Sykes, Bill (Oral history)

British soldier served with 2nd Bn, Middlesex Regt in GB and North West Europe, 1937- 1939; served with 4th Bn, Parachute Regt, in GB, 1942-1943; served as NCO with 8th Bn, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, 1943; POW in Germany and Poland, 1943-1945; served with 2nd Bn, Middlesex Regt in Palestine, 1945-1948; served with 1st Bn, Gloucestershire Regt, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 1950-1951; POW in Korea, 1951-1953

REEL 1 Recollections of background in London, 1921-1937: family background and social circumstances; periods in various St Barnardo's homes and story of running away. Recollections of period at Watts Naval Training School, North Elmham, 1930-1937: discipline; uniform; education; signals, gunnery and seamanship training; story of raiding canteen; failure of colour blindness test on application to join Royal Navy. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period as drummer/bugler with 2nd Bn, Middlesex Regt at Victory Barracks, Portsmouth and New Barracks, Gosport, 4/1937-9/1939: background to recruitment; kitting out; barrack room accommodation; food rations; drum and bugle training; preparing for kit and room inspections. REEL 2 Continues: segregation of boys; recreational visits to Portsmouth; move to Gosport; passing out as bugler; duties as regimental bugler; playing drums on parade; playing at tattoo; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; entering men's service, 6/1939; preparations for mobilisation. Aspects of period in France, 9/1939-12/1939: voyage to Cherbourg; lorry journey to Lille; tent accommodation; return as under-19 to GB, ca 12/1939. Aspects of period with band at Shorncliffe barracks, ca 1940-1942: units present; band routine; volunteering for overseas service. Training as paratrooper at Ringway Airfield, Manchester, ca 1942: ground training; parachute jumps. Aspects of period with 4th Bn, Parachute Regt, Bulford Camp, 1942-1943: relationship with officers; continuation training; story of going AWOL and arrest by Military Police. REEL 3 Continues: punishment confined to barracks. Period as lance corporal with Headquarters Coy, 8th Bn, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, 1943: voyage out with draft; reception and selection as drummer for band; actions prior to capture of Tunis; desert conditions of service; German shell fire and personal morale; operations in Sicily, 7/1943; move to Italy; story of being captured by Germans at Termoli. Period as POW in Germany and Poland, 1943-1945: registration at Stalag VIIA POW Camp, Moosburg; period in 357 POW Camp, Warsaw area, Poland; gambling and recreations; Red Cross parcels; food; hut accommodation; German guards; refusal to participate on working parties as 'sergeant'; conditions attack on column by Allied aircraft during march to Fellingbostel, 1945; period at Stalag XIB POW Camp, Fallingbostel; Gestapo searches of camp; story of liberation by British troops; 5/1945; state of health; flight back to GB, VE Day, 8/5/1945; leave. REEL 4 Period as corporal drummer/bugler with 2nd Bn, Middlesex Regt at Acca Barracks, Palestine, 1945-1948. Demobilisation, 1948. Period living in Poplar, London, 1948-1950: work as paint mixer; problems in adjusting to civilian lifestyle; call up as reservist, 1950. Period with Vickers Machine Gun Section, Support Coy, 1st Bn, Gloucestershire Regt in GB and Korea, 1950-1951: preparations for overseas service; voyage out aboard Empire Windrush to Pusan; first impressions; duties searching for Korean infiltrators; move to Gloucester Hill, Kowang San area; Vickers gun position supporting A Coy position; indirect fire position in support of B Coy; orders to withdraw to main Gloucester Hill positions; situation; capture by Chinese during breakout attempt. Period as POW of Chinese, 1951-1953: conditions in POW camp; opinion of Chinese guards; story of punishment for reciting poem at camp concert. REEL 5 Continues: comparison of treatment as POW by Germans and Chinese; absence of Red Cross parcels; food; village huts; cold conditions and extra uniform; release following truce, 1953. Period at Kure Camp, Japan, 1953. Voyage back to GB and demobilisation, 1953. Post-service career.