Description
Object description
British gunner trained at Royal Artillery Regimental Depot, Woolwich in GB, 1924-1925: gunner and NCO served with Royal Horse Artillery in GB, 1925-1929; NCO served with Royal Artillery in India, 1933-1940; officer served with Ammunition Unit, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India, Sudan and Eritrea, 1940-1941
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of enlistment and training as gunner with Royal Artillery at Royal Artillery Depot, Woolwich, GB, 1924-1925: background to and reasons for joining British Army; choice of Royal Artillery; recruit training at Woolwich; living conditions; quality of recruits and education; Territorial Army training; daily routine; attitude towards instructors; pattern of basic training; sport; pay. Aspects of period as gunner and NCO with Royal Horse Artillery in GB, 1925-1929: posting to unit at Brighton; promotion to lance bombardier; refusal of post as batman; attending evening classes; range finding work; riding instruction; work as battery accountant; marriage; promotion to sergeant.
REEL 2 Continues: background to being posting to Territorial Army as instructor at Grays, GB, 1929-1933. Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Artillery in India, 1933-1940: reaction to posting to India; reasons why Indian posting was unpopular; social conditions; importance of sport; lack of hygiene; how Anglo-Indians were viewed; degree of interest shown in politics by troops; his attitude towards situation in Europe; mechanisation of regiment; live firing; degree to which Italy was seen as threat; recall from holiday on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; reaction of troops to outbreak of Second World War. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Artillery in India, 1940: selection for commission; adjustment to officer status; pay; method of maintaining discipline.
REEL 3 Continues: clash with battery commander over his approach to discipline; dealing with crime. Aspects of period as officer with Ammunition Unit, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India, 1940: composition of unit; function of unit; types of ammunition handled; officers and other ranks; dealing with later case of cowardice at Keren, Eritrea; lack of set routine; storage of ammunition; use of ammunition dumps; unit transport and liaison with Royal Indian Army Service Corps; communications; location of unit in front line.
REEL 4 Continues: preparation for overseas service. Recollections of period as officer with Ammunition Unit, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, 1940-1941: voyage to Sudan; move to Gedaref, Sudan; roads and terrain in Sudan; Italian Air Force attacks; presence of non-combatants in unit; effect of air attacks on morale of Indian troops; Italian Air Force tactics; camouflage used; taking cover from air attacks; train journey to Massawa, Eritrea; food and water rations; state of locally acquired water supplies; local purchases; health of troops; shelter in the field.
REEL 5 Continues: bedding; use of mobile baths; pay in the field; supply of alcohol; mail; railway journey to Massawa, Eritrea; procedure for moving ammunition dump in field; lack of communications with rear base; planning for ammunition supply for battle; wildlife and insects; shooting to supplement rations; impressions of Ethiopians, Italians and Eritreans; attitude of Italian prisoner of war.
REEL 6 Continues: relations between Indian and British Army troops; degree to which Indian and British troops mixed; Indians in unit; absorption of Territorial Army and reservists into unit; state of unit morale; communications; degree of involvement in planning; stock checks; use of cable railway to supply artillery units besieging Massawa, Eritrea; discovery of Italian officer tents; attitude towards Italians; life in Asmara, Eritrea; impressions of Massawa, Eritrea; degree of confusion at Battle of Amba Alagi in Ethiopia.
REEL 7 Continues: effect of terrain during Battle of Keren; nature of Italian defences; effects of bombardment; protection and deployment of artillery; opinion of Italian field fortifications and gunnery; aerial activity; senior officer's attitude to regulations; quality of leadership; work as liaison officer; disbandment of unit and transfer to divisional headquarters; new system for supply of ammunition; Italian tanks captured at Agordat, Eritrea.