Description
Object description
Wordprocessed memoir (70pp), written ca 1998, covering his service as an officer with the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (4th Division) in Algeria and Tunisia (March - July 1943), Italy (February - November 1944) and Greece (early 1945 - January 1946), beginning with his enlistment into the cavalry as a trooper and training with the 6th Cavalry Training Regiment at Shorncliffe, Folkestone (November 1939 - April 1940), his admission to the OCTU Sandhurst (ca April 1940) and posting as 2nd Lieutenant to the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers at Newbury (December 1940) and subsequent training exercises in the south of England (spring 1941), his promotion to Lieutenant and further training in Scotland (June 1942), appointments as Battalion Intelligence Officer (August 1942) and Adjutant (December 1942) prior to embarkation for Algiers to reinforce the British 1st Army, his experience in action at 'Peters Corner' and Cap Bon (April - May 1943), combined operations training with the Royal Navy in Egypt (January - February 1944), attachment to the American 5th Army in Italy with action at Cerasola and Cefalco (February 1944), Cassino (April - May 1944), Lake Trasimeno (June 1944) and Forli (November 1944), his promotion to Major (May 1944) and posting to Greece, most notably at Preveza (where he celebrated VE Day) until his demobilisation in January 1946, with excellent details of battles, in particular Cassino and Forli (for which he was awarded the Military Cross), good descriptions of being seriously wounded at Lake Trasimeno (June 1944) and interesting comments on the impact of long-term action on a soldier; together with photocopies of two letters (4pp, June 1944) from his wife which he had in his breast pocket when he was wounded, and which were apparently damaged by the bullet passing through them.
Content description
Wordprocessed memoir (70pp), written ca 1998, covering his service as an officer with the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (4th Division) in Algeria and Tunisia (March - July 1943), Italy (February - November 1944) and Greece (early 1945 - January 1946), beginning with his enlistment into the cavalry as a trooper and training with the 6th Cavalry Training Regiment at Shorncliffe, Folkestone (November 1939 - April 1940), his admission to the OCTU Sandhurst (ca April 1940) and posting as 2nd Lieutenant to the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers at Newbury (December 1940) and subsequent training exercises in the south of England (spring 1941), his promotion to Lieutenant and further training in Scotland (June 1942), appointments as Battalion Intelligence Officer (August 1942) and Adjutant (December 1942) prior to embarkation for Algiers to reinforce the British 1st Army, his experience in action at 'Peters Corner' and Cap Bon (April - May 1943), combined operations training with the Royal Navy in Egypt (January - February 1944), attachment to the American 5th Army in Italy with action at Cerasola and Cefalco (February 1944), Cassino (April - May 1944), Lake Trasimeno (June 1944) and Forli (November 1944), his promotion to Major (May 1944) and posting to Greece, most notably at Preveza (where he celebrated VE Day) until his demobilisation in January 1946, with excellent details of battles, in particular Cassino and Forli (for which he was awarded the Military Cross), good descriptions of being seriously wounded at Lake Trasimeno (June 1944) and interesting comments on the impact of long-term action on a soldier; together with photocopies of two letters (4pp, June 1944) from his wife which he had in his breast pocket when he was wounded, and which were apparently damaged by the bullet passing through them.
History note
Cataloguer PJB
History note
Catalogue date 2004-06