Description
Object description
British officer served with Royal Marines aboard HMS Rodney 1929-1930; served as pilot with 460 and 462 Flights, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1931-1932; served with 824 and 825 Naval Air Sqdns, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle on China Station, 1933-1935; served with Royal Marine Artillery at Alexandria, Egypt, 1935-1936; served at Royal Marines Depot, Deal, GB, 1936-1937; student with Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1938-1939; served as staff officer with General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 9/1939-6/1940
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with Royal Marines in GB and aboard HMS Rodney, 2nd Battle Sqdn, Atlantic Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1924-1929: reasons for enlistment in Royal Marines, 1924; service aboard HMS Rodney, 1928-1929 including frustrations of sea service; reasons for volunteering for Fleet Air Arm; landing operations training; tactical organisation; machine gun training; fitness and marching; lack of realistic tactical training; relations with other ranks. Aspects of training as pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1930-1931: flying training at RAF Leuchars.
REEL 2 Continues: aerial torpedo training. Aspects of period as pilot with 460 and 462 Flights, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Glorious in Mediterranean, 1931-1932: tactical exercises in Mediterranean; relations with Royal Navy personnel; flying training; Recollections of period as pilot with 824 and 825 Naval Air Sqdns, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Eagle on China Station, 1933-1935: techniques for deck landing; training for bad weather conditions; night flying; voyage from GB to Far East, 1933; Royal Navy presence in Chinese waters; obstructions to flying.
REEL 3 Continues: accommodation; visit to Peking, China, story of air search and negotiations with pirates who had captured Royal Navy officers; visit to Japan; visits by foreign naval cruisers; return to GB coastal waters. Aspects of period as officer with Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, Royal Marine Artillery at Alexandria, Egypt, 1935-1936: Abyssinia Crisis, 1935; return to Royal Marines, 1935.
REEL 4 Continues: use of Vickers predictor gear; voyage from GB to Egypt; routine duties; recreational activities; discipline; period training cadets at Royal Marines Depot, Deal, GB, 1936-1937. Aspects of period as student with Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1938-1939: organisation; syllabus and teaching methods; effects of First World War on instructors; Tactical Exercises Without Troops (TEWTs); controversy over employment of cavalry and armour; gas warfare.
REEL 5 Continues: political expectations; impression of French Army during visit to France; battlefield tours; military expectations of war; outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; Marine Infantry Bde. Recollections of period as staff officer with General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at Arras, France, 9/1939-5/1940: journey from GB to France, 9/1939; staff duties as GSO III Operations; plans for General Headquarters Reserve Line; divisional exercises; organisation of headquarters; daily conferences; communications.
REEL 6 Continues: daily routine; map room; availability of intelligence; memories of Lord Gort; nature of Gort Line including question of use of pillboxes, wire, absence of minefields and lack of anti-tank guns; French Army liaison officers; French Army attitude towards British Expeditionary Force; liaison with Royal Air Force; security; scares and rumours; plans for advance into Belgium; plans for new General Headquarters for and expansion of British Expeditionary Force; lack of recreational facilities; officers' mess; food and drink rations; visits to divisions.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of operations as staff officer with General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: German attack, 10/5/1940; advance into Belgium; the Dyle Line; Lord Gort's forward command post; return to headquarters at Arras, France; watchkeeper duties; suspicion of French High Command; increasing demands for Royal Air Force fighter cover during retreat; German Air Force attacks on Arras; evacuation by train from Arras, France; position of rear echelon of Forward Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at Hazebrouck; action at Hazebrouck.
REEL 8 Continues: organisation of 'scratch' forces; communications; withdrawal to Cassel, France; German air attack on Cassel; return to Hazebrouck to recover wine; constant nature of German activity; refugee problem; drive in Lord Gort's car to Prémesques, France; visit to report on evacuation from Dunkirk, France; fatigue; sight of aerial combat between Royal Air Force fighter aircraft and German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stukas; state of port facilities at Dunkirk, France; food supply; formation of Evacuation Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at La Panne, Belgium; communication cable link with Whitehall, London; visit by Field Marshal William Ironside; question state of knowledge of British Government and British Army High Command; reasons for collapse of French command; division of beaches at Dunkirk, France; control of movement; defence perimeter; German Air Force incendiary attack.
REEL 9 Continues: division of beach; use of East Mole at Dunkirk, France as main point of embarkation; method of contact with Royal Navy; stopping vehicles at edge of Dunkirk Perimeter; effects of German
Air Force attacks; location of General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force at La Panne, Belgium; commencement of evacuation; visit to Dover, GB; conference with Admiral Bertram Ramsay; return to La Panne, Belgium; lack of direct communication between ships and beach; situation on beaches; food an water supplies; use of 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers to police beach area; recovery of stranded lifeboat; control of movement on beach; evacuation of General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force, 29/5/1940; direction of troops embarking from East Mole at Dunkirk, France; German attacks on East Mole, Dunkirk, France; embarkation and reception on arrival at Dover, GB, 6/1940; lessons of campaign; training duties on return to GB, 1940.