GULLICK, John Michael
The Public Service,
Accession Number 002379
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 9
Total Reels
- Lyn E. Smith (Imperial War Museum)
Interviewer
- 04:29:46
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:29:57
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:10) Family background.
(0:01:27) Studied at Taunton School, then Christ's College, Cambridge.
(0:03:54) Entered Colonial Service, which was deemed to be a secure career back then.
(0:05:35) One-year cadet experience at First Devonshire Regiment.
(0:07:38) Recruitment system of the Colonial Service.
(0:09:29) Anecdote of his experience in the recruitment system.
(0:12:26) First posting as aide-de-camp to Governor of Uganda.
(0:14:26) Released into 2nd/4th King's Own African Rifles in 1940.
(0:17:53) Operations west of Lake Rudolf mainly against Ethiopian tribesmen.
(0:21:47) Socio-economic situation in Uganda, 1939-1940.
(0:23:03) Anecdote of his experiences as the Third Assistant District Commissioner of the Teso area.
(0:23:42) Description of safari work.
(0:27:17) Encouraged Africans to be more selective in breeding cattle.
Family background. Studied at Taunton School, then Christ's College, Cambridge. Entry into Colonial Service. One-year cadet experience at First Devonshire Regiment. Recruitment system of Colonial Service. Anecdote of his experience in recruitment system. First posting as aide-de-camp to Governor of Uganda. Released into 2nd/4th King's Own African Rifles in 1940. Operations west of Lake Rudolf mainly against Ethiopian tribesmen. Socio-economic situation in Uganda, 1939-1940. Anecdote of his experiences as Third Assistant District Commissioner of Teso area. Description of safari work.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:28:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:04) Transferred to Occupied Enemy Territory Administration.
(0:04:06) Joined amphibious force, which captured Diego Suarez in northern Madagascar in May 1942.
(0:07:55) Anecdote on how they seized Diego Suarez.
(0:12:52) Identifying key installations and taking control of them.
(0:14:33) Problems of working with the French. Joined a later amphibious force that took Majunga in September 1942.
(0:18:07) How Free French took over Madagascar.
(0:21:43) His participation in landings at the Comoro Islands.
(0:23:05) How troublemakers at the Comoro Islands were dealt with once landings had occurred.
(0:24:49) Description of the islands.
(0:27:13) Posted to Civil Affairs (Military Government) Training Centre at Cairo in 1943.
Transferred to Occupied Enemy Territory Administration. Joined amphibious force which captured Diego Suarez in northern Madagascar in May 1942. Identifying key installations and taking control of them. Problems of working with French. Joined a later amphibious force that took Majunga in September 1942. How Free French took over Madagascar. His participation in landings at Comoro Islands. How troublemakers at Comoro Islands were dealt with once landings had occurred. Description of islands. Posted to Civil Affairs (Military Government) Training Centre at Cairo in 1943.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:29:47
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:05) Lifestyle and service in Civil Affairs (Military Government) Training Centre at Cairo between 1943 and 1944.
(0:02:44) Impression of open-air concert.
(0:05:40) Involvement as an Instructor for those to be sent to the Balkans.
(0:09:40) Moved to Southeast Asia Command (SEAC) Headquarters in New Delhi.
(0:11:16) Description of life and work at SEAC.
(0:14:46) Liaison with the Burmese government-in-exile.
(0:17:39) Anecdotes about his one-month experience at Chittagong.
(0:19:50) Rumours that even the Japanese feared West African soldiers.
(0:22:15) Went for home posting in London in mid-1944. D-day landings had just begun.
(0:24:38) His family during the war.
Lifestyle and service in Civil Affairs (Military Government) Training Centre at Cairo between 1943 and 1944. Impression of open-air concert. Involvement as Instructor for those to be sent to the Balkans. Moved to Southeast Asia Command (SEAC) Headquarters in New Delhi. Description of life and work at SEAC. Liaison with Burmese government-in-exile. Anecdotes about his one-month experience at Chittagong. Heard of Japanese fear of West African soldiers. Went for home posting in London in mid-1944. His family during war.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:29:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:03) Posted to the civil affairs training centre in Wimbledon.
(0:02:49) Role as a training instructor of officers for military government work in Germany.
(0:05:14) Attitudes towards the occupation of Germany.
(0:10:04) How he met and courted his wife.
(0:13:53) Role of the Malayan Planning Unit (MPU). The reason he was told to work in Malaya.
(0:16:57) Forming of sub-units of 12 officers and description of their training.
(0:19:05) Landings on the west coast of Malaya took place in September 1945.
(0:20:51) Impression that landings were badly planned.
(0:23:47) He landed at the wrong place.
(0:25:45) Lived on American rations. Excellent food which included steak, kidney pudding and clam chowder.
(0:26:41) Impression of villagers he met.
(0:27:47) Interviewee's party of three officers.
Role as training instructor of officers for military government work in Germany. Attitudes towards occupation of Germany. How he met and courted his wife. Role of Malayan Planning Unit (MPU). Why he was told to work in Malaya. Forming of sub-units of 12 officers and description of their training. Landings on west coast of Malaya took place in September 1945. Impression that landings were badly planned. Interviewee landed at wrong place. Lived on American rations. Impression of villagers he met. Interviewee's party of three officers.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:58
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:07) Initial impressions of Malaya. The land of perpetual summer afternoon.
(0:03:53) Impressions of Japanese military personnel. They were hissed and booed as they marched out of surrender.
(0:06:15) Priority job of promulgating the British Military Administration (BMA) in Malaya.
(0:09:21) General situation in Malaya.
(0:10:30) Contacts with Force 136 and the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).
(0:14:38) Anecdote of how an employee saved field surveyors' notebooks of the Survey Department.
(0:16:39) Breakdown of law and order in Negri Sembilan.
(0:19:12) Impressions of MPAJA. It was exclusively a Chinese force.
(0:21:37) Antagonism between Malays and Chinese. In November 1945, things reached a crisis level.
(0:23:59) Organisation of "Peace Committees" as the District Officer of Seremban.
(0:26:40) Re-training of Malay policemen.
(0:28:35) Reasons why he felt that the BMA was unfairly blamed for looting and corruption in Malaya.
Initial impressions of Malaya. Impressions of Japanese military personnel. Priority job of promulgating British Military Administration (BMA) in Malaya. General situation in Malaya. Contacts with Force 136 and Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). Anecdote of how field surveyors' notebooks of Survey Department were saved by an employee. Breakdown of law and order in Negri Sembilan. Impressions of MPAJA. Antagonism between Malays and Chinese. Organisation of "Peace Committees" as District Officer of Seremban. Re-training of Malay policemen. Reasons why he felt that BMA was unfairly blamed for looting and corruption in Malaya.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Jun 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:39
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:04) Life of prisoners-of-war during the Japanese Occupation. Quite a lot die from malnutrition.
(0:03:53) Their rehabilitation and recuperation in Britain and return to Malaya.
(0:06:08) Sir Harold MacMichael bullied Malay Sultans to accept Malayan Union documents. (0:11:12) Reluctance of the ruling chief in Negri Sembilan to do so and Sir Harold's response.
(0:13:16) Reasons why the British Government retreated on the Malayan Union.
(0:15:13) Origins of Malayan Emergency. The Japanese Occupation also fuelled the Emergency by inciting anti-British sentiments.
(0:17:45) Terrorist methods of Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and their dependence on Chinese squatters.
(0:19:17) Creation of "New Villages".
(0:21:07) Details of Sir Henry Gurney’s assassination.
(0:24:23) The assassination of Sir Henry Gurney did not affect his work.
(0:29:41) Formation and role of United Kingdom Police Mission.
Life of prisoners-of-war during Japanese Occupation. Their rehabilitation and recuperation in Britain and return to Malaya. Sir Harold MacMichael bullied Malay Sultans to accept Malayan Union documents. Reluctance of ruling chief in Negri Sembilan to do so and Sir Harold's response. Reasons why British Government retreated on Malayan Union. Origins of Malayan Emergency. Terrorist methods of Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and their dependence on Chinese squatters. Creation of "New Villages". Details of Sir Henry Guerney's assassination. Formation and role of United Kingdom Police Mission.
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