Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in Egypt and GB, 2/1907-8/1914; NCO served with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div on Western Front, 8/1914-11/1914; prisoner of war in Gustrow, Tingleff, Kaltenkirchen and Osterterp Camps, Germany, 11/1914-11/1915; escaped from Germany to GB via Denmark, 11/1915-12/1915
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1888-1906: employment with London and North Western Railway, 1899-1906: interest in Boer War, 1899-1901; father's railway career. Recollection of enlistment and training as private with King's Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1906: parents' reaction; story of fight with recruit during training at King's Royal Rifle Corps Regimental Depot, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, 8/1906-11/1906. Aspects of period as private with 3rd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps at Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot Garrison, GB, 11/1906-1/1907: conditions; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1906. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Sicilia from GB to Alexandria, Egypt, 2/1907: conditions; exchange of garrison troops at Crete, Greece. Recollections of period as private with H Coy, 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in Egypt, 2/1907-2/1909: joining part of unit at Ras el-Tin Barracks, Alexandria.
REEL 2 Continues: tented accommodation; swimming activities; reunification of unit in Kasr-el-Nir Barracks, Cairo; situation as part of army of occupation; relations with British civilian tourists; sandstorms; relations with Egyptian civilians; desert trek during course as mounted infantry, including fatal accident, story of falling into River Nile; horses used.
REEL 3 Continues: state of health; bed bugs; story of officer's servant's dog found in barrack room during daytime. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps at Portsmouth, GB, 2/1909-2/1912: recreational activities; role lining streets of during King Edward VII's funeral in London, 20/5/1910; duties as NCO with King's Royal Rifle Corps Regimental Depot, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, GB, 1912-1913. Aspects of period with B Coy, 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps at Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1913-1914: participation in funeral procession of Field Marshal Lord Wolseley in London, 13/3/1913; question of approach to and potential length of war with Germany; mobilisation and arrival of reservists, 8/1914. Aspects of journey as NCO with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div from Aldershot Garrison, GB to Mons, Belgium, 12/8/1914-21/8/1914: journey to Rouen, France, 12/8/1914-13/8/1914; initial movements, 13/8/1914-21/8/1914; reception from French civilians; learning French language phrases; march to Mons, Belgium, 21/8/1914. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div at Mons, Belgium, 21/8/1914-23/8/1914: march to take up positions at Givry; Imperial German Army's success in locating and artillery shelling 70th Bty, Royal Field Artillery, XXXIV Royal Field Artillery Bde, 2nd Div using of aerial reconnaissance; start of retreat.
REEL 4 Continues: route taken during retreat from Mons, Belgium, 8/1914; sight of French Army troops; rations; acting as rearguard in rotation. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div during Battle of Marne, France, 10/9/1914: successful attack of B and C Coys advancing in sections on Imperial German Army positions at Hautes-Avesnes; capture and evacuation of Imperial German Army prisoners of war; rain storm; fire and movement tactics during advance in section; rate of rifle fire. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div on Aisne, France, 14/9/1914-13/10/1914: attack at Soupir, 14/9/1914, including narrow escape from Imperial German Army machine gun fire whilst acting as company range finder; successful attack on Imperial German Army machine gun by Private George Wilson, 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry for which he was awarded Victoria Cross, near Verneuil, 14/9/1914; relief and retirement to support positions.
REEL 5 Continues: subsequent problem over loss of range finder; collection of wounded and burial of dead; casualties from Imperial German Army artillery fire at Verneuil; nature of trenches; story of artillery shell bursting amongst group of men and minor shrapnel wounds received. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 6th Bde, 2nd Div at Ypres, Belgium, 20/10/1914-2/11/1914: move to Ypres, 10/1914; initial movements and actions in support role; casualty from stray bullet; NCO's narrow escape; attack on Passchendaele, 27/10/1914.
REEL 6 Continues: makeshift dugout; role as platoon commander; rum ration; effects of Imperial German Army artillery fire, 31/10/1914; story of visiting company commander's headquarters; story illustrating response of two soldiers to death of friend during exchange of rifle fire; situation and state of unit on being moved into line at Gheluvelt; circumstances of being captured following Imperial German Army breakthrough, 2/11/1914. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Belgium and France, 11/1914: story of coming under Royal Artillery fire; personal morale.
REEL 7 Continues: retention of pay book; reaction to Imperial German Army casualties; move to Lille, France; reaction to German accusation of British Army troops using 'dum dum' bullets; train journey from Lille, France to Güstrow, Germany; attitude of French civilians during move to Lille, France; train journey from Lille, France to Güstrow, Germany; prior recollection of presence of refugees during retreat from Mons, Belgium, 8/1914. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Güstrow Camp, Germany, 11/1914: kitting out; tented accommodation; rations; latrines; mixed nationalities; separation of officers and other ranks; early contact with GB; theft of tobacco; tented accommodation; assistance from Imperial German Army NCO who had lived in GB.
REEL 8 Continues: working parties creating mounds of earth at camp entrance; rejection by Irish prisoners of war of invitation from Sir Roger Casement to join Irish Brigade under Imperial German Army command; move into hutted accommodation, 1/1915; lice problem; burial services; visiting friend in camp hospital; question of roll call; punishment of British prisoner of war for writing home complaining about rations; incident of being hit by Imperial German Army guard. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Tingleff Camp, Germany, 2/1915-7/1915: incomplete nature of camp on arrival; administration based on huts; relations with Imperial German Army officers.
REEL 9 Continues: raid on German ration store; cold weather and story of lending clothes to men who subsequently died; work parties; improvement in conditions with warmer weather; forming band using impromptu instruments; collapse of German seating area during performance of play; band concerts and redistribution of entrance charges; question of planning for escape and importance of establishing geographical location; boxing bout; storing food for possible escape. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Kaltenkirchen Camp, Germany, 7/1915-8/1915: reception.
REEL 10 Continues: wet weather conditions; story illustrating British prisoner of wars' state of morale; boxing match with French prisoner of war. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Osterterp Camp, Germany, 8/1915-11/1915: sketching map during train journey to Osterterp; layout of camp; working parties; story of dispute with and beating received from Imperial German Army NCO during working party digging drainage channels; period of solitary confinement.
REEL 11 Continues: relations with Imperial German Army NCO; failure of attempt to cut through barbed wire using file; escape with working party attending to camp acetylene lights, 11/1915. Recollections of escape from Germany to Denmark, 11/1915: meeting other escapees at rendezvous; travelling at night; success in evading German frontier sentries.
REEL 12 Continues: Danish signs; visit to hotel and arrest by Danish authorities at Gedstedbro; washing; escort; discovery of frostbitten foot during bath and subsequent recovery in hospital at Ribe; relations with Danish civilians; question of motivation for escape and subsequent award of Military Medal in 1919; story of British prisoner of war working on German farm; Danish decision to repatriate escapees as civilians; question of alarm being raised on escape; reads letter illustrating Danish civilians attitude towards escaped Allied prisoners of war.
REEL 13 Continues: relations with Danish civilians; journey to Copenhagen; issue of passport and documentation. Aspects of return to GB, 12/1915: voyage aboard SS Zito from Copenhagen, Denmark to Newcastle upon Tyne; reception in Newcastle upon Tyne, 12/1915: story of being given white feather for not wearing Derby Scheme armband; refusal of Railway Transport Officer (RTO) to advance him money; train journey to Winchester including overnight stay in Salvation Army hostel. Aspects of period as NCO with King's Royal Rifle Corps Regimental Depot, Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, GB, 12/1915-1/1916: disciplinary problem for leaving camp to visit donor of prisoner of war food parcels; interview with Lieutenant General Sir William Pitcairn Campbell at Headquarters, Southern Command, Salisbury.
REEL 14 Continues: death of mother and family situation; interview with press; problems with foot; marriage by special licence; posting as musketry instructor with 5th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 1/1916; story of trial and acquittal of Conscientious Objector; prior recollection of motivation for escape; opinion of prisoner of war welfare activities.
