Description
Object description
Ts transcription (45pp, 1998) of his memoir (written June 1951), recording his experiences while serving as a Bomb Disposal Section Officer with the Royal Engineers (June 1940 - December 1941), including receiving a direct emergency commission and serving at the Regimental Depot in Kitchener Barracks, Chatham (June 1940) and completing a five day course in Bomb Disposal at the RAF Armament School at Manby, Lincolnshire (June 1940); establishing and commanding No 93 Bomb Disposal Section and No 94 Bomb Disposal Section (No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE) based respectively at Ayr and Hamilton in Scotland (June 1940 - September 1940), Beckenham in Kent (September 1940 - November 1940) during the Battle of Britain, Knockholt in Kent working on bombs around Biggin Hill aerodrome (November 1940 - March 1941), and in Balham (March 1941 - December 1941) as part of Group 8 of the London Defence Zone; and his transfer from UXB duties to Works Services RE (December 1941) and medical downgrading (he joined SOE in September 1943); commenting on his training; army red tape; the low pay; the Civil Defence Organisation; the destruction caused by the Blitz; his off-duty entertainment; his duties; the development and techniques of bomb disposal; dealing with German booby traps; the shortages of special bomb disposal equipment; the character and morale of his National Service NCOs and men; dealing with anxiety neurosis; his attitude towards his dangerous task; various incidents and narrow escapes when dealing with UXBs, notably at the Explosives Factory at Ardeer and at Prestwick Aerodrome in Scotland, the Beckenham Electricity Works, Abbey Road in Erith, Elmers End Cemetery, and Almond Grove, Rye Lane and the Gordon Road Institution in Peckham; and mentioning Captain M F Blaney GC and Lord Suffolk. Also included are photocopies of 10 photographs (7pp) of himself in uniform, the officers of No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE, No 94 Bomb Disposal Section (No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE) at Knockholt in Kent in February 1941, defusing bombs at Downe, Kent in November 1940; a cartoon of the 'Do's and Dont's for Bomb Disposal' (1p, undated); an 'Appendix to Proc. No. 10,372 on German Bomb Details' (2pp, January 1941); 'Details of German (Rheinmetal) electric fuzes' (2pp, September 1940); and a cartoon of 'After Dinner Fred showed Everyone the Unexploded Bomb' (1p, undated).
Content description
Ts transcription (45pp, 1998) of his memoir (written June 1951), recording his experiences while serving as a Bomb Disposal Section Officer with the Royal Engineers (June 1940 - December 1941), including receiving a direct emergency commission and serving at the Regimental Depot in Kitchener Barracks, Chatham (June 1940) and completing a five day course in Bomb Disposal at the RAF Armament School at Manby, Lincolnshire (June 1940); establishing and commanding No 93 Bomb Disposal Section and No 94 Bomb Disposal Section (No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE) based respectively at Ayr and Hamilton in Scotland (June 1940 - September 1940), Beckenham in Kent (September 1940 - November 1940) during the Battle of Britain, Knockholt in Kent working on bombs around Biggin Hill aerodrome (November 1940 - March 1941), and in Balham (March 1941 - December 1941) as part of Group 8 of the London Defence Zone; and his transfer from UXB duties to Works Services RE (December 1941) and medical downgrading (he joined SOE in September 1943); commenting on his training; army red tape; the low pay; the Civil Defence Organisation; the destruction caused by the Blitz; his off-duty entertainment; his duties; the development and techniques of bomb disposal; dealing with German booby traps; the shortages of special bomb disposal equipment; the character and morale of his National Service NCOs and men; dealing with anxiety neurosis; his attitude towards his dangerous task; various incidents and narrow escapes when dealing with UXBs, notably at the Explosives Factory at Ardeer and at Prestwick Aerodrome in Scotland, the Beckenham Electricity Works, Abbey Road in Erith, Elmers End Cemetery, and Almond Grove, Rye Lane and the Gordon Road Institution in Peckham; and mentioning Captain M F Blaney GC and Lord Suffolk. Also included are photocopies of 10 photographs (7pp) of himself in uniform, the officers of No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE, No 94 Bomb Disposal Section (No 2 Bomb Disposal Company RE) at Knockholt in Kent in February 1941, defusing bombs at Downe, Kent in November 1940; a cartoon of the 'Do's and Dont's for Bomb Disposal' (1p, undated); an 'Appendix to Proc. No. 10,372 on German Bomb Details' (2pp, January 1941); 'Details of German (Rheinmetal) electric fuzes' (2pp, September 1940); and a cartoon of 'After Dinner Fred showed Everyone the Unexploded Bomb' (1p, undated).
History note
Cataloguer SNR
History note
Catalogue date 2002-09-23