King, Robert de Lisle (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 23rd Infantry Bde in Egypt, 9/1939-6/1940; served as staff officer with Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt, 6/1940-12/1940; served with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 4th Indian Infantry Bde, 7th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, Eritrea and North Africa, 12/1940-12/1941

REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 23rd Infantry Bde in Egypt, 9/1939-6/1940: background to joining British Army and Royal Sussex Regt; expectations of war from 1935; mobilisation in Egypt, 8/1939; expectation of Italian invasion from Libya; work as acting adjutant during mobilisation; internal security duties and protection of oil refineries; problems with accommodation in Suez; communications problems; duties in Canal Zone; incident in canal caused by Greek ship; liaison with civilian corporations and civil authorities; attitude of Egyptians to military presence; restrictions on troops leisure time. REEL 2 Continues: Egyptian police officers. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, British Troops in Egypt in Egypt, 6/1940-12/1940: appointment to staff, 6/1940; plans for defence line to protect Nile Delta; process of designing the defence line; construction of anti-tank ditch; outpost positions in front of anti-tank ditch; construction of pillboxes and gun-pits; zig-zag nature of anti-tank ditch; concealed nature of pillboxes and gun-pits; provisions for enfilade fire; self contained nature of positions; clearing fields of fire; brigade headquarters cut into sandstone; communications network; defence in depth; use of barbed wire; artillery positions; process of planning defence line. REEL 3 Continues: command structure of team; plans to use canals; background to knowledge of defensive planning; determining fields of fire; nature of Polish Carpathian Bde; difficulty of assimilating Polish Carpathian Bde into organisation of defence line; relations with Poles; machine gun and mortar posts; alternate positions; defence line occupied by skeleton force. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 4th Indian Infantry Bde, 7th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 12/1940-1/1941: re-joining battalion and advance party to Sudan; atmosphere in Port Sudan; accomodation in tented camp; use of Bren Gun Carriers; training in hills; degree of intelligence available. REEL 4 Continues: civil authorities sources of intelligence; encounters with local population; troops attitude towards local population; opinion of Sudan Defence Force; reasons for training in mountain tactics; emphasis on offensive tactics; lack of intelligence on Italian tactical position; troops’ opinion of Italian forces; effects of shortage of NCOs; shortage of officers and absorption of reservists; morale and discipline; logistical problems in rainy season; promotion of sergeant-major to captain; source of beer; promotion of NCOs to commissioned officers. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt, 4th Indian Infantry Bde, 7th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 1941: advance into Eritrea; use on local guides during expedition towards Mersa Tecial; reconnaissance of Italian positions at Mersa Tecial; attack on Mersa Tecial supported by anti-tank platoon; approach to port; effect of anti-tank fire on lighthouse; formation and speed of advance; Italian surrender; use of Bren Gun Carriers to cut of Italian retreat; motor transport used; use of Bren Gun Carriers for reconnaissance; encounters with Italian outposts; night reconnaissance patrol prior to attack on Mersa Tecial; casualties during action at Mersa Tecial. REEL 6 Continues: method of shooting during attack; essential need to control fire carefully; character of Italian positions and preparations; role of fort at Mersa Tecial; Italian air attack on fort; treatment of casualties and POWs; attitude of POWs; opinion of Italian forces in Eritrea; arrival of supplies and French Foreign Legion after capture of Mersa Tecial; orders to rejoin battalion; route march in high temperatures. REEL 7 Continues: effects of heat exhaustion; lessons learnt from march in daylight; water discipline on march; state of marchers' feet and question of salt deficiency; clothing worn; creation of flying column; advance on rear of Italian positions at Keren; ambush and capture of Italian patrol; Italian shelling; character of Italian positions faced at Keren; rations and water supply; climate; state of morale; types of patrols employed. REEL 8 Continues: reasons for orders to seize Massawa quickly; plan for night attack on Massawa; problems crossing start line on Italian perimeter at Massawa; nature of advance; method of crossing Italian defences; effect of artillery barrage lost; problems with communications; under intense fire in open ground; attack by Italian tanks; Italian artillery positions and shelling; casualties and sickness; reduction in battalion strength; entry into Massawa; facilities in Massawa. REEL 9 Continues: medical co-operation in hospital; hospitalisation for blood poisoning; work of adjutant including dealing with company commanders; process of making plans and issuing orders; degree of intelligence available; opinion of Italian forces; qualities of Indian and British troops; departure from Massawa. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Sussex Regt, 4th Indian Infantry Bde, 7th Indian Infantry Div in North Africa, 1941: attitude to rapid return to Western Desert and effect on morale; taking up positions in ‘Bagush Box’. REEL 10 Continues: the box system of defence; terrain at Bagush; deployment and positions; section strengths; fields of fire; importance of high ground; reconnaissance force and patrolling; communications and artillery support; supply of box; special importance of water to Indian troops; opinion of new commanding officer; training for motorised operations; threat from German Air Force; anti-aircraft and anti-tank support; daily routine in ‘Bagush Box’; Axis air attacks on ‘Bagush Box’; patrols; question of boredom. REEL 11 Continues: recreational activities in ‘Bagush Box’; informal liaison on beach whilst swimming; leave in Alexandria; officers’ messes in the ‘Bagush Box’; supply of alcohol and rations; state of health; desert sores; newspapers; mail and censorship; preparations to move out of ‘Bagush Box’, 11/1941; detachment to Cairo for orders; missing rendezvous and re-finding unit; plan to retake Tobruk during Operation Crusader, 11/1941; Axis positions at Sidi Omar; infantry forced to debus too soon and loss of benefit of bombardment; loss of tanks to mines and how Bren Gun Carriers found gap in defences; the start line. REEL 12 Continues: minefield and barbed wire; plan to use tanks in attack; problems of locating start line; debussing under Axis shell-fire; tanks mingling with infantry; effect on morale of loss of tanks; opinion of Axis infantry positions; importance of taking positions; formation used for attack; use of bayonets and grenades; Italian and German grenades; consolidation of captured positions; POWs; presence of fleas in captured positions; medical evacuation of casualties. REEL 13 Continues: number of casualties; effects of artillery and small arms fire; Axis casualties; night after attack; night attack by 4/10th Bn Punjab Regt; move into rear area of advance; incident of being accidentally bombed by Fleet Air Arm; reinforcement of position; beating off of German armoured attack; German withdrawal; problems with water supply; receiving reinforcements from other regiments; speed of assault and tactics employed.