Description
Object description
British officer served with 18th Bn Manchester Regt on Western Front, 1917
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of operations with 18th Bn Manchester Regt on Western Front, 1917: description of training exercise prior to Third Battle of Ypres, 7/1917; story of conversation with Gen. Jacobs and Brig. Lloyd about tactics; problem of following magnetic beam; story about rendezvous point at Dickebusch; role in organising companies in line; story of being promised promotion to lieutenant if cancelled leave; description of journey with Commanding Officer to company HQ during barrage; description of line and deployment of companies at Sanctuary Wood; story of leading party of 60 men carrying trench mortar shells; story of shell landing on dugout and death of officer; damage to hearing caused by shell blast; reason for taking over command of company from Cpt. Homewood; story of sending sergeant to find out time of opening barrage; story of carrying party being gassed and treatment of casualties; description of attack following opening barrage, 31/Jul/1917; problem of men in company not following; story of capturing German prisoners; reorganised company and continued advance to objective; casualties in own platoon; opinion of effectiveness of barrage; story about 2nd Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers being caught in crossfire; description of casualties caused by German machine gun fire; story of men from Royal Scots Fusiliers refusing to obey order to proceed to Stirling Castle strongpoint; description of Stirling Castle and surrounding terrain; problem of captured German pillboxes facing wrong way; attitude to refusal of Royal Scots Fusiliers to obey order; story of being ordered by CO to organise carrying party to collect ammunition supplies from Yeomanry Post; location of CO's dugout and Stirling Castle; story of gagging officer with shell shock.
REEL 2 Continues: story of being ordered by Brig. Lloyd to abandon journey to Yeomanry Post and rest in trench; taken by lorry back to billets in Chateau Segard; reaction of CO to appearance; description of tunnels and causeways in Passchendaele sector, 11/1917; story of seeing six tanks knocked out on Menin Road; story of Canadian troops positioning 18-pounder directly behind front line wire; opinion of Commonwealth troops; description of duties organising working parties with Canadians in Passchendaele sector, 11-12/1917; description of digging trench for cable in Zillebeke Cemetery; story of treating soldier wounded by shrapnel; further comments on taking over command of company from Cpt. Homewood and submitting report on incident.