Description
Object description
British officer served with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers, 8th Div on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915 including award of Victoria Cross for action at Neuve Chapelle, France, 19/12/1914; served as adjutant with 8th Divisional Engineers on Western Front, 4/1915-1/1916; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 168th Bde, XV Corps, First Army on Western Front, 1/1916-11/1916; served as staff officer with Headquarters, XV Corps, First Army and 30th Div, Fourth Army on Western Front, 12/1916-11/1918
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer with 15th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 8th Div on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: reaction amongst regular officers stationed at Gibraltar to outbreak of First World War and selection for newly formed unit, 4/8/1914; development of trench warfare; prior training in GB; question of adequacy of pre-war training in construction of trench systems and subsequent developments including depth of systems, drainage, depth of trench required, camouflage from aerial observation, barbed wire and use of concrete.
REEL 2 Continues: necessity of infantry participation in trench construction role under sapper supervision; organisation of French civilian labour in working parties behind front line area; establishment of Royal Engineer workshops to provide specialist trench warfare equipment; background to development of trench mortars; co-operation with infantry units. Aspects of periods as staff officer with Headquarters, 168th Bde, 56th (London) Div, XV Corps, First Army and Headquarters, 30th Div, Fourth Army on Western Front, 1/1916-11/1918: question of dealing with incompetent officers; attachment to Headquarters, XX Corps, French Army, 11/1916.
REEL 3 Continues: comparison of French and British staff methods; relations with French and Belgian civilians; opinion of Imperial German Army illustrated by events of first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1/7/1916; opinion of US Army performance during attacks, 10/1918; relations with other ranks in Royal Engineers and 168th Bde.
REEL 4 Continues: question of collection of military intelligence by other ranks; opinion of volunteer, territorial and conscript troops; opinion of conscientious objectors; opinion of performance of Sir Herbert Gough and Fifth Army; question of staff officers and divisional commanders visiting front line.
REEL 5 Continues: question of postponing zero hour in major planned attacks; question of continuation of attacks in Ypres Salient, 1917; question of adequacy of communications; role of chaplains; opinion of Field Marshal Douglas Haig illustrated by stories of inspections of front line redoubt in Neuve Chapelle sector, France, 1915 and inspection of 168th Bde, 1916; opinion of various army commanders; leave in GB.
REEL 6 Continues: Aaspects of background in GB, 1900-1914: blooding at fox hunting; military focus during education at Cheltenham College, 1903-1906. Aspects of period as officer with 56th Field Coy, Royal Engineers at Bulford Camp, GB, 1910: opinion of Major General Henry Rawlinson; question of concealing troops from aerial observation; role in marking out circuit and flight in Bristol Aeroplane Company aircraft during Military Air Trials at Larkhill Camp; question of military value of aircraft; horse riding activities; question of work load of sapper officers.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers, 8th Div on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: method of erecting French supplied barbed wire in No Man's Land in Ypres Salient, 10/1914-11/1914; nature of trenches in Ypres Salient, Belgium, 10/1914-11/1914; development of deep dugouts; subsequent gas protection of dugouts; question of subsequent use of concrete; use of Bangalore Torpedo; digging communication trenches.
REEL 8 Continues: Account of actions as officer with 15th Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 8th Div in consolidating captured German trench at Neuve Chapelle, France, 19/12/1914: situation; method of lighting safety fuse on 'jam tin' hand grenades without fuse; use of hand grenades to stop progress of German counter-attack; lull in action; organising evacuation of trench and return to British front line; absence of German fire whilst assisting wounded across No Man's Land; role repairing British front line in case of follow up German attack.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers, 8th Div on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: reaction to recommendation for and award of Victoria Cross for actions on 19/12/1914; question of role of Victoria Cross in subsequently securing appointment as instructor at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1919; question of nature of Victoria Cross winners; design and use of 'jam tin' hand grenades; nature of Christmas Truce, 25/12/1914; use of trench mortar, 26/12/1914.
REEL 10 Continues: construction of assembly trenches and duckboard approach tracks prior to Battle of Neuve Chapelle, 3/1915; question of effectiveness of artillery bombardment prior to initial attack during Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10/3/1915; role preparing redoubts to bolster line trench system; nature of pre-war siege warfare; story of role in arranging provision of war supplies from local French contractors as adjutant with 8th Divisonal Engineers, 4/1915-1/1916.
REEL 11 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 168th Bde, 56th (London) Div, XV Corps, First Army on Western Front, 1/1916-11/1916: training exercises in dummy trench systems; developments in infantry attack formations; question of open warfare training; question of initial training with tanks, 9/1916; tank breakdown during attack on Leuze Wood, France, 15/9/1916; reconnaissance role in taking over sections of line and prior to attacks; pride in unit; question of commissioning officers from ranks.
REEL 12 Continues: training exercises in dummy trench systems; infantry attack formations; increase in pre-attack artillery barrages; attack by 56th (London) Div on Gommecourt, Somme, France, 1/7/1916, including use of smoke candles, acting as artillery observation officer and success in bringing shellfire to stop German counter-attack; period of training and integrating reinforcement drafts.
REEL 13 Continues: state of morale during Somme Offensive, 1/71916-18/11/1916; failure of tanks during attack on Leuze Wood, France, 15/9/1916; patrol work and preparation of assembly trenches in No Mans Land. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, XV Corps, First Army and Headquarters, 30th Div, Fourth Army on Western Front, 12/1916-11/1918: comparison of different British and French staff methods illustrated by problems faced by Major General John du Cane in planning XV Corps attack in Belgian coastal sector, 1917.
REEL 14 Continues: value of aerial reconnaissance; gas masks; award of French medals; opinion of General Henry Horne; principle of creeping artillery barrage; development of use of shrapnel barrages to cut barbed wire; use of defensive artillery barrages; counter-battery artillery fire; organisation of emergency move of divisions to Arras area, France, 3/1918.
REEL 15 Continues: decision to continue rail movement of troops whilst line cut by German long range shelling was repaired during emergency move of divisions to Arras area, France, 3/1918; question of criticism of staff work; opinion of Major-General Hubert Plumer; question of troops adaptability to open warfare and story of troops reliance on Lewis Gun rather than rifles, 11/1918; story of disorganisation caused by inexperience of US Army division, 1918.
