Description
Object description
British civilian in Canning Town, London and Barking, GB, 1939-1942; served as trooper with 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, 79th Armoured Div in GB and France, 1943-1944; served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Egypt, 1945-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Canning Town, London and Barking, GB, 1924-1939: family; education; memories of Mahatma Gandhi and Charlie Chaplin meeting in Beckton Road, Canning Town; sight of Blackshirts of British Union of Fascists in Canning Town; issue of gas masks; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; false air raid alarm, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as civilian in London, GB, 1940-1942: first German Air Force bombing raid on Whitechapel, 9/1940; fire-watching duties; failure to get into work after night of German Air Force raids, 12/1940; membership of 12th (Barking and Ilford) Bn City of London Home Guard, 1940-1942 including training; question of how prepared for invasion unit was, crude metal tubes attached to bayonets which would have been distributed to civilians on German invasion and woman who put pepper in bellows ready for potential German invaders; danger of falling shrapnel from anti-aircraft guns; narrow escape from German Air Force land mine; story illustrating nature of chance during German Air Force bombing campaign; incident of seaman drowned in Anderson Shelter by water from bombed reservoir; dislike for whale and horse meat; reads own poem 'Sons of England' written in whilst serving in Home Guard, 1942; removal of signposts in wartime GB; story of how father was strafed by German Air Force aircraft.
REEL 2 Continues: how German Air Force aerial mine killed employer who wanted to give him a job; narrow escape from falling bomb in Beacontree Avenue, Dagenham; how sister suffered shock from incident; how terrier dog gave early warning of raids; distinctive sound of German V1 Flying Bomb and their changing direction; lack of effect of German V2 Rockets on public morale; cheering of civilians when German Air Force pilots forced to bail out; protection of German Air Force pilots by Home Guard; rumour of German Air Force pilot manhandled by civilians; story of mother buying stockings from black marketeer who wanted coupons; keenness to join armed services. Aspects of period of training with British Army in GB, 1943: call-up for military service; story of turning down offer of officer training; dislike of manners shown by troops in Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAFFI). Recollection of period as trooper with 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, 79th Armoured Div in GB, 1943-1944: story of how he was told by commanding officer that as an Englishman he was unwelcome in unit; how he fitted into unit; transfer of unit into 79th Armoured Div; allocation of M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank to unit.
REEL 3 Continues: incident when his M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank ripped up fence at Sandringham; story of Major-General Percy Hobart's evasion of his question about possible German counter-measures against M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank; pre-D-Day address by General Bernard Montgomery; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery; vulnerability of M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank; interior of M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank; role and communications of gunner and crew in M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank; disappointment of not going over to Normandy, France on D-Day, 6/6/1944; morale effect of V sign call signal; cost of training M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank crews. Recollection of operations as trooper with 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, 79th Armoured Div in Normandy, France, 13/7/1944-19/7/1944: landing in Normandy, 13/7/1944; attitude of troops towards junior officer straight from Royal Military College Sandhurst; briefing, 17/7/1944; reaction to being told his tank would lead advance, 17/7/1944; nature of attack at Touffrèville, 18/7/1944; youth of German Army troops surrendering; sight of two German Army soldiers tied to anti-tank gun.
REEL 4 Continues: how tank was hit by German artillery fire; extrication of M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank from minefield; German multi-barrelled mortar attack on tank and wounding in legs; journey to first aid post; contract gas gangrene in leg wound; state of surgeon who carrying out operation; removal to GB, 19/7/1944. Aspects of period of hospitalisation and rehabilitation, GB, 1944: attitude of civilians towards wounded in Newcastle upon Tyne, 7/1944; march of patients in Preston Hospital to Preston Town Hall to protest about conditions; beer drinking episode night prior to second medical operation; volunteering for Parachute Regiment and how letter from step father led to withdrawal of application, 1944. Aspects of period as private with Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Cairo, Egypt, 1945-1947: discovery of orders that members of 79th Armoured Div were prohibited to transferring to other units; relations with German prisoners of war in Egypt; reaction to service, 1947; demobilisation and return to civilian life, 4/1947.
REEL 5 Continues: Reflections on military service in Second World War: story of work colleague of father who fainted with shock on hearing news of boyfriend being killed in action; story of man who deserted from British Army and shot himself to prevent re-capture; attitude to participation in Second World War; attitude to military service; aspects of post-war experiences; sense of bereavement over loss of comrades. Recollection of period as civilian in London, GB, 1939-1942: use of London Underground system as shelters; high morale during German Air Force bombing campaign; maintaining order and discipline in shelters; restaurants organised by authorities; ways around sweet rationing; drinking out of jam jars instead of beer glasses; enforcement of blackout; how trains kept running through German Air Force raids; lack of looting of bombed houses; story of how he got nickname 'Honest Ron'.
REEL 6 Continues: personal code he had with brother to keep family informed of which country he was serving in; sadness of how public turned against Gracie Fields for marrying an Italian citizen; listening to William Joyce 'Lord Haw Haw' and question of how seriously he was listened to; question of British Government holding back information. Reflections on military service: entry in Lothians and Border Horse regimental history referring to experiences, near Touffrèville, Normandy, France, 18/7/1944; story of soldier in Egypt whose personal life was disrupted by war; fight in Globe Nightclub, Cairo, Egypt, 1945.