Rackham, Basil Bedsmore (IWM interview)

British officer served with Hawke Bn Royal Naval Division in GB, Gallipoli and on Western Front, 1914-1919

REEL 1 Recollections of family background in Wickham Market, 1896-1914. Background to recruitment into Royal Naval Div at Union Jack Club, Waterloo, London, 8/1914: reasons; failure of attempt to form Public School Battalion. Posting to D coy, Hawke Bn Royal naval Div at Crystal Palace, London, 1914: attack of measles and consequent separation from unit; commission as sub-lieutenant. Aspects of training at Blandford Camp with Royal Naval Div, 1915: naval methods and tradition of Royal Naval Div; question of adequacy of training; relationship with other ranks; kitting out. Recollections of voyage with draft on Franconia to Mudros, Lemnos, 8/1915-9/1915: knowledge of Gallipoli destination; send off at Blandford; opinion of Royal Naval Div officers illustrated by recollections of Freyberg's war career. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Royal Naval Div officers illustrated by recollections of Asquith, Herbert and Brooke's war careers including literary activities; question of submarine danger; visit ashore at Malta; period at Mudros. Landing through River Clyde at V Beach, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey, 9/1915: reports of original landings; joining unit in reserve positions at Backhouse Post. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at Helles, 9/1915-1/1916: previous actions of Hawke Bn; biscuit tin sign at Backhouse Post; situation. REEL 3 Continues: nickname 'Baby Rackham'; prevalence of jaundice; nature of trenches; bombardment following evacuation of Suvla, 12/1915; Royal Navy presence; communications; comparison with Western Front; supplies; raid to take Turkish POW and state of Turkish trenches; terrain and view of peninsula; acclimatisation to casualties; fly problem; latrines; unburied corpses; lice problem; onset of winter weather and question of clothing and hot food; rum ration; question of cigarette rations. REEL 4 Continues: rota of tours in trenches and reserve; condition of French trenches on relieving them; measures against frost bite on Western Front; shortage of fuel; visit to Anzac and comparison with Helles situation; overall artillery situation; unofficial nature of visit to Anzac; question of leave; state of morale; contacts with GB; opinion of Anzac troops; opinion of Turkish troops and post war contacts; opinion of senior officers and Gallipoli strategy; relationship with other ranks; story illustrating Herbert's relationship with other ranks; story of inoculations at Crystal Palace, 1914. REEL 5 Continues: hygiene; question of beards and later disputes with army officers; water supplies; sea bathing; food rations; destruction of alcohol prior to evacuation; restrictions on grouping together; medical evacuation procedure. Recollections of evacuation, 8/1/1916: effects of prior evacuation of Suvla, 12/1915; ruses to mislead Turks; booby traps in trenches; unit's role holding last line of defence above cliffs; evacuation from W Beach on lighter and destroyer, 9/1/1915; destruction of abandoned stores; opinion of preparations and Turkish inactivity; scale of casualties at Gallipoli. Period at Imbros, 1/1916-5/1916. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period at Imbros, 1/1916-5/1916. Opinion of Gallipoli Association, 1984. Voyage to France, 5/1915. Recollections of operations on Western Front, 1916-1918: news of Battle of Jutland, 6/1916; question of leave; training as Lewis gun officer; recollections of attack towards Beaucourt in Ancre sector, Somme area, 13/11/1917-14/11/191 6, including situation, plans, casualties during failed initial assault on German strongpoint, slight hand wound, successful use of tanks on strongpoint, consolidation and lessons of battle; winter conditions in Beaucourt area, 2/1917; recollections of attack in Gavrelle sector, Arras area, 4/1917, including unit's support role, casualties amongst headquarters group, capture of objectives and medals awarded; circumstances of being awarded MC during attack in Beaucourt sector, 2/1916; story of German gas shell attack in Flesquires sector, 3/1918. REEL 7 Continues: retreat in following German gas shell attack in Flesquires sector, 3/1918; evacuation with mustard gas burns to GB, 4/1918; award of Military Cross Bar; rejoining unit in Belgium, 11/1918; reactions to armistice, 11/11/1918; open warfare situation, 11/1918; opinion of German troops and dislike of minenwerfers; comparison with conditions at Gallipoli; conditions of service in Ypres area, 10/1917; operations following German counter attack at Cambrai, 11/1917. Demobilisation on return to GB, 6/1919: final parade in front of Prince of Wales; pride in Royal Naval Div. Service in Second World War, 1939-1945. Various aspects of First World War service, 1914-1919: writing letters to deceased next of kin; personal morale including example of evacuation, 8/1/1916; question of POWs at Gallipoli, 1915. Post-war decision to become regular officer with Middlesex Regt, 1920.