Description
Object description
British wireless operator served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, Commonwealth Div/Bde in Korea, 1952-1953
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Isle of Dogs, London, 1933-1939: family background and social circumstances; evacuation to Longhamborough, ca 9/1939-12/1939, including reception, billet, relationship with billet family, education, relationship with local children, reaction to countryside, return to London following death of father, ca 12/1940; social circumstances; part-time work; education; clothing and food rationing; Anderson shelter; nature of German air raids, including fire of anti-aircraft battery, incendiary bomb damage and effects of raids; local emergency services.
REEL 2 Continues: playing on bombsites; effects of German air raids and casualties; V1 and V2 raids; story of being trapped in shelter and bombed out of home by V2 explosion in East Ferry Road; temporary accommodation in school; new billets; part-time work; family war service; question of following progress of war; VE Day street parties, 8/5/1945; attending night school, 1945-1951; work as rivet boy at London Graving Dock, 1948-1951. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with No 3 Training Regt, Royal Corps of Signals, Vimy Lines, Catterick Camp, 9/1951-10/1951: train journey; psychometric tests; reception.
REEL 3 Continues: kitting out; preparing for kit inspections; barrack room accommodation; morning routine; food rations; prior Boys Brigade activities; drill; weapons training including rifle, Bren gun, bayonet and Sten gun; PT; relationship with recruits; story of recruit with asthma who subsequently recovered and became NCO.
REEL 4 Continues; relationship with instructors and officers; canteen; passing out parade. Recollections of period training as linesman with No 2 Regt, RCS, Mons Lines, Catterick Camp, 10/1951-1/1952: training including telephones, methods of laying lines, use of poles, splicing cables, batteries, labelling lines on switchboard and laying lines from lorry; reaction to selection for training as drill instructor; barrack accommodation; guard duties; story of deliberately failing course as drill instructor; story of escorting prisoner by train to Colchester. Recollections of period as signaller with Signal Troop, 4th Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery a Peninsula Barracks, Warrington, 1/1952-4/1952: duties installing and checking multi-telephone terminals at gun sites; composition of troop; relationship with ORs and NCOs; teaching signallers with Territorial Army; news of posting to Korea, 5/1952.
REEL 5 Continues: vaccinations and embarkation leave. Voyage aboard Empire Trooper to Kure, Japan, 6/1952-8/1952: conditions; route; visits ashore. Period at Kure Barracks, 8/1952: re-equipment; weapons training; relationship with Japanese civilians and police. Voyage to Pusan, Korea, 8/1952. Initial period in Korea, ca 8/1952: period in Seaforth Camp, Pusan; train journey to join 1st Commonwealth Div. Recollections of period with C Troop, RCS, 1st Commonwealth Div, Fort George I Camp, 9/1952-11/1952: tent accommodation; method of checking, laying and repairing telephone lines; line routes; relationship wit New Zealand soldiers; US food rations; reactions to Chinese mortar fire. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period with L Troop Signals, RCS, Headquarters, 29th Bde in Kowang San area, 11/1952-8/1953: reception; composition of unit; relationship with officers.
REEL 6 Continues: relationship with officers and NCOs; digging in tents; wet conditions; role checking maintaining and replacing telephone line to battalions; use of booster box; personal morale under Chinese mortar fire; story of coming under Chinese shell fire in jeep; use of passwords; opinion of jeep and 15cwt Morris lorry; effects of cold conditions including special uniform issued, space heaters, difficulty in carrying out line duties; morning routine and washing; food rations.
REEL 7 Continues: allocation of line checking duties at works parade; repairing lines broken by tanks and electric shocks caused by impatient operators; standby duties; latrines; story of booby trapping latrine to give user electric shocks form battery; question of letter and parcel contact with GB; ENSA show; question of Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1952; guard duty; period out of line; relationship with Korean civilians; mobile showers; story of towing lorry out of river and meeting friend; return to camp; situation and improvements made to Hook defences; role maintaining lines during Chinese attack on Hook; hospitalisation with fatigue in Canadian Hospital; reception on rejoining unit and reclaiming kit.
REEL 8 Continues: personal morale; story of mine discovered next to latrine; role during changeover of infantry units occupying front line; local leave in Tokyo, Japan, including bath, tea set sent to GB and flights on Globemaster; move back to Pusan and question of progress of peace talks; story of crossing pontoon bridge and floating mine alarm. Voyage back to Kure, 8/1953: changing kit; earth tremor. Voyage aboard Asturias to GB, 8/1953-9/1953: state of former POWs; speed of voyage; passing through customs. Demobilisation, 9/1953. Post-war career: reception; working for timber firm, 1953-1981; leg injury; developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder; work as taxi driver, 1981-2000.
REEL 9 Continues: service as reservist attending camp with RCS at Chester and question of call up during Suez Crisis, 1956; question of rejoining army; membership of Korean War Veterans Assoc; attitude to Korean War service.
