Honywood, William Wynne (Oral history)

British trooper served with 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) in GB, 1914; served with 8th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at Curragh Camp, Ireland, 8/1914-1/1915; officer served with 7th Bty, Motor Machine Gun Service in GB and on Western Front, 1/1915-9/1915; served as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Brigadier Edward Northey, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Norforce, Rhodesia Nyasaland Field Force in German East Africa, 1915-1918

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1909-1914: living under Cistercian rules as Benedictine monk, 1909-1912; reasons for post-war abandonment of Cistercian rules; motorcycle racing activities, 1912-1914. Aspects of period as trooper with 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) in London, GB, 8/1914: background to enlistment at St Marylebone Town Hall, 10/8/1914; period behind railings at St Martin in the Fields; crowded conditions in Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich; relations with other recruits. Aspects of training with 8th Reserve Regt of Cavalry at Curragh Camp, Ireland, 8/1914-1/1915: question of importance of rifle; relations with other troopers. Aspects of period as officer with 7th Bty, Motor Machine Gun Service at Bisley, GB, 1/1915-3/1915: question of suitability for commission and commissioning. REEL 2 Continues: composition and organisation of unit; Vickers Machine Gun training including firing from motor-cycle side car; question of use of mobility in action. Recollections of operations as officer with 7th Bty, Motor Machine Gun Service on Western Front, 4/1915-9/1915: nature of trenches in Boesinghe sector, Ypres Salient, Belgium; Imperial German Army mass attacks during Second Battle of Ypres, 4/1915; patrols in No Mans Land; use of early gas masks; baths in brewery vats at Poperinge, Belgium; relations with other ranks; wet conditions. REEL 3 Continues: problem of lice; medical evacuation after wounding by shellfire to GB, 9/1915. Recollections of period as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Brigadier Edward Northey commanding Norforce, Rhodesia Nyasaland Field Force during operations in German East Africa, 1915-1918: journey to Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, 12/1915; preparations for campaign; journey to Chindio, Portugese East Africa; paddle steamer voyage up River Zambezi to Zomba, Nyasaland; story of African civilian punished for losing part of cypher message; crossing Lake Nyasa in gunboat; march to Fife, German East Africa; capture of German fort at Fife, German East Africa including nature of fort and artillery bombardment using old fashioned guns; establishment of headquarters in fort at Neu Langenberg, German East Africa and overall strategic situation; ration supply problem; Brigadier Edward Northey's role; role as intelligence officer. REEL 4 Continues: communications and health problems; opinion of General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck; use of heliograph when telephone lines were cut; composition of Norforce; story of attack with small mobile reconnaissance force on German force at Madabira, German East Africa, 10/1917; subsequent escape with wounded; question of cancellation of publication of Official History of campaign due to its criticism of General Jan Smuts; background to escape of German force during action at Malangali, German East Afria.