Colonel Anthony Thomas Hall OBE (Rtd) as Officer Commanding 126th Transport Platoon Royal Australian Army Service Corps (RAASC), Malaya 1955-1956, interviewed by Colonel David Chinn MBE (Rtd)

Accession Number S02868
Collection type Sound
Measurement 1 hr 59 min
Object type Oral history
Physical description 1/4 inch sound tape reel; EMTEC SM 468; 7 1/2 ips/19 cm.s; stereo; 10 inch NAB
Maker Hall, Anthony Thomas
Australian War Memorial
Brassell, Bill
Chinn, David Alexander
Date made 20 March 2003
Access Open
Conflict Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960
Copyright

Item copyright: Status to be assessed

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Description

Hall speaks of his training on graduation from Duntroon, for infantry service in Korea; reversion to an RAASC posting to raise a transport platoon for service in the British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve (BCFESR) in Malaya; the organisation, equipment and vehicles of his transport platoon as well as its training for service integrated into a British Army unit; the transit through embarkation in Sydney to disembarkation in Penang and to the 3rd Company Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) base in Ipoh; the camp accommodation; reflections on British officers and soldiers, routine and administration; the shortcomings in administration and logistics experienced by his platoon and the failure of more senior Australian officers to take up these shortcomings with the Headquarters Australian Army Force in Singapore; his sporting activities, the presence of the small group of Australian families and local leave; the duration of single and married personnel postings to Malaya; operations and related incidents;
his learning to fly with the Perak Flying Club at Ipoh and participation in the Rallying Car Club at Ipoh; platoon health, hygiene and off-duty activities; his experience of a riot in Singapore during his transit en route to reposting in Australia; the lack of stress or strain in his experience of commanding his platoon; his general observations and reflections of his service in Malaya.