Geoghegan, Mick (Oral history)

British gunner served as air observer flying in Auster V with 1907 Air Observation Post Flight in Singapore and Malaya, 1948-1950; served as wireless operator/driver with 16th Bty, 26th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in Singapore and Libya, 1950-1951; served with 14th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 1952

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Plaistow and Walthanstow, London, 1929-1947: review of father's service in 1914-1918; family background and social circumstances; education; sir raid alarm following outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; decision not to be evacuated; prior issue of gas masks and training at school; blackout; Anderson shelter; communal air raid shelter; food and clothes rationing; question of black market; change of school; reception for returning Dunkirk veterans, 6/1940; view of aerial fighting and story of close escape from German aircraft strafing, 1940; effects of German air raids including blazing gasometer, sheltering in air raid shelter, dummy bombs, wireless baffles and incendiary bomb damage, fire watching arrangements and collecting unexploded incendiary bombs for ARP. REEL 2 Continues: effects of German air raids including nature of bomb damage, work of ARP rescue teams and Auxiliary Fire Service; story of close escape from bomb and damage to house, ca 1941; question of repairing damage; move to share relative's house in Walthamstow, ca 1941; effects of change of school; swimming, boxing and cycling activities; Boys Brigade activities; playing on bomb site and state of parks; training with 83rd East Anglian Army Cadets, Walthamstow, 1941-1945, including uniform; drill, rifle and Sten gun training, tactical exercises with Home Guard on Hackney Marshes and fear of German invasion. REEL 3 Continues: training with 83rd East Anglian Army Cadets, Walthamstow, 1941-1945, including night exercises with HG, visits to anti-aircraft sites manned by HG, bayonet training, nature of reception and training at Guards Depot, Caterham and question of promotion; leaving school, 1943; work in brush family, 1943-1944; close escape from German bombing; V1 raids and story of hospitalisation after being caught in blast; work as labourer for building firms working on repair of bomb damage; demolition work and dumping of rubble in Hackney Marshes; dance halls; attending cinema despite German air raids; V2 raids. REEL 4 Continues: personal morale and death of school friends; following progress of war and story of meeting Flying Officer Paddy Fiducane; unexploded bombs gathered on Chingford Plains; visit to aircraft crash landed at Woodford; story of discovery of corpse whilst assisting in casualty rescue after V1 blast; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; opinion of royal family; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; continuation of repair and demolition work, 1945-1946; leaving Army Cadets, 1945; recreations; background to volunteering underage to join army, 11/1946, including medical. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during basic training with Essex Regt Depot, Warley Barracks, Brentwood, 1/1947-3/1947: early arrival and cleaning barracks prior to arrival of draft; nature of barrack room accommodation; kitting out; hair cut; story of fight and minimal punishment. REEL 5 Continues: morning routine; food rations; drill and value of Army Cadet experience; weapons training including rifle, bayonet, Sten gun, Bren gun and hand grenades; PT; gas mask training and gas chamber; kitchen fatigues during fire watching duty; guard duty; preparing for kit and room inspections. REEL 6 Continues: relationship with recruits, instructors and officers; boxing activities; competitive approach between squads; recreations; visits to Brentwood; passing out parade; status as 'leading' soldier; relationship with National Service recruits; choice of posting to Royal Artillery and story of malingering recruit selected for Royal Army Medical Corps. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle during training with 38th (Training) Regt, Royal Artillery at Deerbolt Camp, Barnard Castle, 3/1947-7/1947: reception; hut accommodation; restricted access to baths; shaving; wireless training including fault finding and erecting aerials; voice procedure and call signs. REEL 7 Continues: Morse code training; laying telephone lines, operating exchange and repairing lines; carrying and operating portable and mobile wireless sets on exercise; training in setting up gun position, command posts and observation posts; practicing communication of fire orders; effect of electricity pylons on signals; presence of German POW camp and story of troops confinement to camp fro insulting German officer; working parties on snow clearance and assisting farmers; recreational visits to Bernard Castle including stories of fight with soldiers from Royal Armoured Corps and being late back into camp; nature of assessment tests and passing out as signaller; putting up signaller's insignia. REEL 8 Recollections of period as signaller with 124 Field Regt, RA at School of Artillery, Larkhill, 7/1947-1/1948: artillery demonstration role; role as signaller in OP; nature of training and story of spotting gun firing short; role as signaller in mobile command post; qualifying as driver on lorry and Bren carrier; self-propelled 25pdr guns; casualties due to misfire; exercise in dropping into gun positions; relationship with ORs, NCOs and officers; activities as member of motorcycle display team; effects of promotion to lance bombardier including taking drill parades and relationship with ORs; nature of junior NCOs' mess including 'smoker' concerts and drinking habits; story of vandalism on colonel's car. REEL 9 Recollections of period with 'K' Bty, 5th Royal Horse Artillery, School of Artillery, Larkhill, 1/1948-6/1948: background to transfer; increased 'spit and polish' illustrated by dispute with officer over painting of aerials; inspections parades; motorcycle display team activities; background to posting to Malaya, 6/1948. Period at Royal Artillery Base Depot, Woolwich Barracks, London, 6/1948-7/1948: casual driving work during embarkation leave; flight arrangements. Flight as civilian on York to Tengah, Singapore, 7/1948: seating arrangements; review of route and stops. Period as air observer flying in Auster V with 1907 Air Observation Post Flight, Semberwang, Singapore, 7/1948-8/1948: learning to swing propeller and remove wheel chocks; training as air observer including dropping supplies and use of wireless. REEL 10 Continues: training as air observer including flying training, effects of meteorological conditions and wireless contacts with Spitfires for ground support; conditions of service. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle during operations as observer flying Auster V with 1907 Flight, RAF at General Headquarters, Prince's Road Camp, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Majdheu Barracks, Johore, Malaya, ca 8/1948-12/1950: hut accommodation; food rations; memories of Captain Alistair Noble; RAF ground crews; army pilots and observers; daily routine and duties; air evacuation of wounded; role as PT instructor and prior training course; nature of missions to drop supplies to Gurkha patrol including packing bags and identification of smoke signals; story of flying above Batu Caves to check for Malayan insurgents; absence of artillery OP role; question of establishing air strip at Bentong including story of leech problem after swimming across river and clearing runway. REEL 11 Continues: various amusing stories; jungle faunae; mosquito problems and malaria precautions; relationship with Malayan and Chinese civilians; question of activities of Communist insurgents and their ambushes in Seremban Pass and Temerloh; test landing on Bentong airfield; return to Kuala Lumpur; failed attempt to locate airfield site in Mersin area; question of frequency of flights; story of flight over planter's estate searching for insurgents' camp; aftermath of insurgents' attack on Malayan police lorry; use of Sea Dyaks as trackers in jungle; detachment to 1911 Flight at Taiping in North West Malaysia; PT; nature of guard duties on airfield; flights including use of roads to aid navigation and checking ahead of patrols for ambush sites; return to unit and move to Seremban; situation; role operating portable wireless accompanying Gurkha jungle patrols. REEL 12 Continues: role operating portable wireless accompanying Gurkha jungle patrols including size, armaments, briefing, toggle ropes, formations, story of sheltering in rubber plantation building, bivouacs, food rations, relationship with Gurkhas, story of Gurkha officer catching snake, success in finding recently abandoned Communist insurgents' camps, use of wireless and aerial, duration and debriefing; move to Majdheu Barracks, Johore; situation and units present; use of guard dogs on trains; barrack accommodation; flying operations between various airstrips; aerial reconnaissance identifying possible Communist insurgent camps; background to requesting posting. Recollections of period as driver operator with 16th (Sandham's) Bty, 26th Field Regt, RA, Tang Lin Barracks and Selarang Barracks, Singapore, ca 12/1950-4/1951: reversion to signaller; enjoyment of unit infantry role; training signallers in artillery role; jungle patrols; story of finding elderly Malayans in jungle; story of finding recently abandoned Communist insurgent camps and burning buildings. REEL 13 Continues: sporting activities including football, rugby, swimming and badminton; taking PT sessions for Malayan Police; boxing activities; role as PT instructor; move to Selarang Barracks; swimming competition. Voyage to Tripoli, Libya, ca 5/1951: training for return to artillery role; situation in Egypt; attacks by Egyptian civilians and consequent shore party to collect stragglers during visit ashore at Port Said, Egypt. Recollections of period at Homs, Libya, 5/1951-8/1951: unit confinement to barracks for involvement in fighting at Port Said; effects of water shortage; sea drowning and recovered corpse; lifeguard duty on beach; hut accommodation; exercises with 25pdrs in desert; escorted trip in Bren carrier to collect unit pay from Tripoli. REEL 14 Continues: guard duties; relationship with Italian civilians; visits to Roman ruins; swimming in sea; story of guard duty during visit by brigadier; opinion of colonel; background to extension of service and leaving unit 8/1951. Voyage back to GB, 8/1951. Period at RABD, Woolwich Barracks, London, 8/1951-12/1951: leave and casual work; question of remaining as PT instructor and preference for overseas service; volunteering for Korean service; refusal of promotion; ruse to visit home; Salvation Army canteen. Voyage out to Kure, Japan, 12/1951: volunteering for cooking fatigues; route. Period at Japan Reinforcement Base Depot, Hiro, 12/1951-1/1952: kitting out for Korean service; lectures and training exercises. Voyage to Pusan, Korea, 1/1952. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during operations with 14th Field Regt, RA in Kowang San sector, Korea, 1/1952-11/1952: train and lorry journey; crossing Pintail Bridge and joining unit. REEL 15 Continues: battery position in hills; dugouts and makeshift heater; reception and posting to OP party; composition and equipment of OP party; nature of OP dugout on Hill 355; situation and British dispositions; wireless network and availability of artillery support; food rations and cooking arrangements; maintaining watch and monitoring Chinese shell fire; effects of Chinese shell fire around OP dugout; water ration; story of US Dakota dropping propaganda leaflets over 1st Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt positions; visits from senior officers and padre; OP duties including target selection, fire orders and method of correcting range; story of successfully targeting Chinese tank. REEL 16 Continues: calling for air strike; story of bringing down concentrated artillery fire during Chinese attack; story of bringing down fire on mortar position and success in exploding ammunition dump, 8/1952; story of bringing fire down on movements behind Chinese lines; smoke shell signals for air support causing fire in cornfield; stories illustrating effect of cold conditions and question of extra uniform issued; US mobile bath unit; relationship with soldiers of US artillery unit and effects of their artillery fire; latrines; beer ration; relationship with soldiers of 1st BN, RNR and 1st Bn, Welsh Regt; hoist and track installed on Hill 355 to transport equipment and supplies; smell of corpses in No Man's Land and Chinese booby trap; question of rats, snakes, mosquito and fly problems; dysentery and restricted water supply. REEL 17 Continues: nature of patrols in No Man's Land including listening posts concealed near Chinese lines, fighting patrols, terrain, role carrying portable wireless, hiding up in camouflaged position during day, skirmishes and role bringing down artillery support; story of Chinese attack on 1st Bn, RNR on Crete Hill and use of harassing artillery fire to force retreat; story of patrol with 1st Bn, RNR in Sami Chon valley; story of being lightly wounded in ankle during patrol with Welch Regt on Outer Fox position, Hill 355, 4/1952; treatment at Regimental Aid Post; signal duties in Battery Command Post including pre-registered targets, charging electrical batteries, testing and repairing wirelesses, call out to replace OP and repairing telephone lines; sporting activities; hill training exercises; story of picking up Chinese wireless messages translated by Korean interpreter in OP; story of buried corpses; state of morale; story of Chinese aircraft flying over positions. REEL 18 Conditions: Chinese snipers; supporting South Korean unit; memories of Captain John Thompson; effects of fatigue; story of death of Captain John Thompson during attack on Hill 355, 23/6/1952, including situation, preparations, Thompson's visit to padre, moving forward to join Welch Regt, Chinese fire, casualties, ankle wound, exposed situation, retreat to start line, role bringing in wounded and rejoining unit; subsequent contact with Captain John Thompson's family; personal morale; medical treatment; visit to wounded comrades; story of close escape from shell fire; refusal of leave; patrols; story of capture of US ammunition lorry; question of Chinese/Korean prisoners; effect of peace negotiations; question of extension of service and reactions to leaving unit, 10/1952. REEL 19 Continues: period in Pusan Transit Camp; ceremony with 1st Bn, King's Own Scottish Borderers in Pusan Cemetery; minimal duties. Voyage aboard Empire Fowey to GB, 11/1952-12/1952: amusing story of haggis ceremony with 1st Bn, KOSB; route and visits ashore; story illustrating unsympathetic reception from Customs. Demobilisation, ca 12/1952: prior movements; demob suit. Post-service career: status as reservist and attending training camps, 1953-1959; work as labourer in factory, 1953; football activities; service as stoker with Merchant Marine, 1953-1954. REEL 20 Continues: work as machinist at car manufacturer, 1954-1955; career as builder, 1955-2004. Recollections of membership of British Korean Veterans Assoc, 1977-2008: role in founding assoc; expansion and meetings; background to name of assoc; reception on trips to South Korea; role as life vice president and trustee of assoc; welfare role administered by British Legion; future of assoc.