Description
Object description
British NCO served as photographer with No 1 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Middle East, North Africa and Italy, 1943-1944; officer served with Headquarters, Army Film and Photograph Unit at Pinewood Studios, GB, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB, 1915-1939: family; education; employment as photographer's assistant; work as photographer for Air Raid Precautions (ARP) training manuals; enlistment in British Army, 12/1939. Aspects of period as private with Royal Army Service Corps in GB, France and North Africa, 1940-1941: call-up 1/1940; basic training with Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders in Inverness; posting to Royal Army Service Corps at Westgate-on-Sea; clerical duties; move to France, 5/1940; evacuation from Brest, France, 6/1940; further training in GB; posting to Middle East, 9/1941; attached to 1st Armoured Div in Western Desert; communication duties and unorthodox nature of company. Aspects of operations as NCO photographer with No 1 Army Film and Photographic Unit in North Africa and Middle East, 1942-1943: background transfer to Army Film and Photographic Unit in Cairo, Egypt; initial impressions of discipline and informality; opinion of Super Ikonta Camera; nature of assignments; move to Palestine; training in desert conditions; duties as photographer during map survey of Transjordan; liaison with local Arabs; photographing Arab Legion; preparations for Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942; choice of subjects; liaison with intelligence officers and commanding officers.
REEL 2 Continues: rank held; story of photographing General Bernard Montgomery; relations between Army Film and Photographic Unit and senior officers; reason for not wearing rank insignia; description of photographing operations during battle of El Alamein, 10/1942; problem of photographing opening artillery barrage at night; move forward with troops; film speeds and lenses; attitude to use of reconstructions and opinion of 'Chets Circus'; limitations of still camera; collaboration with cine-cameraman; daily routine and duties; rations; dope sheets; method of returning film.
REEL 3 Continues: supplies of film stock; duties of sections officer; opinion of Captain Geoffrey Keating and Major David MacDonald; leave in Cairo, Egypt; photographing training of 4th Parachute Bde in Palestine, 1943. Aspects of period as NCO with No 1 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: photographing operations during invasion of Sicily, 7/1943; panorama shots and use of tripod; attitude to publication of photographs; qualities of a good photograph; time taken to reload Super Ikonta; type of film stock including Kodak Super XX; use of exposure meters; aperture settings; supplies of film stock; number of usable photographs per reel; contracting malaria.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO photographer with No 1 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Italy, 1944: posting to Salerno, 1944; journey to Naples and coverage of liberation; attachment to United States Army; comparison of living conditions for British and American cameramen; question of authenticity of photographs published in Illustrated London News; story of restaging surrender of Germans to photograph; contracting jaundice. Aspects of period with Headquarters, Army Film and Photographic Unit at Pinewood Studios in GB, 1945: posting to Pinewood Studio, 1/1945; role in training new recruits in basics of photography; attitude to acceptable level of risk for photographers.
REEL 5 Continues: commissioning as officer; duties with No 3 Public Relations Unit; types of subjects covered; photographing Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; duties as conducting officer; demobilisation, 3/1946; post-war life and employment as commercial photographer.