conscripts; bonding of unit members.
REEL 5 Continues: barrack room damages; saluting; army number; pay book; method of securing rifle bolts; description of rifle training including target marking, firing Lee-Enfield No 4 Rifle Mk I, rifle sights, pressing trigger, marking target for poor shots and firing positions; firing Bren Gun; his shooting ability; repairing targets; state of training establishment rifles; instructors.
REEL 6 Continues: first leave; method of obtaining train compartment; opinion of regimental police; inspection prior to leaving camp; character of regimental police; physical training; attitude to boxing; physical training exercises; assault course; route marching; degree of fitness at end of basic training; method of assessment during basic training; attaching bayonet to Lee-Enfield No 4 Rifle Mk I; bayonet practice; grenade throwing.
REEL 7 Continues: punishments; nature of continuation training; training on assault course; fieldcraft training; lectures; reasons for removal of six recruits from original batch; allocation to Suffolk Regiment in Federation of Malaya; polishing of cap badge; reaction to posting to Federation of Malaya and degree of knowledge of situation; passing out parade; reasons for not telling parents of his posting to Federation of Malaya; lectures on venereal disease; embarkation; prevalence of smoking.
REEL 8 Continues: reporting back to Colchester after leave; handing in rifle and webbing; issue of tropical kit for voyage. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Devonshire from GB to Singapore, Federation of Malaya, 1950: embarkation aboard troopship in Liverpool; sleeping arrangements; eating arrangements; condensation on board ship; arrival of batch of troops from basic training who were bound for South Korea; issue of kit bag; conditions in Bay of Biscay; lifeboat drill; effect of number of troops on board; tropical uniform worn on entering Mediterranean; out of bounds areas in Port Said, Egypt; shore leave in Port Said, Egypt; impressions of Egypt.
REEL 9 Continues: abuse received from Egyptians during voyage through Suez Canal; presence of 'bum boats' in Aden, Aden Protectorate; lack of restrictions on sunbathing; relations between regiments on board ship; boxing tournament on board; firing practice from stern of ship; disembarkation in Singapore, Federation of Malaya. Recollections of period of jungle training with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1950: issue of short magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle SMLE Mk III; move across Singapore to causeway; arrival in Johore; character of train; reaction to situation in Johore; presence of troops and Federation of Malaya Police on railway stations; method that Malayan National Liberation Army used to acquire weapons; Federation of Malaya Police; arrival at Segamat; reception on arrival at Segamat.
REEL 10 Continues: basing of battalion in Johore; cookhouse; reasons for not taking of boots during first night sleep; composition of battalion; washing facilities; issue of jungle green uniform; jungle boots; unit's in-house jungle training; organisation of patrol; training on laying booby-traps; use of jungle green chokers; equipment carried on patrol; head gear and insignia worn; importance of clearing camp on leaving; postings at end of training period; weapons carried; items carried in small pack; question of shaving.
REEL 11 Continues: nature of jungle; precautions against mosquitoes; acclimatization training in different terrains; support for Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; organisation of ambushes; story of accidental wounding of section Bren Gun operator during ambush training; reaction to being under fire in jungle; punishment of private who had accidentally shot Bren Gun operator; terrain in primary jungle; dividing up rations on arrival in camp; provisions for evacuation of wounded; dealing with leeches; changing clothes on patrol.
REEL 12 Continues: use of Lee-Enfield EY Grenade Launcher; patrolling in all weathers. Recollections of operations as private with D Coy, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951: composition of battalion and postings of his draft; understrength nature of battalion; reception on arrival in platoon; platoon officers; state of maps; preparations for patrol; making bivouac in camp; camp guards and stand to at dawn; method of approaching Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent camp; items found in Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent packs and intelligence gleaned from them; description of Malayan National Liberation Army camps; destruction of Malayan National Liberation Army camps and supplies; types of weapons found in Malayan National Liberation Army camps.
REEL 13 Continues: organisation of patrol; use of hand signals; role of leading scout; noise problem making way through dense jungle; use of Iban and Dyak trackers; arms carried by patrol; leading scout's actions on sighting something; method of taking cover during patrol; duration of patrols; air supply drops; problems with radio communications; lack of restrictions on smoking; effect of terrain on fatigue during patrols; source of information for patrols; discovery of hidden Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent notes.
REEL 14 Continues: method of laying ambush; laying in night-time ambush positions; character of platoon officers; reaction to being under fire; routine on return to camp; cigarette rations; Tiger Beer; company officers including Lieutenant John 'Joe' Starling; encounter with Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents in swamp.
REEL 15 Continues: further details of patrolling; degree to which Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents were likely to be encountered; drafting of National Servicemen; move to Penang for rest period; move to Kajang in south of Selangor State, 12/1951; leader of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents in Kajang area; deployment of companies; Major Leech's instigation of moustache growing competition; nicknames of battalion platoons. Recollections of operations as NCO with Intelligence Section, 1st Bn Suffolk Regt, 2nd Infantry Bde, Malaya Command in Federation of Malaya, 1951-1952: background to joining Intelligence Section; setting up operations room in Kajang Police Station; composition of Intelligence Section; training course; codes used; training in aerial interpretation; patrols' method of infiltrating jungle; radio communications with patrols; interpretation of aerial photographs.
REEL 16 Continues: Lieutenant John 'Joe' Starling's suggestion that Intelligence Section participate in patrols; Intelligence Section patrol in which Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents were missed; raid on coffee shop and discovery of uniform material; role of Min Yuen in supporting Malayan National Liberation Army; relations with Federation of Malaya Police; role of police personnel in gathering information; character of insurgents; information from rubber tappers and planters; use of photographs of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents in operations room; checking items from Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent packs; method of identifying dead Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; story of leading group of Royal Australian Air Force personnel on night ambush.
REEL 17 Continues: stand to after ambush of High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney at Fraser's Hill, 6/10/1951; reaction to death of Sir Henry Gurney; Malayan National Liberation Army method of operating; degree of co-operation between Malayan National Liberation Army groups; motivation of Malayan National Liberation Army insurgents; nature of Briggs Plan; treatment of planters and civilians by Malayan National Liberation Army; checking National Identity Cards and searching civilians; items discovered in Malayan National Liberation Army camps; situation in Federation of Malaya, 1948-1952.
REEL 18 Continues: preparations to leave Federation of Malaya; return to GB, 1952; attitude to treatment by Royal Corps of Military Police on arrival in GB; period in barracks at Colchester Garrison. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt) in GB, 1952-1955: obligation to carry out three years Territorial Army service; encounter with regimental sergeant-major of Brigade of Guards on arrival at Tower Hill; issue of Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) insignia, hackle and cap badge; attending camps; memories of Regimental Sergeant-Major Ronald Brittain; attitude to having served with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in Federation of Malaya