Description
Object description
British officer served with 4th Armoured Car Coy, Tank Corps in GB, Egypt and Palestine, 1920-1922; served with Tank Corps Depot at Bovington, GB, 1922-1924; served with 12th Armoured Car Coy, Royal Tank Corps in Northern Ireland, 1924-1926; served as assistant adjutant and adjutant with Royal Tank Corps Depot, Bovington, GB, 1926-1931; served with 8th Armoured Car Coy, Royal Tank Corps in India, 1931-1932; served with 2nd Bn Royal Tank Corps in GB, 1932-1935; student at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1935-1936; served with 1st Light Bn Royal Tank Corps in GB, 1937-1938; served as staff officer with 1st Army Tank Bde in GB, 1938-1940
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1899-1918: family education; reasons for enlistment in British Army; effect of First World War on family life; impact of introduction of tanks, 1916. Aspects of period a cadet at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, GB, 1918-1919: sketch of training; attitude at Sandhurst towards Tank Corps; degree of knowledge of tank principles discussed at college; composition and character of Tank Corps officer's corps; commissioning into Black Watch, 1919. Recollections of operations as officer with 4th Armoured Car Coy in GB, Egypt and Palestine, 1920-1922: background to secondment to unit at Bovington Camp.
REEL 2 Continues: degree of training in unit prior to posting to Egypt; senior officers at Tank Corps, Bovington Camp, 1920; character of training in Alexandria; composition of unit in Egypt; gunnery training in Alexandria; question of quality of unit officers; distribution of sections in Palestine; poor condition of Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars; story of mechanical problems encountered during first patrol in Palestine; development of armoured car tactics.
REEL 3 Continues: policing duties in Palestine; problems of crowd control during riots in Jaffa, 1921; duties escorting Royal Air Force survey team to Baghdad, Iraq; aircraft servicing and ration supply arrangements with Royal Air Force; desert navigation techniques; reaction to transfer of policing duties to Royal Air Force, 1922; reaction to return to Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 1922.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with Tank Corps Regimental Depot, Bovington, GB, 1922-1924: attitude to transfer to Tank Corps; character of depot; unit morale; tank driving and maintenance course using Mark V Tank; discomforts and communication problems in tanks; gunnery course at Gunnery School, Lulworth including question of accuracy; question of role of tanks, 1922-1924; attitude to duties; effect of introduction of faster tanks.
REEL 5 Continues: introduction of Vickers Mark I Medium Tank; character of Vickers Medium Mark I Tank and its' impact on tactical theory; question of role of tank as infantry support or independent strike force; effect of Colonel Charles Broad's appointment at commandant at Gunnery School, Lulworth; introduction of RYPA training; improvements in gunnery standards. Memories of duties with 12th Armoured Car Coy in Northern Ireland, 1922-1924.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of period as assistant adjutant and adjutant with Royal Tank Corps Regimental Depot, Bovington, GB, 1926-1931: high standards of commandant Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Carlton; duties as assistant adjutant; Royal Tank Corps entry procedure; details of administration duties; comparison of officer training between 1922 and 1926; difficulty of removing incompetent officers; problems with Experimental Mechanised Force, 1927; appointment at adjutant, 1928.
REEL 7 Continues: Brigadier Vivien Hope's emphasis on crew training; development of special Royal Tank Corp drill; effect of Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Charlton and Brigadier Vivien Hope on depot; introduction of psychological tests demonstrating aptitude for particular trades. Aspects of period as officer with 8th Armoured Car Coy, Royal Tank Corps in India, 1931-1932: posting to unit in Dehli, 1931; crowd control duties including electrification of armoured cars; crowd control duties at Chandi Chowk, Dehli; question of suitability of armoured cars for policing role; health problems in India; description of Crossley Armoured Car.
REEL 8 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with 2nd Bn Royal Tank Corps in GB, 1932-1935: background to transfer to unit; incidents illustrating Brigadier Percy Hobart's style of command; organisation of unit at Farnborough; description of 1933 brigade exercises; Royal Tank Corps annual training programme; details of individual, section and company training; Brigadier Percy Hobart's insistence on massed manoeuvres at speed.
REEL 9 Continues: Brigadier Percy Hobart's view of the tank brigade's role; emphasis on wireless discipline; lack of co-operation with other arms of service; exercises in moving through urban areas; performance of Vickers Medium Tank. Aspects of period at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1935-1936: relations between Royal Tank Corps and cavalry officers; official attitude towards armoured warfare; benefits of staff college; influence of John Fuller and Basil Liddell Hart on mechanised warfare.
REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with 1st Light Bn Royal Tank Corps in GB, 1937-1938: nature of Perham Down Camp; character of Light Tank Mk VIB; tactical impact of introduction of Light Tank Mk VIB and accidents; question of finish on tanks; development in wireless sets; problems of inter-crew communications; improvements in gun sighting and loading procedures; training responsibilities of company commanders; description of simple tactical exercise.
REEL 11 Continues: restrictions due to fuel shortages; duties as mess president; reconnaissance and night exercises, 1937; amusing story of night exercise; relations with cavalry during mechanisation; night gunnery practice using lights; problems with inter-crew communications. Aspects of period as brigade-major with 1st Army Tank Bde in GB, 1938-1940: duties as brigade-major; relations with component battalions; memories of Major-General Justice Tilly and his views on gunnery; attempts to development measures against mines and anti-tank guns; question of funding developments.
REEL 12 Continues: development trials on smoke emitters; initial reception of A9, A10 and A13 Cruiser tanks and subsequent discovery of engine faults; lack of liaison with between tank designers and users; example of liaison with manufacturers over development of Churchill Tank; official complaints procedure; problems with Crusader Tank; story relating to development of Chieftain Tank; Major-General Justice Tilly's emphasis on company training; review of standards attained by mechanised cavalry; Royal Tank Corps reaction to formation of Royal Armoured Corps.