Description
Object description
A bound collection of accounts, anecdotes, articles, lectures, correspondence, and other research (103pp) entitled 'Narratives' relating to his service as a Lieutenant, later Major, in 230 Battery, 58th (Suffolk) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery (RA) in the UK, North Africa, Italy and Austria (1941-1945), acting as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO) and Battery Commander, covering the journey from the UK to Algiers (January 1943) and first experiences of North Africa, the end of the Tunisian campaign, accepting the surrender of 10,000 Germans (May 1943), seeing General Dieter Von Arnim being taken into captivity, attacks on Tunis, the German tank attack on Djebel Bou Aoukaz, and through the Gab Gab gap, with reflections on his actions and what he might have done better, a letter to the son of an old comrade, 'C' Troop Signals Bombardier Kerry (March 2013), with details of an Observation Point on Banana Ridge (April 1943), shelling, casualties, pretending to be dead when a German approached, linking up with 1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, capture of enemy, German tanks, losing his Troop when a Captain was appointed (May 1943), taking over as Captain due to promotions and casualties, the Battle of Bou Aoukaz, Tunisia (April – May 1943), details of the shelling and tank attacks, lessons learned, list of failures as he saw them, both his and his commanders, the Battle for Lugo, Italy (April 1945) and the agreement by his regiment not to fire on Italian buildings unless occupied by Germans firing on them, an unarmed recce he undertook, bumping into a German infantry company, shelling breaking up the attack, the Battle of Tavoleto (September 1944), going in to the town in command of 2/7th Gurkhas, for which he was put in for the Military Cross (MC), a transcription of an account of his award from the 'Bury Times', entering San Marino searching for Germans, LIAP leave at home, visiting wives of men who had been captured, leisure time in London and Manchester, hearing he had been awarded the MC, serving in Klagenfurt, Austria, guarding SS prisoners, (May 1945), meeting Mongolian Soviet troops in Piber, on the Iron Curtain, saving Lipizzaner horses from the Russians, liaising with his opposite number 'George' from Kiev, negotiations about civilians on the border, the end of the war (August 1945), 'avoiding World War III' by telling George that movements of troops were to newly agreed occupation zones not an attack, some anecdotes of things he was proud of and jobs he might have done better, looking back at his training in Bury Grammar School Officers' Training Corps, affiliated to 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, defending Oakington Aerodrome (1940), an order to take Gun Tractors to 296 HAA Battery RA in Castleton, Derbyshire (Autumn 1942), his education and training (1939 - 1945) including 123 OCTU, at Okehampton range, and the School of Artillery at Larkhill, posting to 230th Battery 58th (Sussex) Regiment RA, thoughts about sexual liaisons his men had with the opposite sex, unwanted children, his own childhood growing up in Bury, leadership and morale, and attached Signals and Medical officers in his unit, with throughout details of his service (1939 – 1967), people he served with, men under his command, as well as photocopies of excerpts from printed and published sources, including maps, extracts from memoirs of friends and other old comrades, details of 1 Army Group Royal Artillery (1 AGRA), the Gothic Line, and an account of Walton meeting Prince Harry on the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Marne (2014). Together with photocopies of a couple of pages from the book 'The Gothic Line' by Douglas Orgill, recounting the Battle of Tavoleto and Walton's contribution.
Content description
A bound collection of accounts, anecdotes, articles, lectures, correspondence, and other research (103pp) entitled 'Narratives' relating to his service as a Lieutenant, later Major, in 230 Battery, 58th (Suffolk) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery (RA) in the UK, North Africa, Italy and Austria (1941-1945), acting as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO) and Battery Commander, covering the journey from the UK to Algiers (January 1943) and first experiences of North Africa, the end of the Tunisian campaign, accepting the surrender of 10,000 Germans (May 1943), seeing General Dieter Von Arnim being taken into captivity, attacks on Tunis, the German tank attack on Djebel Bou Aoukaz, and through the Gab Gab gap, with reflections on his actions and what he might have done better, a letter to the son of an old comrade, 'C' Troop Signals Bombardier Kerry (March 2013), with details of an Observation Point on Banana Ridge (April 1943), shelling, casualties, pretending to be dead when a German approached, linking up with 1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, capture of enemy, German tanks, losing his Troop when a Captain was appointed (May 1943), taking over as Captain due to promotions and casualties, the Battle of Bou Aoukaz, Tunisia (April – May 1943), details of the shelling and tank attacks, lessons learned, list of failures as he saw them, both his and his commanders, the Battle for Lugo, Italy (April 1945) and the agreement by his regiment not to fire on Italian buildings unless occupied by Germans firing on them, an unarmed recce he undertook, bumping into a German infantry company, shelling breaking up the attack, the Battle of Tavoleto (September 1944), going in to the town in command of 2/7th Gurkhas, for which he was put in for the Military Cross (MC), a transcription of an account of his award from the 'Bury Times', entering San Marino searching for Germans, LIAP leave at home, visiting wives of men who had been captured, leisure time in London and Manchester, hearing he had been awarded the MC, serving in Klagenfurt, Austria, guarding SS prisoners, (May 1945), meeting Mongolian Soviet troops in Piber, on the Iron Curtain, saving Lipizzaner horses from the Russians, liaising with his opposite number 'George' from Kiev, negotiations about civilians on the border, the end of the war (August 1945), 'avoiding World War III' by telling George that movements of troops were to newly agreed occupation zones not an attack, some anecdotes of things he was proud of and jobs he might have done better, looking back at his training in Bury Grammar School Officers' Training Corps, affiliated to 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, defending Oakington Aerodrome (1940), an order to take Gun Tractors to 296 HAA Battery RA in Castleton, Derbyshire (Autumn 1942), his education and training (1939 - 1945) including 123 OCTU, at Okehampton range, and the School of Artillery at Larkhill, posting to 230th Battery 58th (Sussex) Regiment RA, thoughts about sexual liaisons his men had with the opposite sex, unwanted children, his own childhood growing up in Bury, leadership and morale, and attached Signals and Medical officers in his unit, with throughout details of his service (1939 – 1967), people he served with, men under his command, as well as photocopies of excerpts from printed and published sources, including maps, extracts from memoirs of friends and other old comrades, details of 1 Army Group Royal Artillery (1 AGRA), the Gothic Line, and an account of Walton meeting Prince Harry on the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Marne (2014). Together with photocopies of a couple of pages from the book 'The Gothic Line' by Douglas Orgill, recounting the Battle of Tavoleto and Walton's contribution.
History note
Cataloguer SJO