Vaux, Peter Alfred Lincoln (Oral history)

Sound: © IWM (6614)

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Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
689052751
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
761103355
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1442285552
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British officer served with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 4/1939-9/1939; served with 4th Royal Tank Regt, 1st Army Tank Bde in France, 5/1940-6/1940

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 4/1939-9/1939: prior peacetime service with Royal Tank Regt, 1938-1939; preparations for war; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; removal of families from Aldershot area; move into tented accommodation at Mytchett; unit tanks and transport; opinion of Matilda Mk I Infantry Tank and Light Tank Mk VI; opinion of reservists in unit and morale; opinion of German and French forces; organisation of move to France; embarkation at Southampton. Recollections of period as officer with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, 1st Army Tank Bde in France, 9/1939-5/1940: arrival at Cherbourg, 17/9/1939; problems for field cashiers; move to Arras area; billeting role; relations with French civilians; impressions of French Army. REEL 2 Continues: impressions of French Army; opinion of militiamen; nature of training including exercise refighting Battle of Cambrai using experiences of unit veterans; question of theoretical nature of Petit Maginot Line; problems with weather, winter 1939-1940; relations between officers and other ranks in tank regiment; contents of German propaganda leaflets; use of pit head bathing facilities; leave in GB; false alarms about start of hostilities; censorship of mail. Recollections of operations as officer with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, 1st Army Tank Bde in France and Belgium, 10/5/1940-20/5/1940: actions on start of German attack, 10/5/1940; move to Foret de Soignes, Belgium; reaction to orders to withdraw from Foret de Soignes, Belgium; reconnaissance patrols. REEL 3 Continues: skirmish with German reconnaissance motorcyclists; witnessing determination of French Army gun crew; distress of civilians on route to rejoin regiment at Petit Vimy, France; reconnaissance for advance at Arras, France, 20/5/1940; reaction to discovery Germans were some far west; effects of German Air Force attacks and first unit casualties. Recollections of operations as officer with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, 1st Army Tank Bde during Battle of Arras, France, 21/5/1940: state of unit equipment; moving off start line and crossing railway line; surprising column of German 6th Motor Rifle Regt, 7th Panzer Div; opening fire on German lorry at crossroads; abortive attempt to liaise with French tank. REEL 4 Continues: damage to tank; attempt to re-join regiment; sight of unit tanks knocked out by German anti-tank guns; narrow escape from being shot by German soldier; reassembling remains of unit at Achicourt; surprise encounter with German tank at Achicourt; chaos of night withdrawal and separation from unit; reiteration of story of surprising column of German 6th Motor Rifle Regt, 7th Panzer Div; fate of German POWs; encounter with German half-tracks during night withdrawal; damage to tank and repairs; abandonment of tank on running out of petrol in Fransu. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Reconnaissance Troop, 4th Royal Tank Regt, 1st Army Tank Bde in France, 5/1940-6/1940: attempt to regain French lines; story of capture by German officer and how he was subsequently shot, 27/5/1940; failure to cross marshes near River Somme, 28/5/1940-30/5/1940; discovery that he and his crew were wanted by Germans for murder; aid received from Belgian refugee Monsieur Gilis to cross River Somme; story of bluffing German NCO; drowning of Corporal Robert Burroughs during crossing of River Somme, 1/6/1940; regaining French lines, 1/6/1940; subsequent debriefing at War Office in London, GB, 6/1940.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production Company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Vaux, Peter Alfred Lincoln (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1983-02-17
Dimensions: whole: Duration 139, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 6614

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Vaux, Peter Alfred Lincoln (Oral history)

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