Description
Object description
British NCO served with 8th King's Own Irish Hussars in GB and Korea, 1950-1957
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Dummer, Hants, 1930-1948: family background and social circumstances including family tenancy of Queen pub and father's military service, 1914-1918; education; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; improvised air raid shelter in garden; brother's Home Guard service; troops billeted in village; activities of Petroleum Warfare Establishment based in village and their experiments on Bren gun carrier and Churchill flamethrowers; minimal impact of rationing; German air raid on Basingstoke; attending Queen Mary's School, Basingstoke, 1941-1946; brother's war service with Royal Artillery, 1942-1945; German land mine dropping close to village; VE Day celebrations on Queen pub, 8/5/1945.
REEL 2 Continues: interest in making fireworks; death of mother, 1946; background to interest in joining army; work in Queen pub, 1946-1948; recruitment as regular into Royal Armoured Corps, ca 6/1948. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 14/20th (Training) Regt, RAC, Menin Lines, Catterick Camp, ca 7/1948-2/1950: train journey; prior training with Army Cadet Force at Queen Mary's School, Basingstoke, 1941-1946, including Morse code and flight in Dakota; reception and kitting out; hut accommodation; relationship with instructors; food rations; drill; weapons training including rifle, bayonet, Sten gun, Bren gun and hand grenades; PT.
REEL 3 Continues: story of confusion over name with NCO; relationship with recruits; preparations for kit and room inspections; importance of competition between squads; canteens; recreational visits to Richmond; aptitude tests and selection for training as vehicle mechanic; passing out parade, 10/1948; exercise in rebuilding car in workshops; attending vehicle fitters' course at Crown Barracks, Plymouth including nature of course, bomb damage, reactions to speech by Sir Oswald Mosley and story of drinking scrumpy cider; attending armoured vehicle course at Bovington Camp including composition of course and work on Comet tank.
REEL 4 Continues: question of choice of unit. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine as vehicle fitter with 8th King's Own Irish Hussars, Oadby Airfield, School of Infantry, Warminster and Mooltan Barracks, Tidworth, ca 2/1950-10/1950: first impressions and state of unit on joining at Oadby Airfield; opinion of officers and NCOs; routine maintenance programme on Comet including opinion of Comet, repairing tracks, problems with hydraulic system and braking rods; move to B Sqdn and role acting as Demonstration Sqdn at School of Infantry Warminster, ca 5/1950; requirement to provide tanks for exercises and necessity of working nights; opinion of Corporal Barrie Summerfield, Sergeant Major Roy Vallance, Sergeant Ray Adams and Trooper Malcolm Howell; relationship with National Servicemen; relationship in tank crew; opinion of various officers including Major George Butler.
REEL 5 Continues: weekend leave; parade through Warminster; tank recovery vehicles; guard duty in tank park; move to Mooltan Barracks, Tidworth, 8/1950; preparations for Korean service including issue of uniform; re-equipment of unit with Centurion III including problems with 20lb gun gyro stabilizer, opinion of tank, fitting extra dynamo generator and welding up tool box. Recollections of voyage aboard Empire Fowey to Pusan, Korea, 10/1950-11/1950: separate transport of tanks; conditions; attitude of reservists; seasickness; question of wearing boots and route march ashore at Port Said, Egypt; running aground in Suez Canal; visits ashore at Aden and Columbo, Ceylon; tornado. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations in Korea, 11/1950-3/1950: move to Pusan Transit Camp; disembarkation of Centurions; situation, 12/1950; formation of Composite Sqdn.
REEL 6 Continues: train journey with tanks to Pyong Yang; question of unsuitability of terrain for tanks; move to frontier riding on back of Centurion; retreat of American troops following Chinese offensive, 12/1950; role protecting supply route; burning US supply dumps; positions defending supply route; fitters' use of Bren gun carrier; cold conditions and taking overcoats and supplies from dumps; blowing up Centurion trapped in paddy field; retreat through burning Pyong Yang; salvaging abandoned American MT; opinion of jeep; meeting A Sqdn; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1950; loss of Reconnaissance Troop, Headquarters Sqdn in Happy Valley, 1/1951; rejoining B Sqdn; positions in Haon River valley; secrecy over Centurions; story of tank duel between Centurion and captured Cromwell; story of changing clutch on Centurion; story of Centurion losing track and blocking supply route; food rations and cooking arrangements; bivouacs; cold conditions and US heaters; question of baths.
REEL 7 Continues: latrines; burning rubbish; move back to Pusan; evacuation to Japan, ca 3/1950. Period at Kure Camp, Japan, 3/1950: US shop and canteen facilities; meeting friend. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations in Korea, 3/1950-11/1951: advance to Kimpo, Seoul; inadequacy of Bren carrier and issue of half track to fitters; opinion of International half track; advance to Imjin River, Kowang San sector; nature of laager at Mistletoe Orchard; accompanying Centurion patrols across Imjin River to start point including infantry sections carried, terrain, situation and dispositions; attachment with troop in support of Belgian unit; Chinese mortar fire and personal morale; last patrol in support of 1st Bn, Gloucester Regt, 20/4/1951; replacement by C Sqdn, 20/4/1951; subsequent attempts to recover abandoned C Sqdn Centurions; problems with Centurion oil cooler and story of being pictured in newspaper photograph salvaging replacement.
REEL 8 Continues: promotion to lance corporal; situation; rest periods at rear echelon base near Haan River; stripping down and modifying front idlers on Centurion; track replacement; relationship with Korean children acting as servants and accompanying unit into action; recreations and ENSA concert party; canteen lorry; rum ration; letter and parcel contact with GB; Operation Commando undertaken to secure positions prior to Armistice, ca 11/1951, including placing Centurions in hilltop positions, use of Korean porters to carry up shells, rotation of crews, disconnection of 20lb gun gyro stabiliser, competition in speed of firing, hull down position, shell cases, role supporting infantry, view of battle, ca 6/11/1951, relationship with Australian infantry and New Zealand artillery unit; withdrawal to Seoul, 11/1951.
REEL 9 Continues: handover of tanks and equipment to 5th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. Voyage aboard Georgic Liverpool, ca 11/1951-12/1951: conditions minimal duties; route; reception. Period at Perham Down Camp, 1/1952-2/1952: train journey and march into camp; leave. Recollections of period at Luneberg Heath, Germany, 2/1952-5/1953: taking over non-roadworthy Centurion IIIs and work necessary prior to inspection; reactions to promotion to sergeant and compulsory posting to Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to unit; acting as relief driver on Centurion during operations in Korea, 1951; prior tank driver course; border patrol duties using armoured cars; parade in Hamburg; canteen; visits tot Luneberg pubs and relationship with German civilians; trade tests as 1st class mechanic and conversion to diesel engines; nature of sergeants' mess and role of Regimental Sergeant Major; exercises; story of loss of pay book and sympathetic approach of Sergeant Major Roy Vallance; GB leave.
REEL 10 Continues: background to leaving army due to prior compulsory transfer to REME; rehabilitation course studying agricultural engineering; demobilisation, 5/1953. Post-service career: acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; work as farm engineer for Colonel Andrew Fergusson at Dummer Manorhouse; question of rejoining army; minimal commitments as regular reservist; work as farm engineer for Major Ronald Fergusson; membership of 8th KOIH Regt Assoc; effects of army service.
