Description
Object description
British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, 1939-1941
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1916-1936: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, Jhansi Bde in India, 1936-1939: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939; structure of army units in India; character of Jhansi Bde. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Egypt, 1939-1940: equipment taken to Egypt; comparison between Bren Gun and Vickers Machine Gun; level of equipment in unit; unit communications; strength of battalion; British strategy in North Africa. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 1940: move to Gedaref; character of training; suitability of clothing; diet and desert sores; sleeping in open; reoccupation of Kassala.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Fusiliers, 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 1941: move to Eritrea, 1/1941; lack of information from superiors; move to Agordat; reconnaissance patrols; instructions given to patrols; plan of attack on Italian positions at Agordat; move onto start line; anxiety not to let tanks get too far ahead; bayonet charge on Italian trenches; clearing the battlefield; state of dead bodies; scavenging by local people; move to Keren area, 2/1941; character of terrain at Keren.
REEL 3 Continues: description of main peaks at Keren; exposed nature of unit position; water supply; physical condition of troops; effect of difficult position on morale; problems evacuating wounded man; mystery of disappearing corpse; beneficial influence of General Bernard Montgomery in North Africa; move into rest area; plan of attack on Italian positions at Keren; withdrawal from Happy Valley; new plan of attack over Cameron Ridge; tremendous noise of battle.
REEL 4 Continues: moving forwards to reinforce 2nd Bn Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders; heavy casualties to advancing platoon; desperate position of survivors; effect of Italian grenades; mortaring of advancing Indian unit; his wounding by mortar splinters; evacuation from front line; description of being wounded and then evacuated; casualties on advance up fold in ground; effects of noise on battlefield; use of railway; quality of medical treatment received; question of inexperience of commanding officers; lack of welfare for troops.
REEL 5 Continues: scarcity of letters from home; advantages of simple equipment; tendency to underestimate Italians; his estimate of Italian performance; primitive Italian minefield at Agordat; sight of aerial activity; Italian Air Force bombing of Happy Valley.