Wyld, Edward John (Oral history)

British officer served as staff officer with Headquarters, Royal Artillery, 4th Indian Infantry Div in North Africa and Eritrea, 1939-1941

REEL 1 Aspects of period as officer with Royal Artillery in GB, India and Egypt, 1935-1939: reasons for joining British Army and selection of Royal Artillery; pattern of service with 16th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in India, 1937-1939; move to 1st Field Regt, Royal Artillery; preparations for move to GB on outbreak of war; arrival in Egypt; use of civilian cars to mechanise; role with 1st Field Regt, Royal Artillery. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Royal Artillery, 4th Indian Infantry Div in North Africa, 1939-1940: formation of division; removal of divisional 'tail'; role as staff captain with headquarters; importance of signals; question of unreliability of radios; evolution of techniques for controlling massed artillery; divisional shoots; participation in attack at Sidi Barrani, Libya. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Royal Artillery, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 12/1940: orders for division to move to East Africa; journey to Sudan. REEL 2 Continues: initial impressions of Sudan; plans for attack on Kassala, Italian evacuation and defensive attitude. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Royal Artillery, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 1941: Italian improvements in Eritrea; terrain and climate; Italian rearguard actions; Italian tactics; duration of actions; size of Italian rearguards; importance of high ground; question of quality of Italian troops; Italian artillery; tactics employed by artillery; Italian cavalry charge on artillery; attack on Italian positions at Agordat and aftermath; use of gun-pits; lack of air support and Italian Air Force activity; problems of administration and supply. REEL 3 Continues: nature of terrain at Keren; importance of taking heights at Keren; Italian use of high ground; British forces' use of corrugated sheets to counter Italian use of grenades; Italian use of artillery; arrival of 6 Inch Howitzers; logistic problems; use of lorry with awnings as personnel accommodation; evacuation of casualties and troops' state of health; effects of heat; morale and relations between British and Indian troops; divisional planning; arrangements for defensive fire; communications; emergency systems; use of code words to control fire; duties. REEL 4 Continues: popularity of corps commander Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse; attitude and morale of Italian prisoners of war; role of divisional engineers; reconstruction of demolished railway line; clearance of obstacles and mines by engineers; orders to take staff course at Staff College, Haifa, Palestine; encounter with war correspondents on Nile steamer; opinion of role of General Archibald Wavell.