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Object description
British NCO served with 7th (Hood) Bn, 2nd (Royal Naval) Bde, Royal Naval Div at Belgium, 10/1914; served with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div on Western Front, 1916-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div at Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre, Somme, France, 13/11/1916: meeting Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard Freyburg; digging in in front of Beaucourt; standing patrol; incident of seaman stealing German mail and parcels. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div in Ypres Salient, Belgium, 10/1917-11/1917: reputation of Ypres Salient; muddy conditions; rum ration; problem with exposed flanks; Imperial German Army pillboxes. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div, Somme, France, 21/3/1918-26/3/1918: situation and rearguard actions; crossing Somme battlefields; state of morale; later reaction to news of French and American successes, 8/1918. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div at Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre, Somme, France, 13/11/1916: personal morale in jumping-off trenches and during attack across No Man's Land; officer casualties and question of competence of surviving officer. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div in Ypres Salient, Belgium, 10/1917-11/1917: danger of drowning in mud if wounded; isolated posts forming front line; German registration and constant shell fire on duckboard tracks; difficulties in organising relief; stories illustrating muddy conditions. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div, Somme, France, 21/3/1918-26/3/1918: signs of imminent German offensive and personal morale; German preliminary artillery bombardment; role organising stores and rear echelon personnel; situation; success in locating unit; sight of Belgian refugees; effects of German heavy howitzer fire; story of reaching jumping-off trench used on 13/11/1916 during retreat, 21/3/1918-26/3/1918; later reaction to arrival of American troops, 1918. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 2nd (Royal Naval) Bde, Royal Naval Division at Antwerp, Belgium, 10/1914: sight of Belgian refugees; reception from Belgian civilians on arrival; false alarm of German night attack; effects of German heavy howitzer fire; retreat through Antwerp and across pontoon bridge; reaction to sight of Belgian refugees; story of feeding baby during overnight rest in village. Aspects of operations as NCO with 7th (Hood) Bn, 189th Bde, 63rd (Royal Naval) Div, Somme, France, 21/3/1918-26/3/1918: situation and question of British shortage of manpower; state of morale; Imperial German Army preparations and effects of gas shells; unit reserve positions in Havrincourt Wood, Cambrai area, 20/3/1918.