Pegrum, John (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British NCO served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in GB, Korea, Kenya, Hong Kong, Germany and Cyprus, 1948-1973

Content description

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Fulham, London, 1928-1947: father's military service, 1914-1918, including spinal wounds, confinement to wheelchair, post-war employment in poppy factory and housing as disabled with Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation; family background and social circumstances; education; restrictions on children playing. Recollections of evacuation with school to Haslemere and Hindhead, 1939-1942: evacuation, 1/9/1939; personal morale; reception; billets; treatment; effects of education in shared school premises; relationship with local children and German evacuees; potato picking and hay making; moving billets to live with Lady Cawdor and treatment from butler; moving to Hindhead; story of running away back to Fulham, 1942. Recollections of period living in Fulham, 1942-1947: work as dairy errand boy; work as page boy at Royal Thames Yacht Club; communal air raid shelter; question of German air raids; food rationing; work as page boy at Naval & Military Club, Piccadilly; work as trainee cobbler; VE and VJ Day celebrations, 1945. REEL 2 Continues: call up, 12/1947. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during training with General Service Corps, Cowley Barracks, Oxford, 12/1947-1/1948: reception and medical; kitting out; hair cut; barrack room accommodation; food rations; drill; PT; absence of weapons training; preparing for kit and room inspections; relationship with recruits and instructors; canteen and pay; background to selection due to flat feet Grade C4 for Royal Army Ordnance Corps; passing out parade. Period training as clerk with 3rd Bn, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Hillsea Barracks, Portsmouth, 1/1948-3/1948: question of training as cobbler; problem with instructor; training in stores. Period training in office administration at Tidworth Camp, 3/1948-4/1948. Period as company clerk with Driver Training Bn/4th Trade Training Bn, RAOC, Piddleton and Deepcut Camp, 4/1948-5/1951: routine duties; renaming of unit and expansion of training role; background to marriage, 5/1948; work as pay clerk, Headquarters Coy. REEL 3 Continues: pay parade procedure; guard duty; news of posting to Korea; background to receiving married quarters and change in status to regular. Voyage out with draft aboard Empire Orwell to Pusan, Korea, ca 5/1951-6/1951: prior promotion to sergeant; conditions and responsibility for G deck; question of seasickness; story of homosexual steward; visits ashore; reception from US band at Pusan. Recollections of period with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Korea, 6/1951-11/1951: issue of vehicles and stores at Pusan Transit Camp; driving lorry in convoy and story of accident pulling water trailer in paddy field; period at rear echelon camp; working from office in lorry with tent accommodation; food rations; cold conditions. REEL 4 Continues: birth of children; death of colonel in road accident. Period with Ordnance Field Park, Sekong area, Japan, 11/1951-12/1952: nature of unit; friction with Canadian troops in unit due to pay differentials; cold conditions; local leave in Tokyo, Japan; role as orderly room sergeant; letter contact with GB; question of liaisons with Korean women. Voyage aboard Empire Halladale back to GB, 12/1952-1/1953. Period with 4th Trade Training Bn, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Deepcut Camp, GB, 1/1953-11/1954: clerical duties in quartermaster's stores; married quarters. Period with Central Ammunition Depot, RAOC, Gil Gil, Kenya, 11/1954-8/1957: flight out; duties in orderly room and as MT sergeant; relationship with Kenyan personnel, depot personnel and guard of King's African Rifles; nature of Mau Mau threat; climate; sergeants' mess; married quarters and story of Mau Mau raid on generator; voyage aboard Devonshire back to GB, 8/1957; question of prior promotion to staff sergeant. Period with 17th Bn, RAOC, Bicester, 9/1957-12/1958. REEL 5 Period at Records Office, RAOC, Wigston, 12/1958-12/1962: role with documentation team checking regimental documents across GB; nature of personnel records and conduct sheets checked for irregularities. Period as staff sergeant with Ordnance Depot, RAOC, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 12/1962-1/1966: question of educational qualifications required and seniority as sergeant; flight out; married quarters; initial role supervising stocktaking; promotion to Warrant Officer II and role as chief clerk; enjoyment of posting; service education of children. Period with HQ, RAOC, Osnabruck, Germany, 1/1966-7/1969: role as ordnance warrant officer checking unit stores accounting; question of origins of errors discovered; detachment to Battle Group training exercise in Libya, 3/1969-5/1969, including moving stores to EL Adem airfield and write off of missing stores. Period at Command Ordnance Depot, RAOC, Dekelia, Cyprus, 7/1969-7/1972: administrative role; birth of children; Greek and Turkish Cypriot staff; enjoyment of posting. Period at Command Ordnance Depot, RAOC, Chilwell Camp, 7/1972-2/1973: lack of proper function in final months of service; married quarters. REEL 6 Continues: question of extension of service; leaving army, 2/1973. Post-service career: clerical and auditing work with British Steel; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; value of service experiences; membership of British Legion, Melton Mowbray, 1973-2008, including role in organisation of poppy appeal and question of problem of ageing membership.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Hart, Peter M (Recorder)
Pegrum, John (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2008
Dimensions: whole: Duration 180, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 31431

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