Description
Object description
British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 23rd Infantry Bde and in Egypt, 9/1940-8/1940; served with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, 8/1940-4/1941
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training as officer cadet with Royal Military College, Sandhurst in GB, 1925-1926: reasons for joining British Army; equestrian training; background to commissioning into Royal Sussex Regiment, 8/1926. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 23rd Infantry Bde and 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Egypt, 9/1939-10/1940: internal security duties in Canal Zone; training and exercises; expectations of coming war; Italian Air Force attacks on oil refineries at Suez; pre-war contact with Italian Air Force personnel; character of battalion; absorption of reservists; concern for families; battalion organisation, arms, signals and transport; opinion of Bren Gun and mortars; joining 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div, 8/1940; gas training.
REEL 2 Continues: morale and discipline; relations with Gurkha troops in brigade; battalion participation in advance to Sidi Barrani. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 10/1940-2/1941: move to Sudan; construction of dummy airfields; reasons for aggressive patrolling. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 7th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 2/1941-4/1941: importance of Massawa; advance into Eritrea; tactics employed on march; patrolling forward; terrain and climate; orders to capture Mersa Tecial; air reconnaissance flight in Royal Air Force Bristol Blenheim; question of quality of intelligence on Italian positions.
REEL 3 Continues: first encounter with Italian camel patrol; column transport; night stop arrangements; Italian colonial troops; defensive positions; character of opposition at Mersa Tecial; assault on Italian positions at Mersa Tecial; threat of adverse weather conditions; Italian surrender; Italian surrender; casualties; attitude of Italian prisoners of war and own troops; march from Mersa Tecial and advance on Keren; capture of Italian outposts; gathering intelligence; supply problems and deficiencies of rations; approach to Italian positions near Keren.
REEL 4 Continues: communications with battalion whilst acting as detached company; climate and terrain; Italian positions on ridge; attempt to use 3 Inch Mortar on Italian positions; ranges operated; impossibility of digging in; orders to withdrawal and move to Massawa; operation to take Massawa; formation for attack; Italian disruption of planned attack and pinning down of battalion; Italian tank attack.
REEL 5 Continues: use of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle and withdrawal of Italian tanks; reporting to brigade headquarters; problems of recognition on battlefield; difficulties of command under intense fire; problems digging in; effects of heat and hunger; discovery of Italian medium tanks on taking of Massawa; problem with supply of artillery ammunition; orders to withdraw after dark; Italian surrender; evacuation of wounded; accommodation in naval barracks at Massawa; treatment of Italian prisoners of war; reaction to end of fighting and return to Western Desert, 4/1941; state of health; value of campaign and lessons learnt; morale; problem with flies.
