Description
Object description
British NCO served with 120 Mortar Bty, Royal Artillery, 29th British Infantry Bde in Hong Kong and Korea, 1950-1951
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Stepney, London, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Goodmayes and Dagenham, 1931-1950: family background and death of father, 1934; period in children's homes in Cambridge area including anti-Semitism, treatment by wardens, living conditions, question of homesickness and uniform; education; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; evacuation to Huntingdon, 1941-1943; farm billets; assisting with sugar beet harvest; education; living with aunt in Goodmayes, 1943-1945; disciplinary problems and punishments at school; Anderson shelter; communal air raid shelter; return to live with mother in Goodmayes; work as plumber's assistant working on repair of bomb damaged roofs, 1944-1945; move to Dagenham, 1945; VE Day street party, 8/5/1945; work as apprentice bricklayer and work on council house estate, 1947-1950.
REEL 2 Continues: failing initial medical prior to call up, 7/1950. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with Training Regt, Royal Artillery, Park Hall Camp, Oswestry, 7/1950-11/1950: reception; hair cut; kitting out; kit inspection; hut accommodation; morning routine; food rations; drill; PT; gun drill on 25pdr; weapons training including rifle, Bren gun and Sten gun; value of voluntary remedial education classes; guard duty including preparations for inspection, selection as 'stick man' and pressing recruit uniforms for payment; relationship with recruits and question of bullying; change of name from Solomons to Sullivan and question of anti-Semitism.
REEL 3 Continues: relationship with instructors and officers; teetotalism; volunteering for kitchen fatigues; canteen; hospitalisation with appendicitis; loss of kit and stealing replacements; relationship with new squad and status as 'old soldier'; assessment and posting to office duties; passing out parade; office duties; requesting posting to Far East and question of B1 medical category; passing special fitness test in mountains; effects of promotion to lance bombardier with training role; relationship with recruits; background to desire for overseas posting due to lack of home leave; interview with officer; news of promotion to bombardier and posting to Hong Kong. Period at Royal Artillery Base Depot, Woolwich, ca 11/1950. Voyage aboard Empire Fowey to Hong Kong, 11/1950-12/1950: mess deck conditions and hammocks; question of seasickness; duties as bombardier; shore patrol at Malta; story of missing fight whilst patrolling mess deck.
REEL 4 Continues: stories of shore patrol at Port Said, Egypt; sun burn cases; story of losing money at cards and subsequent attitude to gambling; reaction to beggars during visit ashore at Columbo, Ceylon; first reactions on arrival at Hong Kong. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle with 120 Mortar Bty, RA at Hong Kong, reception and confirmation of rank as bombardier; composition of unit; training in setting up and firing 4.2" mortar; barrack room accommodation; swimming in sea and female baby corpses; acclimatisation to climate; effects of vaccinations including fever and loss of hair; food rations; cases of attempted male rape; relationship with ORs, NCOs, officers and Chinese civilians.
REEL 5 Continues: question of sport; setting up mortars on Chinese border as show of strength; story of party prior to departure to Korea. Voyage to Pusan, Korea, 1/1951. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations in Kowang San area, Korea, 1/1951-8/1951: train journey; situation; evening stand to; dugout and makeshift heater; cold conditions and special clothing; method of setting up mortar positions; morning routine; food rations; collecting food rations by lorry from Headquarters; absence of mail; moving mortar position; use of forward mortar team; question of Chinese noise at night and personal morale; firing mortars on pre-prepared lines using siting posts; rate of fire; guards against Chinese infiltrators.
REEL 6 Continues: latrines; story of US soldiers refusing to occupy Hill 355; story of soldiers court-martialled for going AWOL: question of ineffectiveness of Chinese return fire; minefield casualty; gunners attempts to make rice wine; local leave in Tokyo, Japan, including flight out, air sickness, re-equipment, visit to night club and relationship with Japanese woman; rejoining unit; routine night duties; story of NCO reprimanded for falling asleep on guard; temporary replacement on mortar by new sergeant; relationship with mortar team; acting as barber; positioning of lorries ready to move mortars; routine lorry maintenance; washing uniform; conversations; writing to film actress; question of awareness of news; story of visiting US unit and comparison of conditions of service; summer climate; mud problem; evacuation of Korean villages; extension of national service by 3 months; reactions to leaving unit, ca 8/1951; period in Pusan Transit Camp.
REEL 7 Voyage aboard Empire Fowey to GB, ca 8/1951-9/1951: women aboard ship and dance; visits ashore. Demobilisation, 9/1953. Post-service career: resuming career as bridklayer; running successful chain of shops; absence of problems in acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; effects of army service; TA service with Royal Artillery unit; question of call up for Suez Crisis, 1956; question of remaining in TA; membership of Korean War Veterans Association and question of visiting Korea, 2008; attitude to Korean War.