02 THOMAS BURGESS summary

DVCPro Tape 01 of 04 – VHS Tape 01 of 01                            01:00:34 – 01:59:22
 
Early life
Father was out of work from 1932 to 1938. He sold rugs and carpets. There was real hunger in Britain at the time. He was born in Bart's Hospital, September 4th, 1920, and lived at 4 Stewards Place, Clerkenwell Green.
 
Apprentice
When he was 15, he was apprenticed to a process engraving company.
 
Home life
Very happy - mum and dad loved one another. He was a little afraid of his father but he loved him. His mother did her best for the family but there was not a lot of money. They did not starve. He had six sisters and one brother. The brother was the youngest, three years younger than interviewee.
 
Sense of community
People trusted on another. Everyone helped one another, door keys are kept hanging on a piece of string in the porch. It a poorer time, but a happier time then than it is now.
 
School
St Ethel Regis School in Ealey Place, Holborn. 
 
Boxing and running
His father thought he'd get out of the ghetto if there was a world champion boxer in the family. Boxed at the Albert Hall with the London Boys' Federation Boys Clubs. Once had three fights in one day at the Albert Hall Prince of Wales. Prince Albert handed out the prizes. Ran round Regent's Park for training,
 
Mary Ward's
A charity set up to occupy the poor and to show them what tennis was, what running was. He used to row with Mary Ward's.
 
More on brothers and sisters
Had two sisters worked at Conway Stewards where they made pens. Eldest sister was named Liz. She married and they opened up a business in Aldershot, she changed her name to Caplin, The next one was Polly who liked snuff. Katie married a guy that was out of work. She had three jobs, because he was out of work. She used to have cleaning jobs and she used to push a pram for half a crown. She washed his shirts and ironed them. Nelly got killed during the war. Eileen, very frail and thin.
 
Family Home
Clerkenwell Green in Steward's Place. Cottages originally for the stewards of the court for Sessions House. Interviewee and brother slept in dad's and mum's bed.
 
Apprenticeship
Father paid £25 quid, to indenture him to engraving. Five years apprenticeship and two years improvemanship. They made blocks for magazines, newspapers, in zinc and copper.
 
Childhood Health
He got concussion when he was 7, in a go-cart accident. Went to Bart's Hospital and stayed overnight.
 
Petty Crime
Stole fruit from Covent Garden by riding fruit lorries and tying string around their jerseys and filling them with fruit. Used to stuff rags in telephone boxes to stop the change coming out and then collect it at the end of the day. Once caught by a policeman who hit him with his heavy rolled up cape.
 
Relationship with police
Police were part of the community but regarded with special respect. A policeman was invited to his sister Winnie's wedding. Police would punish many petty offences on the spot rather than use justice system.
 
Childhood memory of people with mental health problems
Old soldier called Mad Ernie traumatised by WW1 - only person with mental health problems he can remember. Ernie is loved by community.
 
More on apprenticeship
Made blocks. The journeymen didn't like to give away too much as they were scared for their jobs so mainly he got tea and sandwiches for the other workers.
 
Joining the services
Tries to join the Navy at the embankment a ship called the President but is too tall. Joins the Territorial Army. About 3 months later in 1939 they called the Territorials up and he went to Margaret's Bay near Dover. He is keen to join, as country is in trouble. Everyone from his street joined up.
 
First army duties
Dunkirk, digging holes, making gun emplacements and things like that for Lewis guns protecting pylons.
 
Describes different types of gun
Worked with Lewis guns and the bigger Botthus guns. He was in the reserve 44th anti-aircraft unit, for the 51st island division a Scottish unit. Stationed at Rouen.
 
Describes the phoney war of early 1939
Believes that the French police helped Hitler in various covert ways, for example, guiding German bomber by showing lights or setting haystacks on fire. Describes chaos in France, including French refugees.
 
Under fire
Because of refugees, the convey is too close together. It is bombed by 3 planes. The gun falls over and the driver's arm is blown off and he later dies. He runs off into a hedgerow and up a hill. Comes back and helps to put the gun upright. He is later told that this is the first trauma that leads to later problems.
 
Retreat from France
Royal Engineers repair the gun and they are told to move back. The rest of his unit dead, or captured. Some men are from the same street. As they retreat unknown snipers fire them on. Making for Nantes, but mis-directed by French Police, and landed at a seaside place called Le Sabler du Long. Reach Nantes and rounded up by the French Police and told to leave as Nantes fears being bombed.
 
 


DVCPro Tape 02 of 04 - VHS Tape 01 of 01                            02:02:28 – 03:00:09
 
Arrival in Liverpool
Eventually taken to Liverpool on ship called the Georgic. The other ship in convoy is blown up. Welcomed by people and given little boxes filled with chocolate, bananas, and sandwiches. Goes to Salford to army camp.
 
Desertion from the army
Hitches a ride to London on a lorry. Returns home, family very emotional as they had had a letter saying he was killed in action. Slept for three days. Decides to leave army and spends three months on the run. He is court martialled near Newcastle. Gets 212 days for absence without leave and is locked up not far from Newcastle, Sowerby Bridge.

Release and re-stationed
After three months case is reviewed and he agrees to serve defending fisherman in Hull from being attacked by aircraft and motor torpedo boats.

Bombing in London
Hears that Lady Owen's - where his family are staying - in catacombs under the school, has been bombed. His sister Eileen is crippled. He eventually finds his sister Nellie dead. The rest of the family is unhurt.
 
Serves in Italy
In a special unit that was made up of all sorts of people attacked and took Sicily. On a ship near a place called Syracuse near Mount Etna, waiting for it to be safe enough to go into Italy.
 
Poison gas accident
Takes some leave to visit friends stationed in Bari. Witnessed horrific scenes. A British ship carrying poison gas is hit. People jumping to safety die in the water from the gas. His job is to collect the bodies from the water. Thinks this was next reason for later trauma.
 
More about the war
Served on boats in Canada, America, South America and was on the convoy that relieved Malta. Kills two Germans with a machine gun to stop them planting limpet mines.
 
Injured
In Ancona, in Italy near Brindisi on anti-sabotage watch when a plane came down and dropped an aerial torpedo and got hit. Is briefly in hospital in Brindisi then is returned to England on a ship called the Ocean Vigor.
 
Sent to Banstead psychiatric hospital
Transported by a locked army ambulance to Banstead.
 
Padded Cell
Wakes up in a padded cell. He is unable to care for his basic bodily needs. Starts to use a potty and eventually is allowed out of the cell.
 
Detail about Banstead Hospital
Kept in Military huts put together to resemble hospital ward. About 20 other men all from the services. Felt that the staff were suspicious that everyone was faking it. A visit from his father who cries to see him prompts him to start caring for himself better. The better he looks after himself, the more privileges he gets.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 03 of 04 - VHS Tape 01 of 01                            03:00:09 – 04:02:23
 
Detail about Banstead Hospital (continued)
He gets beaten up by two nurses for tearing up army pay packet and put back into a padded cell. He is very suspicious about having a blood test for venereal disease but eventually agrees.  Also seen by a dentist. He is given pills, which he thought were Benzedrine. Describes the lovely cricket pitch at Banstead. Describes how he and another patient were taken through a chronic ward in the main part of the hospital. He realised later that this was done as a warning of what might happen to him if he did not recover.
 
The Olympia demobilisation centre
Eventually he is taken to the above where he is kitted out in civilian clothes and shoes. He is discharged by a doctor who warns him that he could be put back in the hospital as a civilian.
 
Attitudes of the army to mental health problems
Feels "medicine and duty" is all the army cares about. Would like to have been treated with respect. They were what the army told them to be. If they can walk, they're fit. Talks about patients teasing more vulnerable ones and doctor tells him not worry about it. Talks about the impossibility of complaining. Only saw a doctor about four times. The Army felt patients were an embarrassment.

Returns to London
When he got back to London, he rented a room in the attic from his sister Winnie in Kingston road. Experiencing terrible sweats, which he is too scared to tell anyone about. He has a panic attack in a phone box and smashes it up and is arrested. Taken to Kings Cross Road Police Station. Is taken to court but court accepts need for treatment rather than punishment
 
Employed by Evening Standard
Gets a letter from the Evening Standard who employ him, after reading the court rep because of quota system for employing disabled service men. Does some tests and is employed as a casual worker. Is employed permanently to stick artist's signatures on to cartoons. Evening Standard is very sympathetic. They keep his circumstances confidential.
 
More mental health problems
Goes missing for four months. Does not really know what he did. He is picked up and cleaned up in Birmingham by the Salvation Army and sent back to London. He is shocked that the Evening Standard paid him for the all the time he was away. He tries to give the money back but they refuse and grant him three weeks holiday.
 
Treatment at Bart's
The Evening Standard personnel suggest he gets treatment at Bart's Hospital. At Bart's, he is not responding to treatment, so he is offered and agrees to have electric shock treatment. He is given it as an outpatient. While having treatment a dog's bone is placed in his mouth. He is still taking Benzedrine.
 

DVCPro Tape 04 of 04 – VHS 01 of 01                          04:00:32 – 05:04:20
 
Treatment at Bart's (continued)
Goes back to work a week after having three electric shocks. He is sure that the shocks help. He disappears for a few days after the treatments. He finds himself in Winchester without knowing how he got there.

Life in the present
Talks a bit about his life now. Goes on his bike with some sandwiches to Victoria Park and spends the day there. He does the gardening in the gardens of the flats were he now lives.
 
More on printing work
Settles in very well at the Evening Standard. They are very good employers, paying well and giving lots of overtime pay. They also sent him to the London School of Printing two days a week and two nights to learn airbrush techniques.

Straitjacket
After being beaten up by the nurses at Banstead, he was put in the padded cell in a straitjacket. The jacket was made of white army webbing and very strong with buckles at the back. His legs were free but he could not go to the toilet unassisted.
 
Retirement
Retires from Evening Standard at 64. Lives in flat with common law wife, a journalist and an invalid with diabetes. Talks about how he is quite well off with a pension and a lump sum £24000. As she is quite unwell, he decides to go on a cruise on a Russian ship called the Leonard Bresnev. As an expensive suite is going to be empty it is offered to them. He is amazed at the luxury. The trip costs £1000 each and they also spend £2000 on the boat including at the casino. She dies in his arms when they get back to England.
 
Applies for an army pension
Talks about how he got help to apply for an army pension. His ears bleed from one of the explosions in the war. This is taken as a sign of damage to ears by the War Pension Welfare Service Pensions Agency in Euston.  He is examined by three doctors in Norcross, an agency for war pensioners in Blackpool. Is charmed by one of the doctors with whom he discussed fishing and travel. He gets a lump sum of £6000 and weekly payments of £80.
 
Combat Stress
He is a member of an organisation for war veterans called Combat Stress. They have a place called Tyrwhitt House in Leatherhead, which provides respite to former soldiers. They can attend up to six weeks per year. He really enjoys the comforts of the place. He does not always take up all the weeks. This year he did not because of gardening commitments. He has made a lot of friends through Combat Stress as they all have things in common. He is supportive to members who are not feeling so good. Lots of activities are available including some oil painting, turning a lathe and making baskets. There are lovely walks in the surrounding countryside. Sometimes he would get lost and get a minicab back. Also goes to Queen Mother's Farm for Disabled men and Women in Ayrshire - called Hollybush House - where there is very good fishing. In Tyrwhitt House it is possible to see a psychiatrist if you wish.
 
How he spends time now
With friend he has met at Tyrwhitt House. He has friends to stay and he goes to visit them. He does not want other people in the flats to know about his problems as he thinks they would act differently towards him.
 

Peace protests
He shows off his coat with 'May God forgive you, Clinton, murderer" on the back. He protests outside the American Embassy and Whitehall during recent conflicts.
 
 
End of DVCPro Tape 04 of 04 – End of VHS 01 of 01                                               05:04:20
 
 
INTERVIEW ENDS