Description
Object description
British officer served with 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own), 9th Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1939-1941
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB and Switzerland, 1917-1939: family; education in Switzerland. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own), 9th Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 1939-1940: background to posting to unit in Sudan; initial impressions of Sudan; first Italian Air Force raid; close pre-war co-operation between Duke of Aosta and Governor of Sudan; training on Ethiopian frontier. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own), 9th Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1940-1941: character of daylight raid on Italian outpost; capture of antiquated Italian equipment; Italian grenades; reasons for not capturing prisoners of war during raid on outpost; forced march to Keren; air support received from 237 (Rhodesian) Sqdn, RAF; animal life; mountain training at Sabderat; terrain in Eritrea.
REEL 2 Continues: signals training; Italian harassing fire during 'O' group at Keren; start of attack at Keren; attempt to capture 'The Pimple'; scaling slope of Fort Dologorodoc; mortaring of Italian machine gun nest; accidental shelling of battalion; charge to capture Fort Dologorodoc; capture of large sum of Italian money; layout of Fort Dologorodoc; defence of Fort Dologorodoc from Italian counter-attack; message undertaken for Italian officer prisoner of war; capture of large numbers of Italians at Ad Taclesan.
REEL 3 Continues: shooting of anti-tank rifleman by sniper; behaviour of occupying troops in Asmara; relations between Italians and Eritreans; reception by civilians in Asmara; lack of mail during campaign; lack of bathing water; physical fitness of troops and morale; effect of presence of General Archibald Wavell; relations between British and Indian troops; Italian use of tanks during campaign.