Cotter, John (Oral history)

British officer served as cameraman with War Office Public Relations Unit in Gibraltar and on Malta, 1942-1943; served as cameraman with and commanded No 2 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Italy and Austria, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Blackheath, London, GB, 1918-1939; family; education; employment as trainee with Kodak Ltd. Aspects of period as assistant cameraman with 'The March of Time' newsreel series in Netherlands and Germany, 1938-1939: role as assistant cameraman including work on film 'Inside Nazi Germany' (1938). Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Border Regt, 125th Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) in GB and France, 1939-1941: volunteering for military service in GB, 9/1939; posting to France; evacuation from Dunkirk, France, 5/1940; story of meeting father John W Cotter and Richard Dimbleby in Arras, France; commissioning and officer training in GB. Recollections of period as officer with War Office Public Relations Unit in Gibraltar, 1942-1943: posting to Gibraltar, 2/1942; accommodation; memories of Governor's aide Captain Anthony Quayle; types of civilian and military subjects; assignments with Royal Air Force and Royal Navy; role of father John W Cotter as war correspondent on Malta; posting film to London; description of DeVry Standard 35mm Cine Camera; use of tripod; problem of filming from boat; light levels; uniform and insignia; visits to Spain; relations with Spanish authorities and question of visiting internment camps. REEL 2 Continues: volunteering for training with Lieutenant-Colonel Ronnie Tod's No 9 Commando, 11/1942. Recollections of period as officer with War Office Public Relations Unit on Malta, 2/1943-6/1943: posting to Malta, 2/1943; accommodation; duties as cameraman and public relations representative; assignments with commando operations; coverage of visits by Very Important Persons (VIPs) including Charles de Gaulle; problem of food shortages; assignment aboard Royal Navy destroyer covering German evacuation of Tunisia, 4/1943; problem of returning film to Malta; comparison of Gibraltar and Malta; raiding parties with commandos; co-operation with military commanders; transport by motorcycle and truck; dope sheets; secrecy; uniform and insignia; filming commando raids. Recollections of operations as cameraman and commanding officer with No 2 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Italy, 1943-1945: coverage of invasion of Sicily, 7/1943; advantages of being officer; choice of subjects; joining Army Film and Photographic Unit in Rome, 1944; taking command of unit and duties as officer in charge; liaison with army units; assignment of camera teams; problem of communication; opinion of cameramen. REEL 3 Continues: length of front; headquarters in farmhouse; use of dispatch riders; checking of dope sheets; use of Willys Jeeps; question of amount of filming a day; attitude to acceptable level of danger for NCO cameramen; discipline and relations with NCOs; messing arrangements; punishments; use of movable headquaters; pairing of stills and cine cameramen; opinion of Lieutenant-Colonel Stopford; attitude to use of reconstructions; maintenance of cameras; filming Gurkhas boarding Buffalo Amphibians at Lake Tresimono; coverage of operations at Lake Comacchio; deployment of cameramen; organisation of camera teams to cover advance towards Italian/Austrian border. Aspects of period with Army Film and Photographic Unit in Austria, 1945-1946: attached to V Corps and nature of duties; reaction to unit cameramen not being allowed to film forced repatriation of White Russian prisoners of war. REEL 4 Continues: posting to Vienna and promotion to major; return to GB and demobilisation, 1946; post-war life and employment including summary of career as cameraman in film and television industry; retirement; reflections on period of service with Army Film and Photographic Unit.