Shields, John Gillies (Oral history)

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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
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All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1391658149
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British officer served with 1/5th Bn Leicestershire Regt, 148th (Territorial) Infantry Bde in GB and Norway, 1937-1940; internee in Sweden, 1940; served with 1st Bn Northern Rhodesian Regt, 21st (East Africa) Bde, 11th African Div in Kenya and Ethiopia, 1940-1941

Content description

REEL 1 Recollections of period as officer with 1/5th Bn Leicestershire Regt in GB, 1937-1939: reasons for joining Territorial Army, 1937; mess games; Territorial Army camps; clash of opinion with regimental sergeant-major; prior training with Officer Training Corps at Uppingham School; route marches; story of digging trenches at Rolls-Royce Ltd factory in Derby, 1940; officer training at Leicester; organisation of Hastings Coy; degree of awareness of situation in Europe and attitude towards rise of Nazis; origins of company personnel; weapons including Bren Gun; uniform and equipment; transport and communications; grenade discharger-cup. REEL 2 Continues: communications in field; Tactical Exercises Without Troops (TEWTS); training with other arms; gas training; discipline in battalion; attitude to attached regular officers. Recollections of period as officer with 5th Bn Leicestershire Regt in GB, 1939-1940: embodiment on outbreak of war, 9/1939; detachment to guard Rolls-Royce Ltd Factory in Derby and arrest of suspected spy; rations; move to Raby Castle; character of billeting with Methodist family; collection of stores; story of temporary loss of company pay; awareness of situation in France; call for volunteers for service in Finland; briefing for move to Norway; move to Dumferline; preparations of stores for move to Norway. REEL 3 Continues: lecture received from First World War veteran at Dumferline; mess etiquette; briefing of troops for Norway; loading of ships. Recollections of operations as officer with 1/5th Bn Leicestershire Regt, 148th (Territorial) Infantry Bde in Norway, 1940: voyage to Norway; landing at Åndalsnes; lack of proper maps; German air activity; train journey south; arrival at Lillehammer and march south; orders to take up former Norwegian positions near Lake Mjøsa; character of field work in forest; strafing of troops by German aircraft; orders to withdraw and lack of mortar bombs; Norwegian troops advancing through positions; march back to Lillehammer and collecting stragglers; presence of Germans in Lillehammer; visit to hospital and encounter with Norwegian 'Quisling'; terrain around Lake Mjøsa; proximity to German forces at Lake Mjøsa. REEL 4 Continues: character of Norwegian field works; occupying houses in hamlet; effects of German mortars; weather and rations; German Air Force dive-bombing of transport; conditions on march; impressions of Norwegian troops; decision to climb up mountain; atmosphere at mountain hotel; reasons for leaving hotel for mountain hut; learning to ski; breaking up into small parties; other ranks belief that officers would not survive; progress across mountains and snow blindness; Norwegian attitude towards British intervention. REEL 5 Continues: hearing news of British evacuation; move towards Sweden; survival techniques learnt during journey to Sweden; sheltering in huts; presence of Germans in 'safe house'; approach to Swedish border. Recollections of period as internee in Sweden, 1940: crossing into Sweden; arrest and interview with intelligence officer; character of internment camp; origins of fellow internees; instructions from British Military Attaché; preparations for escape to Soviet Union; visit to British Ambassador in Stockholm; German propaganda in Sweden and attitude of Swedes to war and protagonists; REEL 6 Continues: sight of English edition of German magazine Signal; publication of officer's diary; camp uniform worn; camp gardens and other activities; rumours of exchange. Aspects of journey from Sweden to GB, 1940: train into Finland; impressions of Finns; voyage from Finland to GB; landing at Lerwick; train to Aldershot; impressions of GB; impressions of Norwegian campaign; physical effects of participation in Norwegian campaign. Aspects of period as officer with Leicestershire Regimental Depot at Glen Parva Barracks, South Wigston in GB, 1940: civilian morale; attitude towards depot life; reasons for volunteering for service in East Africa. REEL 7 Continues: kitting out in London. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Northern Rhodesia Regt, 21st (East African) Bde, 11th African Div in Kenya, 1940-1941: voyage from GB to Kenya; initial impressions of east Africa; allocation of servants; joining regiment, 12/1940; attitude of civilian settlers; drill parade disrupted by hare; impressions of troops; language training; tribal composition of regiment; policy of mixing tribes and personal allegiance; religious affiliations; use of talking drums; tactics employed and need for officers to lead from the front. REEL 8 Continues: African troops' approach to battle; effects on morale of Battle of Tug Argan; African troops' fear of hyenas; tradition of service; discipline and African troops' attitude towards drill; attitude of South African NCOs towards African troops; incident of mutiny caused by racial abuse; need for officers to lead by example; officers' code of conduct; solution to welfare problems; influence of witch doctor; African NCOs; organisation of battalion and weapons; transport and signals; move to Malindi area; nature of campaign at Moyale. REEL 9 Continues: African NCOs unofficial attack on Italians at Moyale; aerial activity around Moyale. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Northern Rhodesia Regt, 21st (East African) Bde, 11th African Div in Ethiopia, 1941: advance towards Neghelli; attitude during action at Soroppa; attitude of defeated Italian forces; mopping up operations around Soroppa; reaction of African troops; Italian positions at Soroppa; formation for attack; casualties; attitude of prisoners of war; patrolling in areas around Malindi, Kenyay and Kerisa, Ethiopia; catching Eritrean spy in tree and how he became Shield's personal servant; supplementing rations and cooks; supply of alcohol; patrol at Neghelli; overnight stops and local security measures; action at Sciaso. REEL 10 Continues: reasons for deployment to Lake Rudolf; escorting political mission; nature of terrain and wildlife; overnight stops; political situation in area; attitude of local chieftains to Italians and Haile Selassie; appearance of guerrillas; selection of chiefs; character of political officer; casualties and threat of ambush; evidence of bandit ambushes; discovery of missing platoon; presence of Italian civilians in area; treatment of sick; terrain and roads; morale of troops; security measures at night; character of villages; supplementing rations; village drainage. REEL 11 Continues: Ethiopian society; politics of Ethiopian guerrillas; character of Major Wally; game shooting; water supply; encounter with pygmies on River Omo; character of Australian Lieutenant Hunt; origins of victims of Shifta; duration of political mission; visit to Addis Ababa; situation in Addis Ababa; attitude towards South Africans; character of 5th King's African Rifles; journey back to unit with 5th King's African Rifles; comparison between 5th King's African Rifles and 1st North Rhodesia Regiment; work improving roads. Aspects of period on course at Gil Gil, Kenya, 1941: posting to course; incident with South African colonel's car; involvement in court martials. REEL 12 Continues: how African regiments attracted 'wild characters'; attending drumhead court martial; attitude to life in bush; interest in African culture. Aspects of period as officer with 5th King's African Rifles in Ethiopia 1941: character of Turkana irregulars; use of camels; character of Somalis; dust storms; observations on the East African campaign; importance of understanding bush terrain.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
de Lee, Nigel (recorder)
Shields, John Gillies (interviewee/speaker)
Production date: 1984-09-25
Dimensions: whole: Duration 360, Number Of Items 12
Catalogue number: 8333

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Shields, John Gillies (Oral history)

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