Description
Object description
British NCO served as signaller with 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, 1940-1941
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as driver with Royal Artillery in GB and India, 1937-1940: background to enlistment; move to India; anticipation of coming war; memories of outbreak of Second World War on North West Frontier, 9/1939; transfer to 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery; attending signals course. Aspects of operations as NCO with 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan and Eritrea, 1940-1941: unreliability of wireless sets; story of use of line communications during Battle of Keren in Eritrea, 1941; techniques for laying wire; damage to line and repairs. Aspects of voyage from India to Sudan, 1940: briefing prior to move to Africa; Italian Air Force attacks; signalling duties; composition of signals section; discipline in section; morale aboard ship.
REEL 2 Continues: weather in Red Sea; recreational activities on boardship; loading ship during dock strike in Bombay, India; level of information in unit; story of briefing from divisional commander in Eritrea, 1941. Recollections of period as NCO with 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 1940-1941: arrival at Port Sudan; train journey to Gedaref; arrival at Deva Dele; accommodation and rations; training at Deva Dele; entertainment received from civilian cotton planters; impressions of Gedaref; civilian population in Gedaref; rehearsal for attack on Gallabat; Italian Air Force bombing attacks.
REEL 3 Continues: night fighting exercises; move towards Gallabat; plan to attack Gallabat, 6/11/1940; barrage and advance; reasons for infantry retreating; acquiring small Italian field gun taken from fort at Gallabat; description of fort at Gallabat; rate and range of artillery fire; grass set on fire by Italians to create smoke; description of gun positions; Italian counter battery fire; nature of roads; suspected Italian gas attack on 1st Bn Essex Regt at Gallabat; relations with Indian troops; organisation of observation post; impressions of Indian troops; arrival of 2nd Bn West Yorkshire Regt; psychological operation at Gallabat.
REEL 4 Continues: use of Ordnance QF 18 Pounder Field Gun in anti-aircraft role; British air support and sight of shooting down of Gloster Gladiator; strafing by Italian Air Force fighters; Christmas celebrations, 1940; targets fired on at Gallabat; opinion of 144th Field Regt (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's), Royal Artillery; converting to Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun at Gedaref. Recollections of operations as NCO with 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 1941: in action at Keru; impression of Italian colonial prisoners of war; advantages of Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun; firing and terrain at Keru; calibration of guns; description of terrain at Tessenei; water supply.
REEL 5 Continues: medical officer's measures to stop dysentery; sores; tyres punctured by thorns; rations and cooking; degree of contact with officers; contact with home; visit by Anthony Eden; visits by senior officers including Brigadier Bill Slim; manoeuvres to threaten Italian rear; relations with 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry; in ambush positions; targets fired on at Barentu; time taken to fire and skills of directing fire; Italian positions at Barentu; acquisition of Italian supplies and vehicles at Barentu.
REEL 6 Continues: impressions of Italian prisoners of war; improvement in rations prior to attack on Keren; briefing of NCOs by divisional commander; location of observation post below Brigg's Peak; barrage by 2nd Division artillery; getting lost in dark at Keren; work of battery and exhaustion; gun positions at Keren; stocking up with ammunition; installing guns at night; Italian positions forward of own positions; opinion of Italian artillery; casualties; signals section located in culvert; a narrow escape; line maintenance work; collapse of Italian forces at Keren; in action at Adi Tekelezan; narrow escape from artillery fire from Italian pack gun in cave and it's knocking out; nature of action at Massawa.
REEL 7 Continues: role in forward observation post with 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry during advance on Massawa; terrain; flies; altitude; discarding of signals equipment; telephones used; maintenance tools; formation used by 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry during advance on Massawa; artillery targets; question of 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry bayonet charge; forward observation post party; impressions of Italian troops; debris in Italian positions; character of Italian defences; inaccuracy of Italian mortars; casualties; Italian artillery fire; surrender of Italian forces.
REEL 8 Continues: role of 1st Bn Royal Sussex Regt and 13th French Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade; reeling in line back to guns; gun position; return to Asmara; recreational activities in Asmara; Italian treatment of prisoners of war; change of commanding officer; duties in Asmara; civilian population. Recollections of operations as NCO with 28th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1941: nature of drive to Amba Alagi, Ethiopia; role of reconnaissance party; terrain and weather at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia; duties; contracting jaundice and evacuation to Khartoum, Sudan; state of health; in rest camp at Massawa, Eritrea.
REEL 9 Continues: signalling at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia; behaviour of Ethiopian Patriots; story of encounter between General Ashton Mayne and Indian troops; position of observation post; training with grenades; character of Decamere, Eritrea; accommodation and rations in transport depot at Decamere, Eritrea; voyage on French ship from Massawa, Eritrea; lessons learnt from campaign.