Description
Object description
British officer served with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards in Egypt and Palestine, 1937-1939; commanded Guards Depot at Caterham in GB, 1939-1940; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 7th Guards Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 2/1940-6/1940
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as cadet at Royal Military College, Sandhurst in GB, 1929-1931: Officer Training Corps' training at school; decision to join Coldstream Guards; reaction to arrival at Sandhurst; opinion of training received. Recollections of period as officer with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards in Egypt, 1937-1938: background to posting to Egypt; troopship voyage from GB to Egypt; in barracks in Alexandria; impressions of Egyptian Army; battalion training in desert; contrast between training in Egypt and GB; recreational activities in Alexandria; lecture on venereal disease.
REEL 2 Continues: inspection of official brothels; society in Alexandria; tension due to war in Abyssinia; expectations of Italian attack from Libya. Recollections of period as officer with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards in Palestine, Palestine Command, 1938-1939: move to Palestine, 1938; troops attitude towards Arabs and Jews; preparations for move from Egypt to Palestine; organisation and armament of battalion; lack of internal security training; landing at Haifa; move to Sarafand Camp; protection of Sarafand Camp; provision of food and water; move to Jerusalem; briefing for attack on Old City, Jerusalem and lack of intelligence.
REEL 3 Continues: medical arrangements and support for attack; escape of insurgents over walls of Old City, Jerusalem; co-operation with Palestine Police; occupation of Old City, Jerusalem and behaviour of local population; lack of military maps of Old City, Jerusalem; psychological state of troops; fear of atrocities and imposing of curfew; nature of improvised positions; opinion of Palestine Police Force; role as reserve battalion and cordon and search operations; co-operation with Royal Air Force; ambushing of patrol on railway.
REEL 4 Continues: billeting and living conditions; return to Alexandria, Egypt. Aspects of period commanding Guards Depot, Caterham in GB, 1939-1940: reaction to posting; duties at depot; quality of recruits; incident with Fascist infiltrator. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 7th Guards Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 2/1940-6/1940: posting to brigade; journey to France; impressions of French Army troops; duties as staff captain; deployment of brigade and state of front-line defences.
REEL 5 Continues: entertainment provided by George Formby; troops attitude to service in France; battalion equipment; news provided by British Broadcasting Corporation; question of ignorance of public in GB about withdrawal from continent; attitude towards service with Guards.