Jameson, George Brumwell (Oral history)

British trooper served with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in GB and on Western Front, 1913-1915; served as officer with C Bty, 252nd and 72nd Bdes Royal Field Artillery on Western Front and in Italy, 1916-1918

REEL 1 Background in Newcastle on Tyne, 1892-1914: family; education; work as apprentice in shipyards; initial interest in Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves; riding instruction and period as signaller with Elswick Bty, Royal Field Artillery, 1910-1913; background to transfer as trooper to 1/1st Northumberland Hussars, 1913; contacts with Scots Greys during summer camps; mobilisation and initial period at Gosforth Park Racecourse, 8/1914-9/1914; background to appointment as divisional cavalry in 7th Div. Recollections of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: reception on landing at Zeebrugge; emotional impact of singing during over night stop; move to Ypres area, 13/10/1914; question of status as first territorial unit in action; family involvement in Boer War; family reaction to mobilisation. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of German troops. Recollections of training with Elswick Bty, Royal Field Artillery, 1910-1913: learning to ride; story of nearly losing GS wagon to tide during firing exercise on Morecambe Bay sands; exercising horses. Training with Northumberland Hussars, 1913-1914: mounted infantry exercises; role as cavalry screen. Recollections of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: situation; story of leading reconnaissance patrol as corporal along Menin Road including looting champagne and medallions from Gheluveldt Chateau, interrogation of Belgian civilian, locating German cavalry screen and development of front line; divisional casualties; German shrapnel shell fire in Hooge sector; move to occupy trenches in Neuve Chapelle area; illustration of regulars effective rifle shooting; reconnaissance role and question of method of communications. REEL 3 Continues: question of method of communications including heliograph and Lucas lamp. Aspects of period as officer with C Bty, 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery in Nieuport area, 1917: waterlogged ground conditions preventing digging in; situation; observation post; German air reconnaissance; successful German counter-battery fire on A and B Btys; pulling C Bty guns out of position to avoid German counter-battery fire; success of impromptu method devised to use 18 pdr gun in anti-aircraft role; report in divisional news bulletin; receiving mustard gas burns whilst evacuating horses after German gas shell bombardment; story illustrating consequences of not properly burying horse; effects of British artillery bombardments. Aspects of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: story of taking message back to infantry unit. REEL 4 Continues: fatigue; foraging; issue of Queen Mary Christmas boxes; parcels from GB; rum ration; story of meeting another patrol whilst on listening patrol in No Man's Land; importance of briefing. Aspects of period as officer with C Bty, 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery at Vimy Ridge, 4/1917: story of going forward to establish location of new front line in to Arleux Loop sector; establishing telephone communications and success in bringing down artillery fire on German counter-attack; award of MC; question of ability of shellfire to cut barbed wire; experiment in possible anti-tank role, 1918; German bombing raid on camp. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: news of Christmas Truce, 25/12/1914; periods relieving infantry units in front line; reports of German use of English to gain advantage; German booby traps; opinion of frontal assault tactics and consequent casualties amongst potential officers; question of role of cavalry, organisation of specialist troops and role of tanks; role as divisional cavalry; situation and unit's role providing working parties and as relief troops during offensives, 1915; treatment of wounded; reserve role and opinion of regulars during fighting in Ypres area, 10/1914-11/1914. REEL 6 Continues: development of front line, German shrapnel shell fire in Hooge sector and personal morale during fighting in Ypres area, 10/1914-11/1914. Aspects of period as officer with C Bty, 252nd and 72nd Bdes Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1916-1917: visit by General Cotton to observation post in Nieuport area; selection of targets as forward observation officer in consultation with infantry intelligence officer; role as Forward Observation Officer during attacks in providing artillery support for infantry; faulty US shells; attachments as Forward Observation Officer to Colonel Lascalles of 1st Bn Grenadier Guards and Colonel John Gort of Coldstream Guards. Aspects of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: supplying escorts for staff; opinion of generals including Brigadier Sidney Lawford; opinion of officers; role of unit, 4/1915-9/1915; working parties carrying up gas bottles prior to failed gas attack at Loos, 9/1915. Aspects of period as officer with C Bty, 252nd and 72nd Bdes Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1916-1917: story illustrating German use of gas shells; comparison of British and German gas masks; superiority of German telephones and star shells. REEL 7 Continues: German use of signal rockets to communicate with artillery; use of abandoned tank as Observation Post in High Wood; story of German shell hitting signal rocket dump in High Wood; story of moving forward to salvage guns at Loos, 9/1915; failure of frontal attacks; effects of gas; story of attack of trench fever illustrating unwillingness to be hospitalised in case of not returning to unit; story of meeting friend during infantry relief; effects of gas. Aspects of period with 1/1st Northumberland Hussars in Ypres and Bethune areas, 9/1914-9/1915: story of being accused of being absent without leave illustrating unpopular attitude of Major Birrell; application for commission in artillery during GB leave, subsequent acceptance despite Birrell's objections and congratulations from troop officer; situation, 9/1915. REEL 8 Continues: reasons for applying for commission. Attending courses at Artillery Training School at Edinburgh and Ripon, 1915-1916: reaction to course; story of problem with bolting horse during exercise; miniature range gunnery drill; horse riding accident; gun drill training; fatal accident on miniature range; kitting out; horse riding accident. Recollections of period with C Bty, 252nd Bde Royal Field Artillery in Somme area, 7/1916-4/1917: journey out, 7/1916; officers; death of Lieutenant John Dickinson at Vimy, 4/1917; gun positions at Peak Wood, Contalmaison, Somme area, 9/1916; aiming post and zero line; problem with wearing 18- pdr barrels. REEL 9 Continues: terrain; story of hedge causing premature explosion of sensitively fused shells fired from gun position behind Peak Wood; nature of fighting and artillery role in Somme area, 9/1916-11/1916; story illustrating onset of cold weather; story of close escape from German shells; story illustrating attitude to German POWs; role of Salvation Army; in providing tea; story of galloping into position across open ground; role of signallers in laying and maintaining telephone lines; reasons for introduction of mules to supplement horses and stories illustrating affection in which both were held; family connections with horse trade. REEL 10 Continues: Somme terrain; amusing story of Colonel Archibald Stirling disciplining drunk gunners and general respect accorded them for having successfully stolen rum from, Australians; ruse to conceal unofficial battery transport; methods of securing extra equipment and rations; concert parties and recites Kipling poem 'Snarleyow'; post-war summer camps; recreational visits to Amiens; opinion of Canadian and Australian troops; introduction of tanks and second hand report of tank action; view of shells in flight. REEL 11 Continues: 9" guns; horse accident; question of effect of Somme offensive; judging lack of meat in German troops diet from excreta; opinion of New Zealand troops illustrated by story of fighting during advance in Le Quesnoy sector, 1918. Recollections of operations with C Bty, 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery in Vimy Ridge sector, 3/1917-5/1917: role of army artillery brigades; move to gun positions at La Targette and preparations for attack; Forward Observation Officer's use of tunnel air vents in No Man's Land for observing wire cutting barrage; preliminary barrage prior to successful Canadian attack, 9/4/1917; difficulty with ground conditions and German counter-battery fire on move to gun positions on Vimy Ridge; story of officer losing his nerve; move to concealed gun positions near Willerval; story of going forward to establish location of new front line in to Arleux Loop sector and liaison with local infantry officers. REEL 12 Continues: story of going forward to establish location of new front line in to Arleux Loop sector, establishing telephone communications, success in bringing down artillery fire on German counter-attack and award of MC; active service chevrons. Recollections of periods with C Bty, 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery in Ypres and Nieuport area, 1917: working parties to improve gun positions on Wytschaete Ridge; casualties from German machine gun fire; story of being excused working party due to imminent leave; review of activities in Nieuport area; view of attacks on German observation balloons by Royal Naval Air Service and coastal bombardments by Royal Naval monitor; question of super-heavy artillery; state of morale and question of US involvement in war; situation and corpse problem in Ypres area, 1917; story of being hit by shell fragment in latrines; story of dispute with recruiting sergeants illustrating attitude to white feathers and home service personnel during GB leave. REEL 13 Continues: periods of GB leave including civilian ignorance of conditions on Western Front and attitude to war, reactions to US entry into war and Russian Revolution; periods of GB leave including reactions of family to Jamieson's war experience, reaction to Zeppelin bombing attack and frequency of leave; background to formation of 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery; status as army brigade attached to corps troops, consequent lack of administrative care from local divisional artillery staff illustrated by lack of medals awarded to personnel and reaction to lack of citation for MC awarded for actions at Vimy, 4/1917; reactions to failure to be awarded Territorial Efficiency Medal; role of army brigades and opinion of necessity for senior commanding administrative officer. REEL 14 Recollections of period with 72nd Bde Royal Field Artillery on Piave front, Italy, 10/1917-3/1918: reaction to posting; journey out to Nervasa sector; wagon line billets; question of number of British divisions in Italy; gun positions on plain under Austrian observation in Montello sector; shooting from detached single gun position; Observation Post on Montello ridge; mobile Austrian searchlights; quiet nature of sector; plans for raid across Piave; establishing gun positions on Montello Ridge; plotting positions of mobile Austrian searchlights; trial raids to determine methods of getting across Piave; cancellation of raid due to Piave flooding and consequent shelling of plotted searchlight positions; attitude of Austrian troops; view of Royal Flying Corps air raid on Austrian airfields, 25/12/1917 and stories of drunken Austrian pilots disastrous attempt at retaliation, 1/1/1918. REEL 15 Continues: quiet nature of sector; ban on leave in Venice; leave visits to Rome, Pompeii and Naples; story of theft of pig from headquarters; move to Asiago Plateau; opinion of performance of Italian troops and role of British forces; question of presence of German troops; lack of contact with Italian troops; reception from Italian civilians on arrival, 10/1917; conditions of service; relationship with Italian civilians; supplementing food rations; reactions to news of German offensive on Western Front. REEL 16 Continues: regret at cancellation of planned raid due to Piave flooding. Recollections of operations on Western Front, 4/1918-11/1918: situation during retreat; reactions to news of award of MC; confused situation during retreat; role in support of Guards Bde during advance; effects of direct hit by German shell on No 1 gun; nature of advance; hold up caused by dry Canal Du Nord and story of galloping across temporary bridge under German shell fire; difficulty in keeping in contact with infantry as speed of advance increased and use of liaison officers gallopers; promotion to captain; nature of fighting during advance in Le Quesnoy sector; reaction to news of Armistice and subsequent celebrations, 11/11/1918; visits to Namur and Brussels during period at Sombreffe, Belgium, 11/1918-4/1919. REEL 17 Continues: nature of open warfare during advance, 8/1918-11/1918; reaction to news of Armistice, 11/11/1918. Period at Sombreffe, Belgium, 11/1918-4/1919: gradual demobilisation of unit; purpose of Army of Occupation in Germany; recreations; relationship with Belgian civilians; question of demobilisation procedure and lack of personal urgency. Post-war career: studying naval architecture; story illustrating difficulties facing men returning to work in shipyards after military service; difficulty in finding work and switch to career as company secretary. REEL 18 Continues: Aspects of service on Western Front and Italy, 1914-1918: comparison of position as NCO and officer; opinion of Major Drew; relationship with other ranks; story illustrating inspirational qualities of Drew; opinion of quality of officers and advantages of civilian experience; question of justification of war and question of post-war treatment of Germany; importance of comradeship; stories of eccentric reckless officer; method of removing unsuitable officers; royal visits; role of Northumberland Yeomanry as divisional cavalry; carrying messages under shell fire; disciplinary problems faced by independent minded trooper; opinion on contributory effects of minenwerfers in causing shell shock; personal morale on Vimy Ridge; close escape during German air raid. REEL 19 Continues: nature of trenches and barbed wire; problems with rats and copses; lice problem and advantages of being officer; method of preparing battery gun positions; story of gas attack and officer's problem with gas mask; story of reaction to officer using red boot polish; shaving; rum and cigarette rations; story of clash whilst on GB leave over active service policy to encourage pipe rather than cigarette smoking; parcels from GB; method of censoring letters; writing to casualties' relatives; story of ironic reaction to fatal NCO casualty after direct hit on No 1 gun. REEL 20 Continues: absence of wounds and subsequent accidental wounds during Home Guard service, 1939-1945; state of health including diet and effects of influenza epidemic, 1918; camp kettles; foraging for food; emergency rations; Italian woman suspected of being spy and fear of illegal camera being found during security searches; question of keeping diary; opinion of war poets and Kipling; opinion of commemoration of Armistice Day; symbolism of lark singing; opinion of French troops including rings made by wounded and question of French Army mutinies, 1917; opinion of shooting of spies; relationship with French civilians and difficulty in learning French; opinion of German troops. REEL 21 Continues: German dugouts; opinion of German troops and question of their superior weaponry, sniping and communications; signs of collapse of German morale, 1918; rumours of Germans using corpses in glue manufacture and story of discovering piles of copses on light railway system; songs; swearing; use of motor transport and story of seeing London buses in Belgium, 1914; stories of winners of Albert Medal; view of air war and role of fighter aircraft in preventing air observation; story of being machine gunned by German aircraft; question of volunteers and conscripts; question of effects of war.