Description
Object description
British gunner trained with Royal Field Artillery at Royal Artillery Regimental Depot, Woolwich, London, GB, 1916; private trained with Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) and officer cadet with No 7 Officer Cadet Bn at Kilworth Camp, Kilworth, Ireland, 1916-1917; officer served with 2/4th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt, 170th (2/1st North Lancashire) Bde, 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Div on Western Front, 11/1917-9/1918
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment in Royal Field Artillery in GB, 1916: initial attempt to enlist underage and attitude to being rejected, 1914; incident of being handed a white feather, 1915; enlistment as gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, 1916. Recollections of period as gunner with Royal Field Artillery and private with Royal Irish Fusiliers in GB and Ireland, 1916-1917: training as gunner at Royal Artillery Regimental Depot, Woolwich, GB; attitude to military life and discipline; reason for posting to Ireland; journey to Ireland, 1916; transfer to Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) at Kilworth Camp, Kilworth near Fermoy, Ireland; basic training; opinion of Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers); relations with civilian population. Aspects of period as officer cadet with No 7 Officer Cadet Bn at Moore Park, Kilworth, Ireland, 1916-1917: amusing story of trying to obtain commission; description of officer cadet battalion at Moore Park.
REEL 2 Continues: nature of training; opinion of training methods used. Recollection of operations as officer with 2/4th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt, 170th (2/1st North Lancashire) Bde, 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Div on Western Front, 11/1917-9/1918: question of adequacy of training for modern warfare; relations with his men; attitude to sexual matters and venereal disease including treatments; organising officers' mess; arrival in France, 11/1917; problem of understanding Northern dialects; obtaining rifle; attitude to his men and question of social class; buying extra food for his men.
REEL 3 Continues: relations with batman; story of narrow escape in gun pit, 4/1918; sight of line of men blinded after gas attack; use of whale oil to prevent trench foot; story of protecting German prisoner of war, 4/1918; attitude to punishments and executions in the field; question of men with intellectual disabilities being sent to front towards end of war.
REEL 4 Continues: opinion of Portuguese Army troops; attitude to French Army troops and their habits; sight of rats escaping from gas attack, 4/1918; problem of lice and methods of delousing; amusing story of taking bath; attack on Drocourt-Quéant Line and capturing part of Hindenburg Line, 2/9/1918; ankle wound and being trapped in German trench; amusing story of taking German prisoners of war with unloaded revolver and being carried back to lines on stretcher; medical treatment received in France and GB.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period of convalescence from wounds in London, GB, 9/1918-11/1918: period in officers' convalescent home; other officers' practical jokes; receiving advice on sexual matters; hearing news of Armistice whilst at theatre, 11/11/1918; effects of active service. Reflections on military service: attitude to military life following end of war and problem of finding employment; selling medals; attitude to awarding of medals; attitude to period of military service.