Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with U Coy, 1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders, Gordon Bde, Highland Div in GB, 10/1908-2/1915; NCO and officer served with 1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders, 8th Bde, 3rd Div on Western Front, 2/1915-9/1915
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of training with U Coy, 1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders at University of Aberdeen, GB, 10/1908-8/1914: background to establishment of University Coy; reasons for enlistment; promotion system; student composition of unit; relations between ranks; question of students' reasons for not joining unit; stories illustrating character of Colonel Thomas Ogilvie and Captain Lachlan McKinnon; summer camps; nature of Territorial Army personnel.
REEL 2 Continues: question of other ranks in unit being allowed to apply for commissions. Recollections of mobilisation and initial periods at Aberdeen and Bedford, GB, 8/1914-2/1915: reaction to outbreak of First World War, 4/8/1914; question of spying activities of pre-war German musical bands; question of German infiltration of British industry; exercise to counter possible German landing at Aberdeen; open warfare tactical training and question of trench warfare training; problem of crossing unknown terrain at night; failure of night exercise illustrating importance of map references; tightening of discipline. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders, 8th Bde, 3rd Div at La Clytte, Kemmel sector, Belgium, 2/1915-5/1915: issue of sheepskin jackets; non-continuous breastwork front line; German sniper activity; state of former French trenches.
REEL 3 Continues: question of occupying front line in daytime; effect on morale of living in trenches; rations; reaction to smell of chlorine during German gas attack in Ypres area, 24/4/1915; lice problem; French Army corpses in No Man's Land; periods in reserve at Dickkebus; story illustrating approach of cooks. Recollections of operations as officer with 1/4th Bn Gordon Highlanders in Ypres area, Belgium, 5/1915-9/1915: role burying corpses from previous gas attack; cases of looting amongst working parties sent to fight fires in Ypres; question of stealing from corpses; trench positions facing Hooge Chateau and story illustrating confused nature of situation.
REEL 4 Continues: reconnaissance patrol; opinion of British and French artillery; trench routine; recieving commission, 13/5/1915; story of casualties from German concentrated shellfire on 13 Platoon's position; issue of veil respirator gas masks and their subsequent total failure in test demonstration; Colonel Thomas Ogilvie's refusal of permission to allow trained chemists within unit to volunteer for service with Special Coys, Royal Engineers; story illustrating ignorance of staff officer as to weight of gas cylinders; question as to necessity for trained chemists within Special Coys, Royal Engineers; story of being slightly wounded by German shellfire during advance along newly dug communication trench in support of attack on Y Wood, 6/1915.
REEL 5 Continues: effects of German machine gun fire on positions in Sanctuary Wood following explosion of Hooge Chateau mine, 7/1915; repairing and improving trenches; origins of trench names; stories illustrating value of trench experience and importance of keeping under cover; use of rifle linked together in battery; use of makeshift hand grenades and catapult device; development and training of special sniping section including methods of locating positions of German snipers; plans for diversionary attack, 25/9/1915; story of being wounded in arm whilst establishing listening posts in No Man's Land between Sanctuary Wood and Hooge Chateau, 12/9/1915; subsequent attack on German post.
REEL 6 Continues: repairing trenches; role of listening posts; subsequent casualties in U Coy during attack on Sanctuary Wood, 25/9/1915; evacuation and medical treatment for gas gangrene and tetanus, 9/1915-10/1915; story of Lieutenant General Edmund Allenby's accuracy test prior to his approval of development of Livens Gas Projector; prior recollection of difficulty in finding outpost with drunk NCO in No Man's Land while attached to regular unit at La Clytte, 3/1915.
