Description
Object description
British driver and NCO served with 7/9th Royal Scots Regt (The Royal Regt), 155th Infantry Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB and France, 1940-1942; NCO served as cameraman with Army Film and Photographic Unit in GB, 1942-1944; served with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1917-1939: family; father's service as reconnaissance photographer with Royal Flying Corps during First World War; employment in father's photographic business; description of plate cameras; attitude to photography as profession; reason for wanting to be newsreel cameraman; interest in writing as career; first use of cine camera; description of Eumig exposure meter; attitude to danger; volunteering for Royal Air Force, 1939. Recollections of enlistment and training with 7/9th Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt) in GB, 1/1940-6/1940: description of making bed and accommodation in barn; attitude to military life and discipline; marriage.
REEL 2 Continues: issue of uniform and kit including Glengarry; visit to Newcastle upon Tyne and being mistaken for officer; basic training in Dumfries, transfer to Motor Transport Section and driving duties; religious beliefs; duties as driver for Major Ritchie; hearing William Joyce 'Lord Haw-Haw' broadcast mentioning battalion; morale; composition of battalion and relations with English recruits; move to Yeovil including relations with local civilians and drinking cider; battalion's attachment to 155th Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div; reaction to evacuation from Dunkirk, 5/1940. Aspects of operations as driver with 7/9th Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt), 155th Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in France, 6/1940: landing during Operation Aerial at Cherbourg, France, 6/1940; duties as officer's driver.
REEL 3 Continues: preparation of defences; daily routine and duties; disabling of Humber Snipe; incident of being attacked by German Air Force; destruction of Cherbourg Docks by Royal Engineers; return to GB and disembarkation at Southampton, 6/1940. Aspects of period as driver and NCO with 7/9th Bn Royal Scots (The Royal Regt), 155th Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942: move to Ipswich and sleeping in trenches; move to London; use of impressed civilian vehicles converted for use by Motor Transport Section; story of driving Austin van to Norfolk and air raid; sight of returning infantry from France; posting to Peterhead; promotion to lance-corporal; attitude to being seconded to Intelligence Section; story of divisional exercise and return to Motor Trainsport Section; duties as motorcycle instructor and driving Universal Carrier. Recollections of period as NCO with Army Film and Photographic Unit in GB, 1942-1944: background to joining unit in London, 1942; tests.
REEL 4 Continues: posting to Headquarters, Army Film and Photographic Unit at Pinewood Studios: informality of unit compared to regular army; opinion of Captain Leslie Evans and commanding officer Major Hugh Stewart; organisational structure of Army Film and Photographic Unit; opinion of accommodation and living conditions; question of division between still and cine camera cameramen; reason for choosing to train as cine cameraman.
REEL 5 Continues: comparison of Bell & Howell Eyemo 35mm Cine Camera and DeVry Standard 35mm Cine Camera; descripton of making carrying handle for camera; modification of cameras; relations with female personnel; use of Army Film and Photographic Unit personnel who had served in North Africa as instructors; opinion of Major Hugh Stewart and innovative ideas; opinion of German cameramen and equipment; question of using fake scenes.
REEL 6 Continues: formation of 'Chet's Circus' and attitude to use of reconstructions of battle scenes; question of developing combat camera; opinion of Vinton Model K 'Normandy' 35mm Cine Camera; structure of Army Film and Photographic Unit and role of various units. Recollections of operations as cameraman with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in North West Europe, 1944: filming German Army troops from church tower near River Meuse, Netherlands, 1944; description of Bell & Howell Eyemo 35mm Cine Camera; duties as frontline cameraman and relations with troops; benefit of wearing commando green beret; use of scout car.
REEL 7 Continues: use of Willys Jeep for transport; description of filming tanks in action; attitude to personal morale; filming during Operation Goodwood in Normandy, France, 18/7/1944-20/7/1944; access to map truck; problem of German booby traps; story of seeing own material held by Imperial War Museum, post-war; question of keeping dope sheets; smoking pipe during action; opinion of rations and living conditions; relations with tanks crews; opinion of Captain Leslie Evans; reaction to death of friend Sergeant Norman Clague in Normandy, 12/6/1944; attitude to being involved in operations.
REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of period as cameraman with Army Film and Photographic Unit in GB, 1942-1944: training at Headquarters, Pinewood Studios; question of working in pairs; writing stories and filming mock attacks and tactical exercises; close-ups of maps and watches; cutting in camera; amusing story of filming robbery at post office; question of gaining experience as cameraman; memories of other Army Film and Photographic Unit personnel; process for being selected to cover Normandy Landings, D-Day, 6/6/1944; role of Major Hugh Stewart in Army Film and Photographic Unit; drill training with Scots Guards at Chelsea Barracks and battle training with Irish Guards at Hobbs Barracks, Lingfield; promotion sergeant; pay.
REEL 9 Continues: end of training course at Pinewood Studios, 1943; recreational activities and social life; private showings of feature films; story of filming secret experimental tanks with 79th Armoured Div on Isle of Wight; 3/1944; amount of material intended for public release; question of restrictions on type of subjects to be filmed; assigned to No 1 Special Service Bde prior to Normandy Landings, 5/1944; introduced to Lord Lovat and receiving green beret; briefings on D-Day operations; story of American servicemen and question of security; weather conditions; incident of chaplain committing suicide; description of kit and camera equipment and problem of weight.
REEL 10 Continues: protection of film stock and camera; issued with .38 Webley Revolver; weight of equipment; embarkation at Southampton, 5/6/1944; amount of film stock taken; instruction to complete dope sheets; filming departing troops and ships; Recollections of operations as cameraman with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: voyage from Southampton, GB to Sword Beach, Normandy, 5/6/1944-6/6/1944; problem of smell of diesel fumes and seasickness; going out onto deck; issue of security pass signed by General Dwight D Eisenhower; description of filming fleet and aircraft with D-Day markings; instructions to keep both eyes open while filming; question of sound recording; disembarkation from landing craft with commandos of No 1 Special Service Bde on Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; scene on Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944.
REEL 11 Continues: method of reloading film; changing bags; attitude to using still camera; problem of winding up camera; mobility of cameramen and question of being captured; organisation of cameramen with advancing troops; leaving beach; reason for hostile reception from some French civilians; Lord Lovat blowing hunting horn and Piper Bill Millin playing bagpipes; staying with commandos until 7/6/1944; problem of running out of film; reason for cameraman George Laws returning to GB; casualties in Army Film and Photographic Unit.
REEL 12 Continues: meeting with Captain Leslie Evans and cameraman Sergeant Norman Clague; meeting with Major Hugh Stuart at headquaters; organisation of No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit; death of cameraman Sergeant Norman Clague, 12/6/1944; opinion of unit commander Captain Leslie Evans and question of disobeying orders; memories of other officers; unit personnel and duties; arrival of sound section.
REEL 13 Continues: transportation; attitude to Public Relations Section; memories of cameramen Sergeants George Laws and Peter Norris, Recollection of operations as cameraman with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in North West Europe, 9/1944-5/1945: allocation of various Army Film and Photographic Units; filming liberation of Antwerp, Belgium; attitude towards Germans and question of fraternisation; description of filming in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany, 17/4/1945.
REEL 14 Continues: attitude of local German civilians to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp; question of Army Film and Photographic Unit filming in concentration camps; details of post-war career as cameraman in war zones; opinion of German Army; advance through Germany and problem of civilian resistance; relations with German civilians; filming liberation of Copenhagen, Denmark, 5/1945.
REEL 15 Continues: return to base in Hamburg, Germany following end of Second World War, 5/1945; daily life and recreational activities; memories of cameraman Ian Struthers; involvement in black market activities; reason for turning down commission and prospect of serving in Far East; attitude to remaining in British Army; membership of Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) union, 1944.
REEL 16 Continues: demobilisation, 1945. Recollections of period as civilian film cameraman in GB, Sudan, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Tunsia, 1946-1967: obtaining employment as assistant cameraman with documentary film company Modern Age; description of work in Sudan; problem of storing film stock; wages and expenses; comments on J Arthur Rank; subjects of documentaries; living and working conditions in Sudan; accommodation; description of film made in Sudan; employment with Esso Film Unit and nature of work; attitude to working in studios on feature films.
REEL 17 Continues: story of working as focus puller on feature film; roles of other members of film crew; description of studio cameras; comparison of Newman Sinclair Autokine 35mm Cine Camera and Army Film and Photographic Unit cameras; reloading film; opinion of Arriflex cameras; employment as documentary cameraman in Greece for United States Government, 1953; relations with Greeks; story of joining Independent Television News (ITN) as news cameraman; expense account; changing to sound camera and nature of assignments; memories of various Independent Television News (ITN) reporters.
REEL 18 Continues: opinion of news reporters; role of cameraman in film crew; political beliefs; assignments in Cyprus, Egypt and Tunisia; description of sound camera; question of co-operating with other film crews; role of news stringers.
REEL 19 Continues: role of Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) union; developments in film technology; summary of career as freelance cameraman after leaving Independent Television News (ITN), 1962; story of filming death of Donald Campbell on Coniston Water, 1967; reflections on period of service with Army Film and Photographic Unit.